Headed to the Grand Canyon later this month, tips for taking non-touristy photos?
I am heading out on a family trip to the Grand Canyon in Arizona later this month. This will be my first time despite being to many surrounding areas. I will be bringing a camera to document my family (most important) but also a camera to take hopefully some nice compositions. I'm not really sure what I will be going for yet. I guess some landscapes. Maybe nightscapes if we have clear skies and I can sneak out while the kids sleep.
In the past when I have taken trips like this I have really struggled with not wanting to take touristy photos. Whenever I see a group of people taking pictures of the same thing, the last thing I want to do is also take pictures of that thing. It just feels extra unoriginal, even if I take unoriginal shots all the time just without the big crowds of people obviously taking the same shot.
What do you do in those situations? How do you stay inspired? Do you look for the shot no one is taking? Do you take a shot of the same thing but try to do it better or different?
Curious what you all think about this.
Hi. Two questions I guess... 1.Which area are you traveling to? I.e. North/South Rim etc...
2. Will you have a 4 wheel drive or higherish clearance vehicle?
Quote from Guest on April 7, 2021, 2:51 pmHi. Two questions I guess... 1.Which area are you traveling to? I.e. North/South Rim etc...
2. Will you have a 4 wheel drive or higherish clearance vehicle?
South Rim, and no our little sedan doesn't see much off-roading, haha. If I wasn't with the kids I might be a little more adventurous. We will have two days there and a few more days in other locations in Arizona.
Very nice. Would've recommended Point Sublime on N. Rim... If you don't mind hiking some, look up Jicarilla Point on G Maps. There should be some driveable forest service roads to the south of it and you can park and hike to it. It's West of the village. There is also the Desert View watch tower a bit of a drive East of the village. Still pretty crowded, but not the usual shots. Where else are you visiting? I've lived in AZ most of my life.
I have never worried about looking like a tourist when taking photos when I travel because...I AM a tourist taking photos. And I don't worry about taking unoriginal shots, because hey, they at least will be MY unoriginal shots. But I do sometimes try to make a more original composition. For the vistas from the viewpoints on the South Rim, look for things you can include in the foreground of the shot. And/or go out near sunrise and sunset to a viewing point that everyone else doesn't visit at those times (Mather for sunset and Yavapai for sunrise are the most popular). Here are some of my better shots from our trip in October of 2019. If they are not original, I don't really care.
And then there is the night! Be sure to use Astrotracer at one of the viewing points. In the morning hours you should be able to see the Milky Way rising and I think if you shoot from where I took this shot, Mather Point, you will see it arching over the canyon walls to the east. When I went in October, catching Orion as it rose was my best option, so...
This was just a composition check shot, 30 seconds at 18mm with the 18-135mm kit lens (K-3II). I moved a little to get less railing and then shot about 25 minutes worth following Orion and several minutes of static forefoground. I haven't finished processing the final composite image.
Quote from Guest on April 8, 2021, 6:00 amVery nice. Would've recommended Point Sublime on N. Rim... If you don't mind hiking some, look up Jicarilla Point on G Maps. There should be some driveable forest service roads to the south of it and you can park and hike to it. It's West of the village. There is also the Desert View watch tower a bit of a drive East of the village. Still pretty crowded, but not the usual shots. Where else are you visiting? I've lived in AZ most of my life.
I think after that we will head down to the Montezuma Castle and then work our way down visiting some sites until we are in Las Cruces. Maybe see White Sands again before we head home.
Thanks for the tips. I'll look those spots up 🙂
Quote from Guest on April 9, 2021, 1:20 amI have never worried about looking like a tourist when taking photos when I travel because...I AM a tourist taking photos. And I don't worry about taking unoriginal shots, because hey, they at least will be MY unoriginal shots. But I do sometimes try to make a more original composition. For the vistas from the viewpoints on the South Rim, look for things you can include in the foreground of the shot. And/or go out near sunrise and sunset to a viewing point that everyone else doesn't visit at those times (Mather for sunset and Yavapai for sunrise are the most popular). Here are some of my better shots from our trip in October of 2019. If they are not original, I don't really care.
And then there is the night! Be sure to use Astrotracer at one of the viewing points. In the morning hours you should be able to see the Milky Way rising and I think if you shoot from where I took this shot, Mather Point, you will see it arching over the canyon walls to the east. When I went in October, catching Orion as it rose was my best option, so...
This was just a composition check shot, 30 seconds at 18mm with the 18-135mm kit lens (K-3II). I moved a little to get less railing and then shot about 25 minutes worth following Orion and several minutes of static forefoground. I haven't finished processing the final composite image.
Beautiful. I think I just need to get off my high horse and take some unoriginal shots. I'll just pretend I'm the first one doing it and experience it that way. Your shots are a good example of the fruits of not caring too much about that. I think you got some beautiful shots and some angles and times of day I have never seen before. Just goes to show you not every sees the same shot even standing in the same spot. Thanks.
Sneak out for some astro??!! Guaranteed not a touristy things!
