Thank you so much. Hope you had a great time in Zion and got some nice photos.

Thanks so much Eric - appreciate it! Have fun at The Narrows. It is spectacular.

Hi Don and thank you for your kind words. Apologies for the end music - for some reason KZfaq flagged it for copyright violation (even though I have licensed that music and sent them the license). So I was forced to put another track on it (without any fading in etc.).

Thank you very much!

Hi Wallace. So glad you like the video. Have fun during your trip. It is a special place.

Hi Rosalie and thanks much for your feedback. Yes, I did put my camera gear into my Earthpak dry bag after each shot and before I moved on. I have now hiked 'The Narrows' multiple times and have never slipped ... yet! But it will take just one slip in the water for all your gear to be immersed in the water. Having said that, the last two times I just took my camera bag - so essentially without a dry bag and had no issues. But it is not something I like to recommend - unless you have been there multiple times like I have and are comfortable regaining your balance if you slip. I use that broom stick from Home Depot and it is really sturdy and helps me navigate easily. BTW, you could definitely use the iPhone 12 Pro Max - in fact I have a video on my channel, where I shot 'The Narrows' with my iPhone XS Max (which is not as nice as yours) and the results were excellent. Do keep in mind, that you will still have to put that phone into its little dry-bag... although those are not as cumbersome because you tend to just hang them from your neck.

You will have a great time. Hopefully the water levels are not high due to the spring snowmelt. Have fun!

I’ll be there too

Thanks a lot for your kind words. Zion definitely is one of my favorite places for photography.

Thanks Ted - you must try and make it there. It is really beautiful. Sounds like a fun camera to shoot with.

Ian Lawrence thanks much Ian. 🙏

Thanks Parul. I just used a CPL filter (it is permanently on my 14-24). The time for that image was around 2 pm, but that was in the summer - it will change with month. I actually was late in applying for a commercial license to conduct Photo tours (got lots of requests for those) in Zion. I will apply in December for 2021 for sure. :-)

Thanks so much Jaen. You can't take a bad photo in that location.

You should be fine with the 17-40 f/4. You will shooting landscapes, right? So you will anyway be stopping down the aperture to f/11 or smaller. And the 17mm focal length will give you great perspective. I honestly wouldn't bother with the 24/1.4 for landscapes as you will be stopping down to f/11 or beyond (unless you want to try and take photos at f/1.4). Timing is crucial - I really suggest you leave on the first shuttle and start hiking The Narrows. Once that sun hits the water, it blows out the highlights and it just doesn't look as good. I have not found a use for an ND filter yet, as you get very long shutter speeds with just a CPL (since it is so dark). I definitely recommend a CPL. You will be able to remove the reflections and see the rocks below - looks very cool. Have fun!

Hi John - lighting really is paramount as you say. I found the best light to be from June though August - especially on the sandstone walls at the fork (Wall St and Orderville). During those months, the entire rock face was lit up with reflected light. At other times, only the top half would get lit up before the sun would hit the rock. It takes me around 1.25 hours to get from the shuttle stop to the fork (I do hike faster than some folks). With respect to floating rock, the light again depends on the month, with the best months (IMO) being June through August. I found the light to be best around 1 PM or so during those months (when the entire cliffside behind floating rock, was illuminated with reflected light). My advise would be to just start at sunrise and then take the photos as you go along. Try and be at the junction around 10 AM or so (I can't give a precise time as it varies with the month) - wait until the rock at the junction is illuminated with reflected light to take your photos. Then head upstream through Wall Street, until you hit floating rock, and spend time there until you get the reflected light behind the rock. Have fun - it really is a magical place.

Hi Tate. I use the Sunderland's Wonderpana 145 system on my lens. I bought the CPL and the ND. Here's the link for the CPL: amzn.to/3yJd57F

Hi John - so glad you enjoyed the video. November 1st week would be a great time to go. The weather will be a little chilly, but will heat up during the day. You should be cool in the canyon. If you intend to rent gear from the outfitters, then just call them to reserve gear (pants and shoes) and pick it up in the afternoon, the day before your hike. That way, you can take the first shuttle at 7 AM from the visitor center (try to arrive at the shuttle stop around 45 minutes before departure if you want to catch the first shuttle). I just wear my watershoes and have bought 3mm neoprene socks and 3mm neoprene pants from Amazon. For a stick, I bought a $6 broom handle from Home Depot. However, if you are not comfortable buying gear for now, just rent it from any outfitter (I use the Zion Adventure Company). Try to take the first shuttle for the best light - and take lots of water and food. Have fun!

@@TheLightExplorer You are so generous with your time and knowledge! Your Mother must be very proud of you and the person you have grown to be. Stay safe and hopefully our paths will verge somewhere sometime on this beautiful planet.

Hi John - your are right about the aperture. In the cases where I used a lower f stop number, I wanted a slightly higher shutter speed to not get too silky an effect on the water. I noticed that if I used f/16, then I had to open the shutter another stop or so and thus the water had no texture. But I could definitely have made do with f/16. And I totally agree with your take on Zion. I think it has become a lot more famous in the past few years (leading to overcrowding). But it probably is my favorite National Park (although I am beginning to really explore and love the GSENM area - so remote, desolate and beautiful).

@@TheLightExplorer Thank you for your careful explanation, Nikhil! I appreciate it! GSENM is indeed a wonderful area, but in truth there are endless spectacular locations on the Colorado Plateau! Where we hike and explore these days (including in GSENM), 80-90% of the time we see no one else all day, but that's mostly owing to our visiting canyon country almost exclusively in mid-summer when others are avoiding the heat.

