PHOTOGRAPHING CANYONS

Ashley Fountain

For much of my life, my number 1 bucket list destination had always been Hawaii. Travelling there in my 30s was a dream come true, and I made sure to bring along my Nikon CoolPix waterproof camera to visually document the trip. I found photographing the landscapes to be both relaxing and inspiring, and my friends’ and family’s positive reaction to the photos encouraged me to pursue the hobby further.

 I had no idea what getting a “real” camera meant, so I settled on an entry level Nikon DSLR D5300 kit, and started researching where on my travels I could next take it. After some research, I discovered the incredible photography of Peter Lik, whose famous Antelope Canyon “Ghost” shot completely blew me away. Inspired to travel there myself, I aimed to replicate some of his style.

Guided tours are not ideal for photography, as the groups are frequently overcrowded, and therefore intrude into your shots. Unfortunately, with the scrapping of the “Photographer Tour” this was my only option for accessing the Antelope Canyon, and I nonetheless enjoyed the experience. However, upon further exploration, I found my way into lesser-known slot canyons in the area, in particular the Cardiac Canyon.

This included a “Photographers Tour”, meaning I had the privilege of exploring the canyon with just 7 other people, for over 4 hours. It was far larger than the Antelope section, and contained many nooks and crannies, angles, and variations in lighting. I was overwhelmed with childlike excitement, and snapped away at every angle and shot I could find. The following selection includes my favourite shots from this trip, and a few others from Antelope and Peekaboo slot canyons. I hope they demonstrate my gradual improvement in capturing the beauty of these landscapes.

This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 10.