Images of Antelope Canyon – Northern Arizona, taken in May 2018.

Upper Antelope Canyon, Tse bighanilini or ‘the place where water runs through rocks’, is a slot canyon on Navajo land near Page Arizona. The upper canyon, as well as the lower canyon, was formed by water running through Navajo Sandstone primarily during the monsoon seasons. The upper canyon is at ground level and approximately 660 feet long.

The upper canyon is accessed only via tours authorized and run by the Navajo Nation. Our guide Leonard Nez drove us from Page to the site in the back of a modified pick-up and walked us through the canyon pointing out features and interesting rock formations. Although it was an overcast day the play of light on the canyon walls was spectacular and the only thing we didn’t get to witness were the famous shafts of light that sometimes occur when the sun is high in the sky. There was a photo group ahead of us so I did get a set-up shot of a sand-fall pouring from a depression in the rock. When we reached the end of the canyon our guide pulled out a Navajo flute and played us a native tune which rounded out and enhanced the experience.

One of the highlights for me was the “Monument Valley” formation which was directly above our heads and lit up through a crack; the light and detail of the image turned out to be something special and can be seen in the middle of the fifth row below.