Hi Nancy - sounds like a fun few days at Zion and Bryce. I would probably bring the 70-200 along with your other two lenses. You really won't need the 200-500, unless you intend to photograph the condors in Zion (that could be nice). BTW, 'The Narrows' most likely will be closed in April (and May, early June) due to the strong water flows by way of the spring snowmelt. They close 'The Narrows' when the water flow is above 150 cfs. Have you done 'The Subway' in Zion National Park? If not, then you are allowed to hike it during the spring snowmelt and it makes for some awesome photos (due to the high water). The hike is more difficult during this time (April, May), but you are rewarded with great photos. It is a permit only hike, so you will need to get a permit (one of three ways - online lottery, calendar reservation or the last minute lottery). I did a short write-up with photos of 'The Subway' - shniks.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-subway-at-zion-national-park-left.html Bryce is awesome and you will love it. Definitely hit the 'Mossy Cave' trail early morning (at sunrise) for the best light. Since you have 3 days, you can do a lot - the first day, I would say park at 'Bryce Point' at sunrise, then hike down the Peek-a-boo trail. The first mile (descent) of that trail is gorgeous and you will get some fantastic photos (WA or 70-200) of the canyon in the early morning light. Then instead of loop back up to Bryce Point, continue towards the Navajo Trail, towards the Queen's Garden and then up to Sunrise Point. From Sunrise Point, hike back along the rim to Bryce Point (via Sunset Point) - or you can take a shuttle bus from there (if running) back to your car at Bryce Point. This way you cover most of the great stuff in Bryce (in that area) in one hike. On the second day, I highly recommend doing the 'Fairlyland Loop' - fantastic 8 mile hike, with fewer visitors and beautiful light and views. For this one, I recommend parking at Sunrise Point and then hiking down right away - in an anti-clockwise loop to get the early morning light on the hoodoos. Have fun! :-)

@@TheLightExplorer thank you for all the information! I appreciate it 🤗. I’ve never been out west, so excited especially from photos, which I’m sure doesn’t do justice. Hoping to do some star trails too. Just hoping the weather cooperates, I saw high of 60s and low 30s and then I heard mid 70s for a high. I think Bryce will be colder. It’s going to be hard to pack clothing.

Hi there. Yes, I did not focus on the technical aspects of photography as I wanted to just show composition and talk about the best time (and locations) to take photographs in The Narrows. I might make a video in the future about this. For now, in terms of histogram, you need to just Expose to the Right (ETTR) - a technique to achieve optimal exposure. Here is a link that explains it well (please ignore if you already know this) - photographylife.com/exposing-to-the-right-explained If you don't have focus peaking, then just zoom into the LCD all the way (in live view mode) and use the MF ring of your lens to achieve critical focus - of course you need to have the camera on a steady tripod.

Hi Kimberly. I use the Really Right Stuff TVC-33 (I have had it for over 10 years now). It's expensive but will last a lifetime. However, I recently came across a brand called Leofoto, who are making pretty incredible tripods that are about 90% of RRS's quality. The one that I recommend is: Leofoto LS-324C+LH-40 (amzn.to/39hcAUU) as it comes with the head Another good option is the FLM tripod, which is super strong. That can be found at amzn.to/30zGAYd I know these tripods seem expensive, but remember that you will only buy them once during your lifetime. Additionally, any digital camera you buy right now, will be worth half its value in 2 to 4 years (so you'll lose at least $300 and more, depending on the original price, over this period of time). Thus spending $400 on an excellent tripod, that will give you absolutely stable images and will not shake, is a wise decision. Hope this helped.

@@TheLightExplorer thanks so much for the recommendations! I've held back on investing in a quality tripod but I think I'm ready to splurge. I noticed you had your tripod set up in what looked like a foot or more of water and as you mentioned near the rapid. My immediate thought, I definitely need to get a better tripod, it's time! Thanks again, you've been so helpful!

@@villanuevakima no worries - you will open up a whole new set of photographic possibilities with a decent tripod. The Leofoto one also has a great head that can rotate 360 degrees with one lock. So you don't need to fumble with levers to align the tripod. Have fun!

Hi Joe. I have the 30 L as it has enough space for other stuff too (besides my camera). I think you can get away with a 20 L bag too (giving you space for snacks, some outers and the camera gear). This is what I bought - amzn.to/3LkJkSn

You inspired me to get a permit for hiking The Subway end of April. Also hoping the water levels won't be too high at The Narrows. The photography looks amazing and here's hoping for some clear skies! You've got a good eye for composition my friend!

Hi there. I have a heavy tripod and make sure it is anchored properly. Been there many times now and so have an idea of how stable it is.

what I meant is when u were walking with it carrying the camera on top. When I hike the narrows in the summer the water was completely muddy and chest deep most of the parts. Almost everyone fell down multiple times@@TheLightExplorer

Gotcha! I normally only go when the water flow rate is around 40 to 60 cfs - at that time it is only knee deep. I also don't go on this hike unless the water is clear and I can see the bottom. And when I do go, I put my camera and lenses in a dry bag.

@@TheLightExplorer that makes total sense. I’m planning to do it again next week with lower flow rate so bringing my Sony with me

Awesome. Have lots of fun. Such a great place to do photography.

Hi Mandi - it is a really good polarizer (and no, I am not getting paid by them). :-) Here is the link: amzn.to/2W9dihJ

The Light Explorer thanks!