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Lower Antelope Canyon 2 / Sandstone

[edit]
Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, displaying characteristic layers

I took this in Lower Antelope Canyon while hiking through. It was briefly a part of the Antelope Canyon article, but has been edited out as there were too many photos in there, making it look like a photography gallery rather than an encyclopedia article. I added it to the article Red, and I think it enhances that article, demonstrating various reddish hues. Note: Janke added it to the sandstone article, and it works very well there.

Comment: Yes, I've seen other great pictures of this subject (in National Geographic, for instance), but can you point to any GFDL ones here on Wiki? --Janke | Talk 11:21, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Comment. I think Mikeo and Zambaccian are thinking of Upper Antelope Canyon. I have taken many of the more stereotypical shots in Upper Antelope Canyon, with beams coming down from the top, but that's not what's depicted here. You can't take shots like that in Lower, as it has a completely different character and 'beams' are almost non-existent. This is one of only three shots from Lower Antelope Canyon available on Wikipedia or Wiki Commons. In fact, until I updated the Antelope Canyon article here, one might not have known there even was a different slot canyon called Lower Antelope Canyon, with a different character than Upper. They're not the same place. -- moondigger 12:24, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Speaking of which, Upper antelope 2 md.jpg is a better shot, isn't it? This one is a bit...well...you don't really know where you are or what you're looking at. Stevage 13:13, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know... I kinda like this one better. I actually like its abstract nature. However the one you mention was taken in Upper, though it's not a stereotypical Upper shot with a beam of light streaming down from above and striking the sand, so I don't know how well it would go over as a featured picture candidate. -- moondigger 13:42, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You know, this might not be the place for it, but I just wanted to comment on the stereotypical Upper Antelope picture, with a shaft of light streaming down from above and striking the ground. Almost every one of those photos (or the scenes they depict) is manipulated, and doesn't accurately depict a natural scene. You can't actually see a beam of light from the side naturally. The not-so-big secret is that somebody (usually one of the guides) scoops up sand and throws it in the air in the vicinity of the light beams, then runs out of the shot while photographers snap away. The sand and dust in the air renders the light beam visible from the side.
Now I'm not saying that many of these images aren't striking. They are. But my philosophy is to take pictures of natural scenes in their natural state, so it's not the kind of image I'm going to contribute, especially when there are already several available on Wikipedia and Commons. -- moondigger 14:04, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I did not rush through. I took hundreds of pictures that day, and this one (amongst others) appeals to me a great deal. I wouldn't have nominated it if it didn't. On two photographer's forums it garnered almost universal praise, though I suspect what they're looking for in an image and what Wikipedians are looking for in an image differ. (FWIW, most of them were getting sick of seeing the same typical sunbeam-style Upper Antelope Canyon images over and over.) -- moondigger 20:09, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I would *hope* we're looking for different things :) We're an encyclopaedia after all. Hard to say what this is illustrating - you say it's "lower antelope canyon"...well, if you say so. As you say, it's sort of abstract, which is the exact opposite of encyclopaedic :) So, "nice image, what are we supposed to do with it?" Stevage 20:33, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
To be clear: this is one small part of Lower Antelope Canyon, about 2/3 of the way through the length. Because Lower Antelope is a slot canyon, it is very narrow. (In parts you can touch both sides with your outstretched arms, and it's even narrower when you pass through the opening in this photo - I had to turn sideways to fit through carrying a camera backpack and tripod. If you view the image at full resolution, you can see tread marks in the sand at lower left from sneakers of people passing through.) It took me about three hours to get through the whole thing, stopping frequently along the way to set up the tripod and take photos. The next time I return, I will plan on spending more time inside -- maybe 4 or 5 hours if they don't kick me out.
As for encyclopedic value, I think Janke's idea to put it in the sandstone article was an excellent one. The layering and color of the stone (visible in thumbnail, much more prominent at full resolution) are typical of the sandstone in the southwestern U.S., which is mentioned in the article. -- moondigger 21:03, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
user only has edits on FPC --Fir0002 07:42, 17 June 2006 (UTC) [reply]

Promoted Image:Lower_antelope_2_md.jpg (Note: Ignoring vote by the user who has only contributed on FPC.) Depending on how 'weak' votes are counted, this is either +14/-3 or +15/-4. If it were a closer vote I wouldn't promote my own image, but in this case I don't think it will be a problem, per the advice I got on the FPC talk page. -- moondigger 01:30, 18 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

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