requiem for a dream Photo

Photographer’s Note

I had a dream that broke.

I had a dream about slowly strolling through the Antelope Canyon, observing how the light coming in from the narrow slots above bounces from wall to wall and brings out all possible shades of red, purple, orange and yellow. I had a dream of spending time and looking for familiar shapes and figures in the abstract folds of the rock. I had a dream that if we pay considerable amount of money for what is labeled a "photographic tour", we would be able to do just that (the only alternative to a "photographic tour" is a regular tour, since you can enter the Canyon only with Navajo quides).

my dream broke in gazillion pieces when:
(a) the light failed to appear and the whole sky was covered with dull gray clouds, which is considered very, very uncommon in this area during May (if you want to what happened just hours after we left, take a look at this photo by Kristaps); and
(b) we realised that the "photographic tours" differ from the regular tours only in price and duration, and take place at the same time as several other tours.

I still feel the jagged edges from the pieces of the broken dream cutting into my tiny photographic soul, so I will not go into details, but leave you with a thought:

imagine you are trying to squeeze through, and hope to set up your tripod in a canyon that is only about 2 meters wide and which, at the moment, you share with another two hundred people (most of them happily using their point-and-shoots left and right and blinding you with their uncontrollable flashes); there's no light, no magic, everything looks dull. and even if you manage to find something worth looking at, there is no way you can take a photo of it, because there's no space for your tripod, people are constantly stepping in front of your lens, bumping into you and almost tipping you and your tripod over, pushing you aside because they need space for the flash on the point-and-shoots, and generally being tourists. and even if for one impossibly short moment you have a clear view to something, the wind above the canyon picks up and drops a pound of sand right into your eyes and into the lens. voilà! enjoy.

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RAW, ISO 400, 50mm focal length, spot metering.

sevy, sevy, Floydian, Bruno40, zmey, ku-fotak-chtik, delkoo, Wandering_Dan, dareco, pauloog, isabela_sor, BelCan75, patdeph, Dpbours, cherryripe, adores, jwmunro, plimrn, zeca, batalay, stego, sonkai trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

jimkil (524) 2009-06-04 4:34

Hi Kristine
You made it here, this place is amazing with the beams of light and different hues of colour throughout the day. Excellent composition showing the rock formations and slots, well presented shot from this magical place.
Regards
Jim

sevy (12797) 2009-06-04 4:37

Hello Kristine,

First when seeing the title I though to say the photo is in opposition with the beauty shown on the post and the darkness of the movy.
Now, when reading your note, I understand fully how you looked it. In fact, I would have been very disapointed to visit this dream place in so a touristic mood. My dream goes away. Hopefully I like the photo with a good setting of the contrast.

Yves.

giorgimer (20576) 2009-06-04 4:42

Hi Kristine,

I loved this place I visited during my honeymoon trip. Your diagonal composition is nice. Beautiful colors and nice light.

TFS

Gio

speedymanu (1580) 2009-06-04 5:48

Hello Kristine

perfect movie refernce for this delicate composition, a subtle mix of light and shadow, of curves and broken surfaces.

Congratulations

Emmanuel

Floydian (30970) 2009-06-04 5:58

Dear Kristine,

I feel the tears in your eyes, all those years, thinking about it and then finally being there...and then realizing it was all for nothing.
Okay the weather you can't control, no one to blame, but that thing called phototour. turned out to be a big selling add about nothing...!!!

Also i have this dream about walking there, making these pictures, but now reading this...i hold back, What to do...go there or not...and how, in what kind of tour?
Yes i will go and no dumb f**k with his point-and-shoot will put me aside, that's for sure. But when walking there with so many people, they get on my nerves...can i make those shots is the next question?

2 weeks ago i saw these pictures, taken early May...and if you feel good look at them..!!!! Looking at these shots is for me a reason to go...and for you to go back...one day...because what he can we also can...hold on to that thought.

