![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.williamneill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Eroded-Navajo-sandstone-slot-canyon-Antelope-Canyon-Tribal-Park-Arizona-2002-1-484x600.jpg\")
\nEroded Navajo sandstone slot canyon, Antelope Canyon Tribal Park, Arizona 2002<\/em>
\nWista 4×5 Metal Field Camera<\/h5>\n
NOTE: The original version of this essay was written and published in Outdoor Photographer Magazine<\/a> in 2002 after a recent visit.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n I first visited Antelope Canyon in 1982, when only a very few photographers had discovered the remarkably-carved sandstone slot canyon. I happened to have seen some of the first published photos of slot canyons ever published, which intrigued me greatly. Some years later, and without planning to seek them out, I saw photographs in a nearby visitor center, I asked for directions and was drawn a simple map. I parked my car along the highway as directed. No signs or markers were to be found. Hoping that I was heading in the right direction, I shouldered my heavy pack and hiked up the wash. I had no clear idea of how far the slot was or how I would get into it when I got there. After a few miles, I could see the sides narrow down to a sandstone cliff with a slot in it. I entered this unknown space with a sense of mystery and discovery.<\/p>\n I spent hours within the sculpted walls, completely in awe, and completely alone. Well, except for a raven cawing eerily from somewhere above my head. The few images I had previously seen did not prepare me for what I saw and felt. Here was the Sistine Chapel of natural sculpture. The profound art of Creation.<\/p>\n At the end of that extraordinary day in Antelope, I heard a truck driving up the sandy wash. I was a bit worried. I didn’t know if I belonged there. The people from the truck seemed surprised to see me, with my 4×5 camera, recording the slot canyon. Worried and protective, they asked me what I planned to do with my images. I told them I would label my photographs vaguely if they were published, in hopes of protecting the canyon from becoming well known. In a fine bit of irony, these were the folks who had led me to the site with their published photographs! I returned home with a few decent images, two of which are included here. Some were published, some I printed for display in galleries or were shown to workshop students, but I never labeled the location specifically, only “Slot Canyon, Arizona” or something. I was often pressed for more specific directions, and I gave as few hints as possible. I was torn between the desire to share such a treasure, and the same territorial feelings felt by those early photographic explorers of Antelope. At the same time, other photographers were discovering, and publishing images of the slot canyons. The secret was getting out.<\/p>\n We must all think carefully about the impact of our images.\u00a0 Does publishing our work outweigh the possible impact the exposure might bring?\u00a0 Can we depend on resource managers to protect delicate or overused landscapes?\u00a0 Is nurturing the love of nature’s treasures through our photographs more critical, and worth the risk? These are important questions, for which I have no definitive answers.<\/p>\n Just the other day, I received my copy of a travel magazine that reaches several million readers.\u00a0 On the cover was a beautiful image of a very sensitive area, which had already been a subject of vandalism, with its location clearly defined.\u00a0 I cringed and could only pray more damage would not result from the added attention.\u00a0 In spite of this quandary, I am hopeful that when images are published of delicate places, others that follow will tread lightly and become involved in its protection.<\/p>\n NOTE: Here are two nature photography organizations involved in protecting nature and encouraging safe and ethical standards for nature photographers. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Eroded Navajo sandstone slot canyon, Antelope Canyon Tribal Park, Arizona 2002 Wista 4×5 Metal Field Camera NOTE: The original version of this essay was written and published in Outdoor Photographer Magazine in 2002 after a recent visit. I first visited… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[132,162,131,67,68,76,12,121,65],"tags":[94,85,153,95,15,34],"class_list":["post-6784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fine-art-photographs","category-fine-art-photography","category-fine-art-prints-2","category-landscape-photography","category-nature","category-natures-design","category-photography","category-southwest","category-the-ansel-adams-gallery","tag-4x5","tag-4x5-film","tag-landscape-photography","tag-large-format-photography","tag-william-neill","tag-williamneill-com"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6784"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6802,"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6784\/revisions\/6802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.williamneill.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nNOTE: A new book “Searching for Tao Canyon<\/a>” chronicles their explorations starting in the early 1970s.
\nSearching for Tao Canyon<\/em>\u00a0By:\u00a0<\/span>Pat Morrow<\/a>,\u00a0Jeremy Schmidt<\/a>,\u00a0Art Twomey<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNature First https:\/\/www.naturefirstphotography.org\/
\nNorth American Nature Photography Association http:\/\/www.nanpa.org\/<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.williamneill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Side-Canyon-Arizone-1982-1-550x600.jpg\")
\nSide Canyon, Arizona 1982<\/em>
\nWista 4×5 Metal Field Camera<\/h5>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.williamneill.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unnamed-file-1-600x480.jpg\")
\nSlot Canyon, Arizona 1982<\/em>
\nWista 4×5 Metal Field Camera<\/h5>\n