Making the Most of your Photography Schedule in Page Arizona
Unlike the other articles in this “Tips from the Pros” section…I’m not going to tell you how best to photograph Horseshoe Bend (I’ve already covered that in another blog post). Instead I’m going to help you schedule your day in Page in a way that will maximize your potential photography.
Many of you reading this website are planning to visit Page after photographing some of the other photographic icons in the area (Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, etc.). If so, you will be on a tight schedule and will probably have a day or less to spend in Page and you are going to have to make every minute count. Multiple trips to Page over the past decade have taught me a few tricks that I’d like to share with you. First of all, you certainly are already planning to hit Antelope Canyon while you are in Page, but did you know that there are actually two different Antelope Canyons? They are both beautiful, but unique in their own way and you will want to photograph both of them.
• The Antelope Canyon that is the most visited and photographed is Upper Antelope Canyon. This is the one with the famous light beams that occur between March 15 and Oct 7 . These tours are tightly choreographed and crowded but the views are beautiful and otherworldly. You might pay extra to get on one of the tours and take the trip that will be in the canyon between 11am and 1pm (this is when the light beams are visible). There are a number of different tour companies, I’d recommend that you check out Trip Advisor to find one with good reviews.
• Lower Antelope Canyon is every bit as beautiful but light beams are few and far between. However, at this location you can pay $50 for a photographer’s pass and stay in the canyon for 2 hours without being part of a group. Tours will pass thru by you, but you can set up and photograph at your own speed.
Suggested Schedule for your visit
• Sunrise Page is about 2 hours from Zion, Bryce and Monument Valley…which means that you can be at one of those locations for a sunrise shot and then still have time to drive to Page for a full day of photography
• 10:30am Schedule a tour at Upper Antelope Canyon. These tours start in Page and start at different times during the day. Book the 10:30am tour since this is when light beams will be at their peak. These tours normally take about 2.5 hours and you will get back to Page about 1pm
• 1-2pm Grab Lunch in Page, then drive back to Lower Antelope Canyon. Pay for the Photographer’s tour ($50)
• 2-4pm Photograph Lower Antelope Canyon.
• 4pm If you are visiting during the winter, the sun will set before 6pm so it would now be time to head to Horseshoe Bend. During the summer however, sunset can be as late as 8pm. In that case, grab dinner in Page before you head out to Horseshoe.
• Sunset Leave Page at least 90 minutes before sunset (that will give you plenty of time to drive to the Horseshoe parking lot, hike the trail to the site and set up before peak color hits.
• Now you can head back into Page for a good night’s sleep before heading off in the morning for your next adventure! The American Southwest is blessed with an incredible number of iconic photo locations. Even so, you would be hard-pressed to find another location that has such a variety of world-class photo ops that you can hit in a day.
Enjoy yourself!
Jeff
About the Author: Jeff Stamer got his first camera, a secondhand Kodak Brownie back in 1964. A lot has certainly changed since then, but he will tell you that love of photography hasn’t been one of them. After a 30 year interlude with an international Fortune 500 corporation, Jeff returned to full-time wildlife and landscape photography in 2010. He has since been making up for those lost decades with a vengeance. Jeff writes a regular photography blog and maintains a well-respected website at: https://www.firefallphotography.com/
Excellent summary, Jeff. I’m heading there in March and want to shoot some Timelapse at Horseshoe. I will be there for four days. I saw your intel on the $50 permit fee for photography for Lower Antelope Canyon but nothing on their website. Is that on the down low, meaning it isn’t a publicized tour? I’ve emailed them and will see what they say, but I am all about paying more for quality time than flowing with the crowds.
Thanks for such an informative blog.
Joe
The whentobewhere.com link from Mike for Antelope doesn’t exist any longer. You can find the article for the best time with outstanding pictures here now: https://www.besttime2travel.com/antelope-canyon This is my new project.
Hey Micha,
Thanks for the heads up about that link, and for sharing your project! We have shared it on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/antelopecanyon.az
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
I’m limited on time, because I’m bringing my special needs kid. Can I just drive up to the horse shoe without doing the tour to get a picture of the beautiful horseshoe landscape?
Hi Priscilla,
A tour is not required to visit Horseshoe Bend. The public parking lot is open between the hours of sunrise and sunset. You simply pay your parking fee ($10 for most standard passenger vehicles), then walk to the overlook. The trail is .6-7 miles long, 1 way, or slightly longer than 1 mile round-trip.
You mention that your child has special needs. If those needs include a wheelchair, you may have some problems. The ADA compliant paved trail to the overlook is not yet completed, and some of the trail goes through sand that can be problematic for wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids.
If your child is unable to walk to the overlook, consider alternate means of seeing Horseshoe Bend that don’t involve as much exertion.
Good luck and safe travels,
Alley 🙂
Thanks for the GREAT post. I’m heading there and dreaded wasting any part of my day… Problem eliminated with this post
Dear Gerry,
Glad our site helped! Have a wonderful time, and a Happy Holiday season.
Alley 🙂
Thanks for even specifying the time for the best photo output . I will be heading for the antelope canyon and once i get there , I will try my best to keep up with these tips , hoping to find good results. You really saved a lot of time for me , thank you very much.
You are welcome, hope these suggestions help you get the most out of your vacation!
Nice tips. I possess an Instagram profile for landscape photography and I am really gonna take advantage of these tips. But I am also in search of a good camera to capture such perfect shots. I found Nikon COOLPIX 900 and Canon T6 Rebel on this website, https://www.azonvisor.com/best-camera-for-instagram/but I cannot decide between choosing one. If you know which one is better please let me know.