I had plans to buy a Pro 14/m/m lens for only these shots...not afraid for other tourists standing in my way, but when the weather is no good, how do i ever earn that money back which i spend on that 14m/m?
I need some second thoughts about that ;-)

Meanwhile a big hug from my side, because i feel your sorrow about the results you've got...and not what you had in your mind. Kristaps already told me about this so called little disaster trip...reading your note i understand every word from it.

Look at me...smile...and say; next time i make those damn pictures..!!! ;-)

Take care,

Henk

[3] +

emka (21127) 2009-06-04 6:02

Hi Kristine,

And after all this that you write in your funny note - we see wonderful photo. I have seen a lot of photos of the Antelope Canyon but is so difficult to imagine how it really looks like if you were not there. Splendid colours, maybe I remember them lighter, but they look very impressive and marvelous like thy are. When it is raining - bad luck. Maybe the solution for this crowd is to come early - with the first tour. When we were there in September we had practically all Canyon for a small group. Half an hour later, when we left it was already a queue.

Regards

Malgorzata

Bruno40 (6440) 2009-06-04 6:02

Hi Kristine,
This is a place I also dream to visit some time.
Your tight composition is quite good, very nice details on the rock and good colours. Nothing to envy to other photos out there, just different from the usual ones.
very interesting, and sad, note. I did not know that there are tours to get there (you cant walk alone?). How other people manage to take nice photos w/o other humans around?
Nice work
Jorge

zmey (7242) 2009-06-04 6:58

hey there :) you sure did a good job matching the mood of this shot (quite somber) to your story. no glow (due to the lack of sunlight), sure, but the color play of the reds and blacks is still beautiful.

hug
k.

ku-fotak-chtik (1132) 2009-06-04 7:01

Hi Kristine,

I've jus read your sad story and I believe it had to be really horrible feeling, I am going there and other places in the USA this September and I hope that I will be allowed to hang around just my own if possible.
I am sorry for you and hope you will have chance to come back again one day.
Anyway I like the picture and i think you captured it very well.

Kind Regards from lake District

Jiri

delkoo (33870) 2009-06-04 7:11

hi kristin,
I am speechless in front of a such beauty, a very striking, eye-catching, and compelling photo.
Great work!
cheers,

didier

Wandering_Dan (3165) 2009-06-04 8:57

Hi, Kristine -

Well, now I don't feel so bad about canceling my SW trip, though as things were working out I might have had to skip Antelope anyway. If I had gone, I would have signed up for one of those photo tours, which imply (but don't actually say out loud) that you'll have the place to yourself, with only other serious photographers around.

But even with all that sturm and drang (Drang nach Westen?), you managed an excellent capture here. The diagonal slant, while typically Kristine :-) is not what I usually see in Antelope Canyon shots; nice. The soft focus on the left adds a nice touch as well; it creates a good negative space.

Best,
Dan

PS: I'm using the old beta version; I couldn't deal with the new one any more after they set up an ad to cover over the menu.

dareco (17024) 2009-06-04 9:01

Although you had a very bad day you came away with a beautiful picture!! I love the lighting, colors and detail!! A perfect frame. TFS

BennyV (4429) 2009-06-04 10:43

Hello Kristine,

Although this kind of photography isn't really my kind of thing, your post kept me busy for quite a while. I like the personal touch in the note (and even read through the discussions that followed, thank god for that tiny "+", once you find it)...

And then looking back, actually I like the picture too. Guess it would be interesting to see beyond the frame and behind your back, tourism as anthropology:)

Thanks for sharing the experience.

Benny

ElAprendiz (7370) 2009-06-04 12:29

Hello Kristine:

Congratulations. For me it is a sub-realistic image of great beauty and notorious graphics.

The clarity of the colors is very noticeable and can describe accurately the various betas at the clothes.

A composition in a closed frame of high quality.

