Sanctum Glow

Gallery: LandscapePosted May 29, 20173,706 views22 comments

With Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons sadly resembling Disneyland on a holiday weekend, I headed into another slot canyon. This is my favorite take from last weekend. A tiny beam of light was hitting the backside of the rock wall on the right, which created the intense glow on the left.

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on May 29, 2017 at 1:21 PM

A very mysterious feel this has. The light and glow looks great.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Don Young on May 29, 2017 at 1:51 PM

Kind of spooky, but still inviting! Good image!

Registered on April 23, 2015, 56 Posts, 224 Comments

Comment posted by gary phillips on May 29, 2017 at 1:57 PM

Beautiful Doug. Love the glow, very cool. Just enough shadow detail to carry the comp. very well done.

Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments

Comment posted by Prashant Khapane on May 29, 2017 at 2:13 PM

Mysterious is right. You must have been so excited to see the light. Should be a fantastic choice to hand on the wall.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 492 Posts, 4580 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on May 29, 2017 at 5:27 PM

Beautiful. Quiet and peaceful mood to the image. Sweet image!

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on May 29, 2017 at 5:59 PM

This is one of the best images I have seen from Antelope. Ethereal, mystical, wonderful light and shadows.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on May 29, 2017 at 10:59 PM

Glow is right, just a gorgeous soft, warm light. It's refreshing to see some new slot canyons...this is done very well and is just as compelling as the typical Antelope images. Nice colors and textures, and the darkness adds a lot to the overall mysterious feeling.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Neale Dyster on May 30, 2017 at 7:37 AM

Really like this. Beautiful light and detail.

Registered on February 19, 2008, 94 Posts, 738 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Moreau on May 30, 2017 at 1:14 PM

Doug, what a great slot canyon image! Absolutely amazing light. I like that there are a lot of contrasts working in this image: lighter left, darker right; lit edges against shadow top right, and shadows against lit rock on the bottom right; smoother rock left vs rougher right. These kinds of details keep me engrossed in this photo.

Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on May 30, 2017 at 6:38 PM

This is great, Doug. Very well crafted slot canyon image.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on May 30, 2017 at 7:18 PM

I agree with Nick an very mysterious feeling. This is very well seen and photographed. Love the light and color.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on May 30, 2017 at 9:48 PM

Amazing glow! Your exposure/processing makes it even better because you retained the subtle tones and textures. Great find and execution.

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on May 31, 2017 at 9:24 PM

Well that is quite pretty. Very well done.

aF

Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Cameron on June 1, 2017 at 6:46 AM

A very pleasing soft red glow. Excellent

Registered on August 6, 2004, 1125 Posts, 3318 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Koepsel on June 1, 2017 at 9:54 AM

Thanks all for your kind comments. It was nice being in the canyon for 3 hours with freedom to move at-will, like lower antelope was years ago.
Craig, you noticed what I overheard one of the Navajo guides saying to her group about the rougher, mud-coated wall and the other wall being smooth.

Registered on April 1, 2010, 196 Posts, 1592 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Moreau on June 2, 2017 at 3:55 PM

Craig, you noticed what I overheard one of the Navajo guides saying to her group about the rougher, mud-coated wall and the other wall being smooth.

It is very interesting. Did you happen to hear if the guide offered an explanation as to why this occurs? I'm guessing that the smoother sections are on the outside of curves, so that water flowing through there scours the rock harder, and the mud builds up on the inside of curves, but that is just a guess...

Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on June 2, 2017 at 6:45 PM

Wow, I love the mood and mystery you captured with this image, Doug. The walls have such a wonderful glow to them and just enough shadow detail. Gorgeous work.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on June 2, 2017 at 9:58 PM

The lighting here really helps your title ring true, Doug. I definitely feel like I'm being led into an inner sanctum where mysterious things may occur. Love the lighting and the sense of mystery.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Bjornbak on June 4, 2017 at 12:02 PM

Great image! I love the texture on the upper right. Well done to avoid Disneyland lines

Registered on May 13, 2017, 17 Posts, 23 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on June 7, 2017 at 11:59 PM

Exceptional Doug. You really did a masterful job with deep shadows here.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on June 9, 2017 at 5:38 PM

Doug, it is a nicely done "different" hole in the ground..... sad

This really does have a more softer look or less harshness to it then the Antelopes..... cool

Thanks for sharing this new location. Gosh, from the sounds of the older spots I'm glad I hit those two places MANY years ago now. I was actually in the lower one only 1 week before the 11 tourists got flash-flooded out to Powell....... cheeky

Congrats on the WP too..... devil

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Andrew Waddington on June 11, 2017 at 4:19 PM

It's funny that Eva wrote "One of the best I've seen from Antelope" Do people really think that all slot shots are from Antelope?
What I like about this is the way it has a kind of enticing arch that we don't quite see. I think I know where it was shot, but then I'm second guessing myself. It's intriguing for sure.

Registered on February 11, 2014, 44 Posts, 183 Comments