Horseshoe Bend & Canyon X | Antelope Canyon Alternative!  

What a difference commercial development can make. I got my Antelope Canyon fix between 1984 and around 2000. The first time I went, there was nothing at Upper AC. The tribe delegated control of access to a family, and the idea was that someone would be in a hut along the highway where you pulled off for the three mile or so trip to the canyon. Half the time, the old guy didn't show up to open the fence and collect the tribal fee. It was a river wash full of sand. Sometimes you could get there in a truck or a four-wheel of some sort. You could hire a tribal guide to drive you in and out, and to give little to no supervision. No time limit. $15. Over later trips, they added some more organized access and required guided trips, at a cost which ran from about $40 to $65. The last visit, they had added some paving off the highway and a toll booth to account for the tour groups going in and out. They still ran designated "photo tours" which favored longer access and minimized other groups in there at the same time. From the YT videos thereafter, the place has ditched the photo tours, so they can run through more walking tours (more money), and they have increased prices and the volume of access to the point where it's more like a weird Disney World experience. The Lower AC was, for those earlier years, totally primitive. Someone collected $15 at the parking lot, and you were on your own. No stairs; a few old ladders. It didn't get more than a fraction of the visitation. That changed as the Upper AC got more restricted or exploited. Now, they seem to be the same. Since you cannot take photos anymore, I personally do not see the old canyons as being worth the time or money required. The tribe is milking the yak, and you're the yak.

Thank you for a very informative video of these two locations. Great shots.

In the middle of May I also photographed Horseshoe Bend and Canyon X! My photographs turned out spectacular because I got to Horseshoe Bend 90 minutes before sunset and I stayed there 45 minutes after sunset! I enjoyed watching your video thank you!

Thank you for this, I never been to any of the antelopes and after thorough search I found canyon X. Booked a tour photography for me and my dad, to take our time photographing and also to have a better visit. I am really happy with your report, hopefully we have the same experience

Thank you for a very detailed video. Great photos.

Beautiful. Thanks.

Thank you. Useful information.

Hey dude, super happy you are advertising this beautiful place. Thanks a million. Really. Thanks.

Great tips Mr Parker! And the photos you took were just breathtaking.

Great pictures and information!

I truly enjoyed your video. Thanks

Thank You so much for sharing your tour, will be going there later this year!!

Loved this, thank you! I dream of visiting the canyons. 🥰 Your photos of Horseshoe Bend are spectacular. ♥️

I really appreciate the insight. Taking my family to Arizona for the first time in March, this helps.

Thanks for your advice and comments Mr Parker. Your photography is a personal joy. Thank you for sharing how you’ve captured the sublime. I hope I am lucky enough to witness such beauty and have the pleasure to capture such transcendental the light and shadows.

Great pics!

Great information and wonderful photography. I passed on Antelope a few years ago due to the crowds. This one will be added to my list of new interests when I get back. Thanks again for effort and presentation.

Wow! Wonderful photos.

Great video. Very helpful.

Waaaay back in the day, Lower Antelope would sell you a 4 hour ticket where you were free to roam w/o a guide of any sort. It was wonderful. Now... you are a cow. Follow the herd and don't stray!

Thanks for sharing 👍

Nice job!😀👍

I had first visited Antelope canyon in 2002 when It was just discovered by the world. No problems taking your time walking thru either upper or lower canyons. At that time the parking lot for the lower canyon would hold about 40 cars. Last visit five years ago (about 2018) the parking lot held about 40 busses plus however many cars. I was able to get some shots but the description about disturbing an ant hill is very accurate. Many times they seem to require reservations and even with that a visitor might have to wait 4-5 hours go go thru the canyon- especially during holidays and any busy days. ( the busses hold tours of out of country visitors and large tour groups)

Absolutely beautiful. I have never heard of Antelope Canyon before. Nice video and adventure. New follower here. Crow

Great video! We loved Canyon X, our tour guide was the sweetest, they help you with the settings in your phone camera so you get the best shots. She even took panoramic pictures of us. We made friends with the photography guide as we were walking through and he set us up for a falling sand shot, AMAZING! I'd love to go back and do the photography tour just to get some more time n the canyon.

