Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. 

Eclipse at Page Arizona

Colorado River Overlook

Stairs Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon

The solar eclipse Sunday was a great excuse for a road trip so we headed north with some friends. They had never been to page so we had to do the hike to the overlook of the Colorado River, it sure was easier years ago when you could drive to the top in a 4WD.

You can't go to page without going to Antelope Canyon. The first time I was there the steps weren't there but then neither were the tourists. You hired an Indian guide that had ropes and climbed in. Now hundreds of people go through it every day. When I was there last year you could get photo passes for your group which allowed you two hours to take your tripod and camera in and photograph without a guide. The rules are now changed and while you can still get a photographers pass if you have a professional camera and tripod but you can't take anyone else in with you. Others in your group must go on a guided tour. Not wanting to go without my friends I went on a group tour with them, however, on a group tour you can't take a tripod. Those of you that have photographed in there know that even when the sun is overhead it is dark enough to need a tripod as the exposures will be long. I have had exposures with the 4x5 camera that were over 20 minutes at the small apertures needed for depth of field. I did take a few exposures bracing the camera against a wall, you can not be there without making some photographs.  

Solar Eclipse

Our hotel was within 1000 yards on the center of the eclipse so we watched it from the back parking lot. As I did not have the needed filter to photograph the sun directly I wanted a location that had trees that would allow pin points of light to come through the leaves. The pinpoints of light will then focus the sun on anything behind such as a friends car. The middle photo shows the eclipse before it was centered and the bottom photo with the moon centered on the sun. This was anular eclipse as the moon was too far from earth to cover the sun as in a total eclipse. This anular eclipse covered 96% of the sun.

Little Colorado River Gorge

On the way home we took the road to the Grand Canyon and made this panorama of the Little Colorado River Gorge.