Faces in Antelope Canyon

BEHIND THE IMAGE

Antelope Canyon is found in the LeChee chapter of the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. Sometimes described as a cathedral, Antelope Canyon is a very unique and intriguing site that offers inspiration to many artists. It is actually made up of two canyons – the Upper and the Lower Antelope Canyons. The Upper Canyon is also known as the ‘Crack’ and the Lower is also called the ‘Corkscrew’. Many tourists and artists travel here every year to take in this photogenic site . Due to the danger of flash flooding, visitors are required to book a guided tour.

It took millions of years of flash floods and erosion to create this majestic site. Like any slot canyon, Antelope Canyon is narrow and deep. Its towering red sandstone walls are 37 metres in height and are illuminated in varying degrees by the sun above. Fast moving waters have etched swirling patterns and ridges into these walls. Some of these patterns take on forms that resemble real life objects.

The variation in the light and shadows found in Antelope Canyon can cause difficulties for inexperienced photographers. If you look closely at Faces in Antelope Canyon you can see three distinct faces that look as if they are being caressed by swirling wind. Light shining down from the sky illuminates these figures and the unusually shaped red and orange coloured rock above.