Until about 30 years ago, nobody outside the small town of Page, Arizona had ever heard of Antelope Canyon. Today, thanks to Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and all the other photo sharing sites out there, every human on the face of the earth has seen photos of the place, and most of them would like nothing better than to go there and see it for themselves. The ultimate goal: they want to post their own beautiful pictures of Antelope Canyon on their Social Media platform of choice, so that they can join the elite posse of those who have “been there, done that.” No less than four million people flocked to Antelope Canyon last year, overwhelming this once sleepy town in the desert like a human tsunami.

I first visited Antelope Canyon in 2013, and even then, the excursion to the Upper Canyon was a little bit of a zoo, with multiple tour groups trying to occupy the same small space, all at the same time. After the tour, we drove ourselves out to Lower Antelope Canyon, and we were pleasantly surprised to find it significantly less crowded. (Remember, this was in 2013!)  At that time, they offered very special access for photographers: for a nominal extra fee, they let you spend twice as much time in the slot canyon, and you got to wander at will on your own schedule, without a guide, taking all the time you could possibly need to set up that perfect shot. My friend and I literally had the place to ourselves for most of an hour, and a good part of the appeal was the extraordinary, almost mystical solitude within that extraordinary space.

When I returned two years later, in 2015, they’d already tightened things up. They still had photo tours, and you still got extra time, but you had to go in with a group, and you had to stick close to your guide at all times. That was better in some respects, because the guides were quite knowledgeable, and very helpful, especially when it came to capturing photos of the light beams–but it was also a bit sad, because it meant that it would never again be possible to experience that very special place without a crowd of strangers packed in around you.

Today, every tour is booked to capacity, and advance reservations are a must. To help accommodate the larger crowds, they’ve stopped offering the photo tours altogether, and the capacity crowds move down the ladders and through the narrow confines of the Lower Canyon like cattle in a conga line. Don’t get me wrong–it’s still worth going, and you will absolutely come away with wonderful pictures of your own, but I’ve still gotta say it: the Instagram crowd is most definitely its own worst enemy.

I’ve put together several light beam slide shows using images from my second visit, in 2015. (See below). Back then, anybody with a decent camera and a rudimentary knowledge of proper exposure could have taken these same photographs. Today, with the constant flow of larger tour groups, I doubt that you’ll ever see these spaces empty of people (all waving cell phones above their heads like supplicants). The elimination of the dedicated photography tours at Antelope Canyon marks the end of an era for serious photographers. Like so many of the good things that have been spoiled by their own success, those good old days sure were nice while they lasted!

(Unless otherwise noted, all of the images in these posts are my original work, and are protected by copyright. They may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. My own use of these photos is authorized by an after-the-fact permit obtained from the Navajo Tribe.)

Conjuring beams of light in Lower Antelope Canyon: 

An assortment of particularly lovely light beams in Lower Antelope Canyon:

Last but not least: the turbulent birth of a Sand Spirit:

This is an interactive Table of Contents. Click the pictures to open the pages.

The Incomparable Beauty of Antelope Canyon

A few years ago I wrote a book about road trips in Arizona and New Mexico that's a lot like this website, packed with interesting information, and illustrated with beautiful photographs. Check it out! You can find it on Amazon, and at all other major booksellers.