Grand Canyon Pictures
Many tourists and professional photographers visit the Grand Canyon to take pictures of its spectacular natural landscapes. In fact, the Grand Canyon is one of the most photographed places in all of North America. Its beautiful and diverse geographical features as well as its immense size offer countless opportunities for visitors to take pictures.
The best places to take photographs in the Grand Canyon are the popular scenic points offering spectacular views of the canyon area. Some of the more popular scenic points are: Grandview Point, Yaki Point, Yavapai Point, Plateau Point, Mather Point, Moran Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, Eagle Point, and Guano Point.
The Granite Gorge, which is the main canyon in the area, can be photographed from the Plateau Point, Yavapai Point, Mather Point, and Yaki Point. Some of the scenic points offer excellent views of interesting geological features such as: the O’Neill Butte, Solomon’s Temple, Vishnu Temple, the Battleship, Zoroaster Temple, Tower of Set, the Alligator, and Cope Butte. For sunset pictures, Hopi Point is probably the best spot.
Another great way to take Grand Canyon pictures is to join an airplane or helicopter tour. Such tours enable visitors to get an aerial view of the Grand Canyon. The Skywalk at the West Rim also offers excellent photo opportunities. It is a 70-feet long glass bridge that enables visitors to get a view of the bottom of the canyon from directly above, however, pictures are only permitted off of the Skywalk. The Granite Gorge can also be photographed near this bridge. Those who want to take photographs of the cultural sites of the Grand Canyon can visit the Desert View Watchtower, the Phantom Ranch, the Hermit’s Rest, the Hualapai Village, and the Hualapai Ranch.
Other than the usual photography equipment, those who are taking Grand Canyon pictures should also bring a polarizing filter, a warming filter, and a tripod. A polarizing filter is needed because the air in Grand Canyon can be quite hazy. Using a polarizing filter will ensure that the photos will turn out clear. A warming filter is used to get rid of UV reflections on images taken in the shadows. Those who are planning to take pictures of the sunset or sunrise will need a tripod to stabilize their cameras. The ideal time to take photos of the Grand Canyon is from morning to mid-afternoon, because the bright sunshine will make the images more clearly defined.
