Bryce Canyon Photography 3 Important Things You Need To Know Before Visiting
What you need to know….
Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the more spectacular National Parks in the United States park system. Known for its incredible texture, color and picturesque overlooks, the park sees on average about 2.5 million visitors every year. One of the main reasons the park sees so many visitors is the accessibility by car to its many impressive overlooks. As for photographers, Bryce Canyon offers countless composition opportunities under everchanging light. Before I dive into the photography side of things, I’ll give you a little background on the park to help you get acquainted. These extra tips will help further your understanding of this park to help you get the most out of your experience.
WHERE IS BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK?
Bryce Canyon is located in Southern Utah, 83 miles Northeast of Zion National park and 259 miles Northeast of Las Vegas. Driving time from Las Vegas is about 3hr and 30min. Of all the parks in the area it’s one of the easier to drive into. From Scenic Byway 12 visitors head south on 63 or Main St directly into the park. If you’re planning to photograph the sunrise, from the turnout onto 12 to the famous Sunset Point it takes about 30min.
WHAT MAKES BRYCE CANYON SO SPECIAL?
What makes Bryce Canyon so special is really three things: Hoodoos, Color and variety.
- Hoodoos are the spire-like rock formations that give this park its character. They are formed by the perfect combination of deposition of rocks, uplift of the tectonic plate and weathering erosion. Thes spires fill the park creating so much interesting depth.
- Colors inside Bryce Canyon change by the minute basically all day but dramatically at sunrise and sunset. Light bounces of the canyon walls and hoodoos illuminating various features giving them a back lit appearance. Reds, oranges, and whites pop brightly in soil formations while dark green evergreens fill in the gaps.
- Each lookout inside the park offers such a dramatically different perspective the compositions are endless. If you’re of physical body and can traverse down into the trails a whole new world of perspective opens up.
( HOODOOS FOUND AT SUNSET POINT )
1. SAFETY INSIDE THE PARK
Summer in Bryce Canyon Utah
Bryce Canyon is among the safest National Parks to visit because so much of the park can be seen just footsteps from the parking lot. However this does lead to an interesting set of new circumstances. The National Park Service says “Not wearing shoes or boots designed for hiking is the number one cause for rescues and injuries resulting in hospitalization in Bryce Canyon.” It is easy to leave the parking lot for a quick view in your sandals then find yourself venturing down a trail for a different view.
Bryce Canyon is at about 9,000ft so you have about 70% less oxygen available to use. While you can hardly notice it at the top, once you start your journey down into the trail heading back up can be a challenge. Unlike most parks, at Bryce, you hike down. Getting back up to your car is another story. Overexertion and dehydration are a major problem in the canyon. Bring enough water and hike at your own pace. Finally, the weather can swing 50 degrees fahrenheit (27C) in a single day. Bring layers and check the weather before starting out.
2. THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR FOR BRYCE CANYON
Tripod — Hands down, just as any photography list, a sturdy tripod. The light in the canyon is best photographed in the early morning and evening light where longer exposures can illuminate your composition. Taking a few second exposure before the sun rises over the horizon can make the earth glow with fire. Not only do you want your tripod to be sturdy to do long exposure but the wind coming up the canyon can rattle flimsy, lightweight tripods. ( An added pro tip, make sure your tripod has decent grip or you may be fetching it out of a canyon with the rangers.)
Wide angle lens — Most of the magnificent images you have probably seen have been taken with a wide angle lens. Just like any landscape, capturing the awesomeness of what is in front of you is easier with a wide angle lens but what you may not realize is some of the most impressive features are rather close to the trail. Having a wide angle lens will help you capture the entire feature while creating your own unique composition.
Telephoto lens — Bryce Canyon is one of the absolute best places for abstracts hidden inside a landscape. The Hoodoos lend endless opportunities to create unique abstracts showing off the most famous aspect of the park. Pack something in the 70–200mm range or even 100–400mm range and get creative with the light available.
Graduated Neutral Density Filter or Polarizing Filter — In the morning the light changes quickly in the canyon. As the sun breaks the horizon and ventures up into the sky it can be challenging to keep your exposure from blowing out the highlights or losing everything in the shadows. Bracket exposure and stacking is one way to avoid this but I find it so much easier to drop a graduated neutral density filter in front of the lens to help even out the light. A polarizing filter helps cut the haze out of the sky and background. This one really comes down to preference.
Nice-to-haves:
- Remote cable release or timer on to eliminate touching your camera
- Cleaning cloth to get rid of any dust particle that land on your lens
- Waterproof camera bag to help keep your gear dry and dust free
- Headlamp to see as you set up in the dark for the great morning light
- Really Right Stuff Ball Head
3. THE BEST LOCATIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY IN BRYCE CANYON
Once you pass through the main visitor entrance to the park, most of the viewpoints will be on your left side.
First, Sunrise point. This location is a good spot to watch the sun light up the canyon as it rises over the horizon but the sun will be off to the east and difficult to get it in the shot with the canyon. If the sun at your back is your desired shot then this is the place for you.
Next, Sunset Point is down the road. This location has so much to offer. Most famously is Thor’s Hammer. This may be the most famous hoodoo in the park and for good reason. From Sunset Point you have access to Wall St and the Rim Trail. Spending a sunrise at Sunset point may seem counterintuitive but this may be the best location in the park to do so. The sun rises directly in line with endless possibilities for compositions.
After, the Rim Trail from Sunset Point to Inspiration Point is spectacular. The hike itself is not that challenging but the views down canyon are incredible and ever changing. While most photographers like to find a rock solid composition and sit on it while the ideal light happens, the Rim Trail will make you question composition after composition after composition. With so many available it’s easy to get pulled away by the next beautiful view.
Fourth and midway down the Rim Trail is Inspiration point. This elevated vantage point gives you the first overlook of the main amphitheater from a higher position. This is also the last location you can capture the sun in a composition with the canyon formations during sunrise.
Finally, Bryce Point is the crown jewel of overlooks to give you an overall vantage point of the most impressive grand view of Bryce Canyon. At 8300 ft, Bryce point gives you the most incomposing views of the hoodoo-filled red rock amphitheater. This north facing location is spectacular throughout the day. I found myself lucky to have some big puffy clouds mid day to make even the flattest light interesting.
THE MAZE — LIMITED EDITION FINE ART PRINT
READY TO VISIT BRYCE CANYON?
After spending a few weeks hopping around Bryce Canyon during the height of the pandemic, I gained a strong appreciation for the seemingly fictional beauty this place has to offer. It’s up to you now to plan just how you want to capture, experience and enjoy this national park. Whether you are looking to get away on that summer road trip or sprinkle snow across your winter composition, you will be hard pressed to find a more photogenic National Park inside America.
Thank you for taking the time to dive deeper into what makes Bryce Canyon such a special place for photography. If you enjoyed this article and would like similar content check out the latest articles by Derek Nielsen Photography or if you enjoyed these images please join us for a trip around the world in our gallery.