Antelope Canyon Lightray / Rob Kroenert

Amira says:

"Antelope Canyon was the fourth stop on my recent roadtrip. I'd been there twice before and I like to think I've learned from my mistakes, so I've been a little more prepared each time.

For my first visit, I brought only my camera and my everyday lens - no other equipment - and I went in the afternoon. By my second visit I'd realized that a tripod was critical, because there's not much light in there, and I learned that mid-day is the only time you can take the classic sunbeam shots, so I made sure to be there just before noon. And for this third and most recent visit, I knew enough to bring a wide angle lens and a shutter release cable, and I bracketed all my shots to increase the chances of getting a good exposure (and also to open up some HDR options).

If I was smart I'd have figured all of that out by doing more research before my first visit, but apparently I needed to learn the hard way.

As amazing as Antelope Canyon is, the crowds are getting a little out of hand... The biggest challenge for me this time wasn't composition or camera settings - it was figuring out how to position my tripod and take a clean shot while packed in wall-to-wall with other people."