Special greeting from Colombia, John

pauloog (6278) 2009-06-04 13:12

Hello Krisdtine,
Wonderful play of light and colours in this almost cubistic view in darker beautiful colours.
Well seen and well executed with perfect light management.

claire526 (1261) 2009-06-04 13:29

Hi Kristine,
This is an amazing shot with so much details and sharpness. I like the play of light and shadow. Interesting composition and inspite of your experience you have produced a great image.
Cheers,
Claire

isabela_sor (41847) 2009-06-04 13:52 [Comment]

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gneufeld (14959) 2009-06-04 18:21

Hi Kristine,
I experienced it all in May 2007. I loved the opportunity to be in Antelop Canyon and I too booked the photographers tour. The crowds and jockeying for position was relentless. I did find, however, there were a few minutes of quiet photo time near the end - valued by me for sure. I also caught on real quick that one was better to be looking up to photograph s as to get above the crowd. You can see some of my shots from this amazing place in my gallery. Hey, your shot is classic and very well executed. Thanks for your excellent work and note. Gerald

BelCan75 (2416) 2009-06-04 22:11

Hello Kristine,

I think this is an amazing photo with great light, stunning colours and such beautiful details on the canyon walls. You may not have that perfect sun beam thing going on, but everybody else has a photo like that...therefor yours is much more unique and I like that! Excellent work, Kristine!

Greetings,
Ann

Poet (354) 2009-06-05 2:46

Hi Kristine,
I can imagine your dissapointment, but the weather is unpredictable. Worse is your experience with your "tour" and the crowd of tourists there, how awful !!
Still this is a beautiful shot, spooky and romantic.
And I am sure you have some more of them.

ifanik (20456) 2009-06-05 3:03

EXCELLENT!!!!
just...........EXCELLENT
Well done
Best regards
Nick

patdeph (17308) 2009-06-05 3:59

hello Kristine
I can imagine your big deception,the weather is a minor thing beside the crowd!I can say you have broken one of my deam,to walk alone in such a place!Now I know that this is impossible!How do the photographs to do the splendid pictures that we can see in the books,or like these ones that Henk has sent to you?Do they pay more to be alone?Anyway,you hve here a nice light on the rocks,maybe not so beautiful than in your dreams,but it shows the relief,the colours and the texture of the rocks!And this tight framing give a beautiful abstract composition!
Regards
Pascale

Greg1949 (8499) 2009-06-05 9:43

Kristine, my heart goes out to you in your plight, but you like Kristaps have written such wonderful notes that you make my eyes water. Your shot here is better than most that I have seen, even some of the better ones have way over exposed areas and yours does not, it is absolutely beautiful and magical. You are a consumate photographer, returning wonderful results no matter the difficulties that need to be overcome, great work.

Greg

baba_flies (7903) 2009-06-05 10:21

Hello Kristine! My travel guide writes about Moab (just as an example) that we slowly love this region to death. I can only agree, and not even the rangers are friendly anymore and have lost their humour meanwhile (this was in Arches N.P. last year). Many times we get wrong impressions, also through TE, and photographers (like me too of course) show us empty places and spaces and when we arrive it is just so different. Benno is much better than me, he can travel with no travel guide at all, and if it rains, it rains. I am not like that ;))) Tourists, bad weather, you still managed to show us a wonderful picture and you made the impossible possible. We cannot choose the weather and if I look outisde the window it has dark clouds and we are in for bad weather, also prognosed for the whole weekend. Pretty unusual, as they say. Movie time!!! A lot of things go through my mind when I read your note, and maybe we should start to enjoy the roadside beauty more often and depend less what other people say or write ... AND keep treasures for ourselves, no GPS data published and only given away to people we really like and know that they love nature and leave nothing behind. Oh anyway, we just returned from a crazy flight, very bumpy, very remote, and low clouds ... no good pictures for sure but something for the 'hidden album'. Love from Grand Junction/CO ... Barbara.

archimatica (13112) 2009-06-05 14:03

Great imagination, my friend, and many congratulations.
Your work is always the result of sensitivity, culture and technology.
Renzo

Dpbours (210) 2009-06-05 23:39

Hello Kristine,

Oh, what a story! And the frustration!!! Amazing. It is also amazing that there are actually people who manage to take a decent shot of this place with all those groups going through. And an amazing story about the rip off 'photographic tour'... But you came with a nice composition here!