Love this very informative esp I'm going soon for Canyon X Aug 11, 2023 3:30 pm though. This time frame, will it still show great sunlight in the CANYON SLOT X? This slot is way cheaper, and as what I gathered from You and other Vlogs- less crowded.

Nice

Great video. It’s disappointing some of these cools spots are now behind a “timed” pay wall money grab. I just purchased a Shelta how do you like yours?

James, thank you for this. I'm planning a trip next week to the Antelope Slot Canyons and I had heard that they had discontinued the Photography tours in the Upper and Lower and was wondering whether it was worth going at all. Your video has convinced me to take the plunge. It's very nice to see a video describing all the salient points from a photography perspective. Liked and subscribed.

Very informative! Thank you. I'm looking to book a tour -- only got time for 1 of them -- and I just heard that I should consider Canyon X because it's not overcrowded. However, based on your experience, do you suggest Upper, Lower, or X?

Awesome images. I did lower antelope canyon long ago. I was the only one in my group with a tripod so the guide pretty much focused his attention on me and getting people out of my way. It was a great experience. I think over the years I have improved my techniques and would capture even better images. I won't be afraid to raise my ISO. I will do a few 2 or 3 image panos. I might even try a few HDR images so I can get more detail in both the bright areas and in the darks. Thank you for sharing your experiences and images. QUESTION: Is there ANY WAY to get Milky Way or Star Trail images at Horseshoe Bend?

Thank you for sharing! Very informative, I had no idea that there was this much ‘control’ put into place, wow. In spite of that you still got some pretty decent images. What was the cost of the photo tour in X canyon?

Hi James, just sub to your channel and view your video which is informative. I plan to visit Arizona in 2023 and the Horseshoe Bend is one of the places I will visit. Now that you intro the Canyon X photography tour, I will definitely have a look at exploring the place. I have the following questions: Do they allow tripod for Canyon X? At the Horseshoe Bend, do they have restriction for drone flying? I have register my drone with US FAA for recreation flying. thanks. David

Hey! Great photos! ❤️ What time was it? What month was it? Do you recommend a specific time of day? 😊

Thank you. Excellent video about the experience. I am planning a trip to Sedona and am thinking of doing the Canyon X tour. No video... 😔. Did they put any stipulations on the photos you took? Commercial use, sale, your YT channel, etc?

Second Question: I noted your exposure times on your photos at the end of the video. 5 seconds, 6 seconds @ ISO 800. It must be darker than it looks. Do you adjust your +EV at all???????

Thanks for the video! Great shots! Two questions: I’m curious why you used 800 iso… it seems like you could have used a slightly longer shutter speed to compensate. And 2: did it really take 3 hours? Not that I’m adverse to that. But Brendon Van Son said they’re both pretty short canyons.

For horse bend, do you think someone could ride their bike from the parking lot to the viewing area? You may have seen it or not or perhaps heard about it. Thanks for any info.

This was well done. I’m curious about one thing though. You showed a sign at Canyon X that said absolutely no purses or backpacks allowed. Then you showed a picture of the stairway down into the canyon and one of the people walking down had a big backpack. Are photographers allowed to bring backpacks?

nice shots. how much time did you spend parking lot to parking lot?

Don’t go on weekends ANYWHERE in Az. The urban hoardes are everywhere

Are you doing anything else in the Southwest?

I'm trying to decide if I want to support a company who takes advantage of nature's beauty. Where does the tour money go to? Do they give it to the community?

What is the best time to visit this canyon , around noon or morning and evening

What tour agency did you book with?

Maybe Canyon X for me?, I canceled my trip because I can't climb and walk far. Thank you for your post!

There are more churches in Page, maybe these charges go to subsidise more denominations ?

Do they really strick about can't bring gopro?

Why do you need a tripod? It seems that there is plenty of light so, I would say 125 to 250 of a second would be about right? No need for a tripod. Unless I am wrong???

If you are paying for a 3 hour tour, why are they so anal for lack of a better word for not wanting visitors to record video or have backpacks? If someone in your group is taking longer to get their shots, do you have to sit there and wait for them before you can move forward? What time of the year did you go and what time of the day?

Too many people.

You go to the biggest tourist spots and then complain about not getting your shot sheesh.I suspect you're not from the West