Hi Victoria and thank you for your compliments!
Unfortunately, I happen to be the worst photographer EVER so cannot authoritatively advise you on which camera to purchase. However, there are a number of forums devoted to landscape and travel photography you might find beneficial. Simply do a basic Google search and you’ll come up with all sorts of names.
Best wishes for happy traveling,
Alley 🙂
Good afternoon,
I plan on heading to the Canyon Next week, around march 15th. Would it be best to be in the Canyon around 1pm or would there still be light at 3:30/4:30?
Thank you,
Alexandra
Hi Alexandra,
Not sure if you are referring to Antelope Canyon or the Grand Canyon, but in either case, there will be sufficient light in the later afternoon hours. Sunset occurs at 6:30 PM.
Have a wonderful trip!
Alley 🙂
Jeff,
Beautiful pictures! Question, I purchased a Nikon D7000 some years ago that came with a Nikkor 18-105 lens. To get the pictures of Horseshoe Bend and in Antelope Canyon like yours, would a wider angle lens than mine be needed? Also, I live here in central AZ, so know how the temps can get. That said, what time of the year would be the estimated best to drive up for the pictures?
Hi Ed and thank you for visiting our site!
Jeff Stamer was kind enough to write that piece on a one-time basis, but does not answer questions personally via our site, so bear with us.
The lens that you have along with your Nikon D7000 should be sufficient for photographing Antelope Canyon to its best effect. On our sister site https://www.antelopecanyon.az another professional photographer, Gavin Hardcastle, shared his insights for capturing this world-famous geologic oddity. For the full story, visit Antelope Canyon Photo Guide Part 1 & 2 on his website, http://www.fototripper.com
As for the best time to visit, that would be during the hot summer months during peak visitation time between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM to capture Antelope Canyon’s iconic light beams. If you don’t have your heart set on those, nor fancy having to jockey with potentially hundreds of people to get the perfect shot, you might consider an Antelope Canyon Alternative Tour which visits Page, Arizona slot canyons that are just as beautiful, but far less crowded.
Hope that helps – good luck and safe travels,
Alley
Can you still buy a photographers pass and go through lower antelope canyon without being on a tour? I am going this March and all photography tours are booked. Hoping the photographers pass is still allowed so I can bring a tripod.
Hi Julia, and thanks for visiting our site.
It’s not surprising to hear that all Lower Antelope Canyon Photography Tours are booked. It’s a popular activity in the Page/Lake Powell area. Because Lower Antelope Canyon is situated on Navajo Indian Tribal land, there’s no getting around the requirement to enter with a licensed guide.
A couple of questions: have you contacted both outfitters? For Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, visit https://lowerantelope.com/ or call (928) 606-2168 For Dixie Ellis’s Tours, visit https://antelopelowercanyon.com/ or call (928) 640-1761 Are you flexible on your days? Weekends tend to be busier than weekdays. How large is your party? Larger groups are always more difficult to accommodate, so if some of your group wouldn’t mind sitting things out (or taking the basic tour), that could work in your favor.
What you might do in the interim is book a basic tour, but let the outfitter know that you wish to upgrade. They might put you on a wait list. If all else fails, cancellations do happen, and persistence does pay off. Keep calling!
Good luck and happy travels. Do let us know how you get on.
Alley
Hey Jeff Stamer,
Great share! Thanks for your recommendations and suggested the schedule. I know Antelope Canyon is the beat. Really this post will help us to take an idea about best photography. From my opinion, all the tips are a real winner.
Whatever, Thanks for sharing. see you again to take an idea about the best photography tips. How it possible for me?
Thank you for talking about the importance of knowing when sunsets are when you are on a photo tour. It makes sense that being at the right place at the right time can help anyone get astonishing pictures and help them enjoy their tour. I would want to make sure I speak with the pros to make sure I know when and where to go as well as anything I need to watch out for.
Dear John,
Thank you for your compliments on Mr. Stamer’s tips! Another tip from a long-time Arizona resident who’s logged many memorable sunsets is to be in your chosen vantage point 30 minutes prior to sunset, and to remain there 30 minutes after sunset. This is when the light changes most dramatically. Many people who leave the area right when the sun sinks over the horizon regret missing some great photo ops.
Thank you again for visiting!
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for your tips. I’ll be going out in mid Dec and am really looking forward to all the photography I’ll be doing. Your photographs on firefallphotography are amazing and inspiring — thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Jeff! Very helpful, thanks!. I put a link on our site to your page: https://www.whentobewhere.com/travel-listing/antelope-canyon
I hope that’s ok?
Michael
Thanks for the link Michael! I’m glad you found the information useful.
Best,
Ryan
Hello !
I plan to visit Upper Antelope Canyon with a friend of mine on a photograph tour in June.
We booked our spot for the tour at 10;30 !
Now, I am wondering if we need any photography permit to be allow to post our photographies on facebook, Instagram and on my blog. We will not sell them.
Did you already pay for the permit ?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Sara,
This is an excellent question! As you’ve probably seen, many people post their photos on social media after their tours. As long as you’re not using them for commercial purposes (selling them), it should be OK. As a courtesy, though, you might ask your tour guide if it’s alright with them.
And yes, your Tribal Park Entry permit is included in the cost of your ticket.
Hope that helps. Have a great time!
Alley
Heading there in early June – I appreciate the tips. I continue to explore – the only way to learn. This is one hell of a place to practice. This part of the country is phenomenal.
Thanks!