Greetings,
Dennis

mark_mk (246) 2009-06-06 4:15

Hi Kristine,
Antelope Canyon is always impressive and it´s still bugging me that I missed it when I was in Page about a year ago.
But thank god I have great images like yours to look at, it´s just gorgeous, that red of the rocks and the ray of light, the texture of the rocks... Just beautiful, perfectly excecuted by you. Wonderful!

Take care
Mark

Bartleby (4608) 2009-06-06 6:27

Hi Kristine,
I totally get what you described in your note...and sympathize. It must be quite a hassle to stand in such a place and be pushed around...I think I would freak out and make people taste my tripod....anyway, Looking at your shot, I think you managed to get out of this quite beautifully. The strong contrasts, the delicately-lit grooves of the rock faces. I definitely like it! I hope one day I'll have the opportunity to stop at Page....

Take care,

Philippe

Angshu (33185) 2009-06-06 8:54

Hello Kristine
I can almost feel your pain, having faced a similar situation during my trip to Himalayas last June, during the rainy season, having driven 600 Km one side from Delhi. But this picture is still a good one, maybe not spectacular as we see pictures from this place, but this is one of the rare ones I've seen in low light, a mellow slice of it hitting down the centre. I'm sure you'll revisit the place & maybe capture in fine light, some cliched but spectacular pictures. Good title here as well.
Best Regards
Angshu

cherryripe (18744) 2009-06-06 9:53

Hi Kristine
You note has made me very nervous. I was thinking of booking a photographic tour as I was under the impression that you get more time to set up in front of the tourists. For info, did you book the tour befor arriving there and was it from Page or on the spot ?
Despite what happened, you've still succeeded in getting an interesting shot - nice and sharp without sand and the tilt makes it pretty dynamic.
Regards
Nikki

adores (15225) 2009-06-06 14:17

Hi Kristine!
You got a really a great photo of this place, in spite of everything. I like everything here, the light, the textures and tonalities of the stone, the way you framed it. Good work!
Your discription of the tour is great also, how I understand you!

kiks (5961) 2009-06-06 14:23

Fantastic almost abstract work you present us. I just love the light and shadows patterns and your frame is perfect. Congratulations for the good work.
Kiks

Signal-Womb (11566) 2009-06-06 16:37

Hi Kristine, you have certainly got about since my last visit here. You have captured some marvelous locations and this is one is high on my wish list. Interesting reading the thread on problems with tourism and such. I do like this alot. Love the strong colour, texture and light. Its quite different from most other shots Iv seen. Very well done..

Nicou (43649) 2009-06-07 1:02

Hello,

Merveilleuse image que effet cette roche, ces lumière le trace sur la pierre, une merveille, grandiose image.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

jwmunro (6851) 2009-06-07 8:00

Hello Christine -

I am so sorry your experiences were so bad and all at the hands of some rude tourists. Sometimes the cell-phone and PnS camera have made photography difficult for those of us who try to work at it and produce something other than a snapshot. This image is not a snapshot. Even with your in canyon distractions, the lack of directional light, and the sand showers this is a marvelous image. It really shows the effects of water in the slot canyons. I think this is worthy of a frame and place on the wall. Well done! Bravo!

Thank you for sharing.

John

delpeoples (5260) 2009-06-07 22:31

Hi Kristine, this is one of the best shots I've seen in a while. The tones and textures are amazing, all perfected by your excellent metering and composition. I like that some of the shot is in darkness and some in extrme light, it really is an extraordinary photograph that you should be very proud of. Warm regards, Lisa.

