Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell
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"Dual Light Beams in Upper Antelope Canyon"
April 2012, Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona
The two beams pictured here are approximately 80 feet tall, roughly the height of an eight-story building. All slot canyons have very narrow openings from the ground all the way up to the top of the canyon walls. For this reason, direct sunlight can only penetrate near midday, and at certain times of the year. The summer solstice is typically best for direct overhead sunlight, but it can get awfully hot in the canyons in the summertime.
I shot this particular image just before noon on April 1st, barely into spring. The duration of the two beams was less than a minute, but it was all that I needed. Had I shot this in June the beams would have lasted longer, but I doubt that the intensity would have been any more spectacular. On the other hand, in the winter the sun is just too low on the horizon for any light rays to reach the floor of a slot canyon.
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