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Get The Picture

Two photographers with a deep connection to some of the most beautiful spots in northern Arizona share tips on how you can get your best vacation shots – and their own stunning work.

By Erika Ayn Finch

Most of the millions of visitors who come to northern Arizona are connected to their cameras like it was a third eye. Wandering through galleries, seeing images of iconic locations such as Red Rock Crossing and the Mittens, who hasn’t dreamed of dazzling friends back home with their own shots? But is that realistic? Can an amateur shutterbug capture an Ansel Adams-esque shot on a week’s vacation? To improve your odds, we asked a pair of pros to offer advice on photographing Sedona and Canyon de Chelly. Find out the best time of day and year to capture each spot, the equipment to bring along, and more. And if you’re not interested in creating your own masterpiece? Then just enjoy some of these artists’ exceptional images and learn more about the geologic wonders of the Colorado Plateau.

Lou DeSerio - Canyon de Chelly
After Lou DeSerio studied with Ansel Adams in the late 1970s, Adams said Lou’s photos “exceed the event.” Lou graduated from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, Calif. He first traveled to Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 250 miles northeast of Sedona, in 1980 to photograph the ruins inside Canyon del Muerto. He returns every few years, and says he’s waited for days or taken trips over a period of years to capture the right moment. “People will ask, ‘What are you waiting for?’ My answer can usually be seen in my print,” he says. See his work at www.swphotogallery.com and The Lou DeSerio Gallery (211 N. Hwy 89A; 928-282-1980).

When are the best times of year and day to photograph in the canyon?
I really enjoy the end of October/beginning of November. The fall foliage adds dimension. I try to go midweek and avoid holidays and weekends. You can have the entire canyon to yourself. Late spring and early summer is the worst time – the heat can be brutal and you won’t have any clouds. You’ll avoid crowds if you shoot in bad weather, which often gives the best shots. The best time will be midday. But you still want to select times when you have clouds for drama and dimension and to filter the sun. Storm clouds are great and add nice shadows.

What if you have limited time and no clouds?
Take close-ups and vignettes rather than panoramas with the sky. Shoot the ruins with the least amount of contrast between light and dark. The light in the canyon changes fast – be patient and observe. I think it’s more rewarding to come home with a few pleasing images than a bagful of mediocre ones.

What equipment do you use when you shoot in Canyon de Chelly?
I shoot with a Linhof 4x5 view camera and transparency film. You also need a tripod, especially in stormy conditions, and, if you’re in the canyon, you should have a wide angle lens at least half the focal length of your normal lens. Don’t go to the canyon with a brand-new camera – test your equipment and be familiar with the film you’re using. If you plan on enlarging your photos, use the slowest film you can. The only filter I use is a polarizer.

Any final words of wisdom about photographing there?
Be patient. Take time to explore. You’ll get the best pictures when you are familiar with the environment. And keep in mind Canyon de Chelly doesn’t have a visitor’s center or lodges. It’s desolate. It’s a place to spend quiet time by yourself without a lot of distractions.

William James Louf - Sedona
William James Louf, co-owner of Canyons Gallery and Fine Framing in Creekside Plaza (251 Hwy 179; 928-203-0260), got interested in photography in high school, where he took classes and experimented in a darkroom at a friend’s house. He went on to attend the New England School of Photography, and has spent most of his career freelancing – “Everything from car races to insurance claims,” he laughs – and printing, first at a lab in Boston and then with his own business, Image Master, which he launched in Seattle and continues in Sedona. In between, he spent eight years on the road as a guitarist and singer, always with camera in tow. He first photographed Sedona in 2000, after which “I looked forward to moving to Sedona [which he finally did in May 2006] to focus on art photography,” he says.

What is your favorite spot to photograph in Sedona?
I don’t really have one – they are all unique at different times of the day. Cathedral Rock is a very peaceful photo but it’s over-shot. I like scenes that aren’t typical – using black-and-white film, or a winter scene. I’ve shot Lee’s Mountain in the winter with fog, which adds depth. There are great views from Airport Mesa and, for Snoopy Rock, nothing beats the Hyatt Piñon Point parking lot. If you are visiting, drive around and look for empty lots with great views. One advantage to photographing Sedona is you don’t need to hike for ten miles to get a good shot. Some of the best views are right from the road.

What is the best time of year to photograph Sedona? Best time of day?
Fall and spring are good for evening shots because you have a redder, warmer hue. Summer and winter are good for breaking storms but the sun sets quickly in the winter and you have haze in the summer. You want to take advantage of the depth while the light is low, so it’s best to shoot early or late in the day. When the sun is low you also get warmer colors. If you shoot the red rocks at noon, they will look very flat. It’s also good to wait for storms to break and shoot when you have the great patches of clouds.

What equipment do you use?
I have two Linhof 4x5 cameras – I shoot transparency film. I also have a 12- megapixel digital camera. I prefer the ease of the digital but the quality of the 4x5. I always have a tripod and several filters: A polarizer, haze filter, 81A warming filter, which I just leave on my camera, and a neutral density gradation filter. I prefer black and white, but I think in Sedona you have to shoot color. If the sun is right, the colors are really intense.

Any final advice about photographing Sedona?
If you are here with a point-and-shoot camera, try using the manual setting. Digital film is cheap. And you can get lucky and get nice shots while you’re on vacation. You just have to be at the right place at the right time with the right equipment.

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