Waylim (10645) 2009-06-08 14:33

Kristine,
Regarding of what happen, this shot is still worthwhile. I'm sorry to hear that thing didn't workout as well as you have wish for. I'm planning of being here late September. I hope it's not as many people and weather is better, most of all I hope I can only come home with a shot as beautiful as this one. I heard similar story from other, so I'm somewhat prepared and not to have a expectation too high. For whatever its worth, I really love this shot, so rich and depp in colors You did excellently under the condition.
Way

plimrn (19518) 2009-06-08 17:48

Hi Kristine,
I'm sorry the trip didn't match your dream; yet you and Kristaps both managed excellent work. I read that the mark of the expert photographer is great work in bad weather. But the crowds sound awful too, no wonder you are grieving.
HLJ, Pat

SteveH (3847) 2009-06-08 22:36

Hi Kristine, the image is nothing like the image the note conjures up in my mind. I like the deep colours - more saturated than I've seen previously from this location. I guess helped by the low light. Tilting the image is another good differentiation from the more usual aspect. cheers, Steve

zeca (20024) 2009-06-08 23:38

Excelent work, Kristine. How beautiful is this picture! The lights are great and you did a perfect work on colours and contrasts. I really love it.
Regards,
Zeca

eversmile (5888) 2009-06-11 2:24

Hi Kristine

I love your story (you tell it so well!) although it is exactly the kind of situation that would raise a lot of frustration in me. I guess it is very difficult to harvest magic in this situation! Anyway, your shot succeed to surprise me, and even enchant me, because I discover this place under a new light. The rock seems brut, sharp, almost aggressive. I like this approach, very strongly connected to the earth; a less ethereal vision than what we are used to see when it comes to this legendary canyon. The dark brown-red hues and the diagonal makes it strongly graphic. Your framing fits perfectly to the image; Bravo!
Regards
Marine

Flavia (10202) 2009-06-13 3:52

Hi Kristine,

Wonderful picture that cannot leave any trace of the frustation you could experienced there... The result is amazing and contributes to the dream of millions of going there and take the perfect picture. Yes, because for me that's what this is a perfect one. Maybe my standarts are not as hight as your, or you're just being too hard with yourself? The light is there, the composition too, as you choosed a nice part of the canyon with contrasing shapes and textures. How did you managed to do that with such impossible conditions?

Regards,

Flavia

stego (22304) 2009-07-06 19:31

Hi Kristine,
The wonderful light, colours, shapes, textures and compo you show here simply don't match the ugly story you tell us in the note. Many of us would kill for such a beautiful and achieved photo. Maybe you could face the situation with humour: if you had gotten better light and less undesirable company, you would spend the rest of the year processing the gazillion awesome shots you would have taken and you would be fed up with Antelope Canyon. :D
Regards,
José

sonkai (1017) 2009-08-22 3:59

Wow Kristine,
it really looks like a dream, a perfec sharp dream.The colors has the perfect tone of red, yelow, and magenta for me. All this curve lines like a labyrinth for the sigh wich drive you by the picture and make you stay there..Thanks for sharing and congratulations for the photo and for this view.
Hugs,
Sonsoles

degani (2876) 2009-08-23 5:06

Hi Kristine,
I have been in the same place last week and can understand the difficulty in taking pictures there, you did a great work here, the image is very bright and the composition really beautiul, I like also the oblique perspective, brava
kind regards
franco

mkamionka (4226) 2009-10-28 12:54

Hi Kristine,
I really enjoyed your note, well I mean not that I was happy to hear your sad adventure in the Antelope Canyon but I plan to visit this place in about two-three weeks from now and I was just thinking which tour to book. I guess there is no chance then to take a decent shot so I may save some money? I have to prepare for the worst.
Yet you managed to do a fantastic job here. I know it may be not quite what you wished for but the result is truly beautiful. The colors seem very natural and the exposure is just perfect. You show here different "layers" of the rocks and the texture is so well visible that you can get a feeling of how it would be to touch it.
I like it very much,
M

westcoastgirl1 (678) 2009-10-31 15:56

Hi Kristine

Sorry for your disappointing trip but you did emerge with a few good photos. The colours are stunning and the rock makes intersting shapes and shadows with the light. Thanks for the efforts.

Take care,
Tosca