PHOTOGRAPHY IN ZION NATIONAL PARK

Zion is a Magical Place for Landscape Photography:

Zion National Park is a paradise for landscape photographers, with glowing orange, red, and pink textured sandstone formations interplaying with the lush vegetation provided by weeping walls and the emerald waters of the Virgin River. Visitors to Zion Canyon are surrounded by the majestic sandstone peaks and formations, and views from the rims above are even more stunning. Wildlife sightings are also thrilling for photography. I get asked the same photography questions quite often, so I'm presenting this page as a FAQ. This is not intended to be a definitive guide to photographing Zion, but hopefully you will find some useful information and ideas from this semi-professional landscape photographer who has loved hiking and photographing Zion National Park for over three decades.

Since every photographer has his or her own style, skills, and goals, please take the information here with a grain of salt and use your own judgement and creativity. Topics discussed in this article include:

• What camera equipment should I bring to Zion?
• What are some good spots for photography?
      • Spots to catch sunrises/sunsets
      • Photogenic landmarks and hikes
• How do I protect my photography gear in the Zion Narrows and other wet canyons?
• What wildlife photography opportunities are there in Zion?
• Can you share any lighting tips for photographing Zion National Park?
   

What camera equipment should I bring to Zion?

I get asked this a lot, and it's probably the most difficult question to answer since everybody has different needs and goals. While cellphone cameras are good enough for most people these days, larger system cameras still offer much better image quality (higher resolution and better dynamic range and low-light performance) and specialized lenses for specific purposes. As a landscape photographer who loves hiking, backpacking, and canyoneering, I have found myself constantly battling the pursuit of better image quality with the desire to carry smaller and lighter gear on my adventures. Every piece of camera equipment is some sort of compromise between size, image quality, and price. I have worked with cameras made by Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Olympus, and Sony and they are all capable of taking fabulous photographs, even models that are several years old.

Whatever camera system you carry, you must take the time to really learn the features and controls of your equipment until it feels like an extension of your eyes and body. And if you're looking to go on long and strenuous hikes, the weight of your camera gear is a major factor, so I recommend going as light as possible. Over the years, I have encountered many miserable photographers on the trail who have lugged around their entire lens collection as well as their 10-pound studio tripod on some grueling routes. If you try to be a bit more minimal with the gear you carry, you can spend more energy getting to a unique spot and composing your photograph.

For landscape and hiking/backpacking photography, I tend to favor light variable aperture zooms ("consumer zooms") and f/4 zooms over big and heavy f/2.8 zooms, especially since I usually shoot between f/8 and f/13 for landscape work. I typically try to carry a standard zoom lens and an ultra-wide angle zoom lens, and if weight permits, maybe also a macro lens and/or a telephoto zoom lens for the occasional animal sighting. My current go-to landscape camera is Sony's high-resolution rangefinder-style full-frame Sony A7Cr camera; the image quality and resolution are spectacular and there are so many wonderful lens choices. For a more specific list of camera equipment and lenses, please see my Camera Equipment page.

For tripods, I typically bring two types to Zion: a big sturdy one for more "serious" work (like sunrise/sunset shots, time exposures, etc.) and a smaller, lighter one for use on strenuous hikes when keeping weight down is important. A big sturdy tripod can also make for a useful walking stick in the Zion Narrows. While there are many big names out there from Gitzo to Manfrotto, I'm a big fan of the relatively unknown Asian company, SIRUI. The Sirui N-1004SK Tripod is a reliable main tripod that easily supports a big heavy camera and features a removable monopod and interchangable middle columns. The Sirui T-005KX Tripod is a good backpacking tripod when you want to go small and light, but it's a bit short and wobbly for taking long time exposures. As for lens filters, I sometimes use ND (neutral density) filters and polarizers. Polarizers can often make the sky more dramatic, bring out details in clouds, and remove unwanted reflections in water, but in wrong situations, they can also negatively make water look too lifeless or turn the sky into an ugly and uneven dark blotch on wide-angle shots.

Whatever camera equipment you use, take the time to learn it and bond with it, and get out there and have fun!