Canyon X (not Canyon 10), is located near Page, Arizona. It is on Navajo land that is privately run and is fenced off. It is not a far drive from Page, but in the interest of privacy, and to honor the people who operate tours professionally out of Canyon X, I will not divulge it's exact location. If you cannot attend one of my safaris that includes Canyon X, I suggest you contact Harley Klemme at 928-608-4072. Harley is a great guy, laid back and casual, and knows that area like the back of his hand. He should, he grew up there and is a member of the Navajo Nation. Harley is the only person authorized to operate tours into Canyon X, and his assistant Jackson Bridges is a very accomplished photographer. Between the two of them you are in very good hands.

Perhaps the nicest thing about a tour to Canyon X is the fact that Harley will not allow more than 6-9 people in the canyon *per day*. You will not be tripping over anyone elses tripod to get your images, and you won't have to worry about extra people wandering through to ruin your exposure. The same cannot be said for a tour into Antelope Canyon. Should you ever end up in Page, and want to see things that the average tourist never will, give them a call.

Canyon X is actually an extention of the famous Antelope Canyon, and exhibits many of the same characteristics you may be familar with if you have ever ventured into or seen photographs of Navajo Sandstone slot canyons. Carved out of solid blocks of sandstone over millions of years, these slot canyons are very fluid in shape. Twisting and turning, curves of every imaginable shape and size have been carved out by flash floods carrying tremendous amounts of water and silt through crevices in the rock. Over the millenia these canyons were formed, and continue to evolve.

Following each flash flood the canyons change, the floor levels either rise or fall (it is the sand after all moving through the canyon that gives it it's shape). It will be different each time you visit it. Weather in the area, and the time of year you are there will dramatically change how the light behaves as it cascades and bounces down the canyon walls. Different times of year place the sun at different angles, and the shadow play on the canyon wall can shift dramatically. Typically the best shooting time in a narrow slot canyon is in the middle of the day because the sun's rays can penetrate down further into the canyon, illuminating the walls that can sometimes be pitch black. This is perhaps the only place in the world I know of that landscape photography is good during the typical dead hours of mid-day.

Exposure times in these slot canyons tend to be very long. Bring your tripod, and if you happen to be shooting film, bring lots of it. Bracketing will be your key to sucess photographing in the slot canyons. Fortunately those shooting digital will be able to review their exposures immediately and fine tune them for maximum effect. Bring extra batteries if you are shooting digital. You will eat them up in a hurry reviewing your images after nearly every exposure.

Ironically it is the substance that carves the canyons in the first place that make photographing in a slot canyon a bit precarious. Bring canned air, or a blow-brush-thingie to keep your equipment clean. The sand and the finer sand dust will get everywhere if you are not dilligent. Try not to shuffle your feet and kick up a lot of sand. Trust me, sand and camera equipment do NOT match very well.

The following are some shots I took on my last trip to Canyon X. Jackson Bridges is a superb guide and photographer, having been in the canyon more than any single person. He or Harley will accompany us on our tours into Canyon X, so we will be sure to have pointed out to us the little things about Canyon X that make it special.

As part of your tour with me we will be camping on the land that is within a 1/2 mile of Canyon X. We will have a liesurely breakfast then either Harley or Jackson will meet us in time to get into the canyon for the prime photogaphic situations. There is a moderate hike of about 1/2 mile in length to get down into the canyon. About half-way through the canyon tour we will stop for sack lunches, which will of course be provided. We will also bring water and snacks. As with everything on a Tawayama Safari, you will be taken care of and won't need to worry about bringing anything extra. We will be returning up on the same path and heading back to camp around 3-4pm.

The following is not meant to be a complete record of the canyon. There can never be a complete record as it is always changing. What follows is a minute slice of time in the life of this place. Oh and one more thing to remember about photographing in slot canyons...you'll never see a horizon line and nothing is ever straight. What may be at the top of the image might not have been in reality!

Enjoy.

Obvoiusly this isn't a representation of the entire canyon. This is not my intent. I want my clients who enter Canyon X to have a sense of discovery and feel the magical energy that fills the space.

Rather than ruin the surprize by showing ALL of the highlights and secret spots, I want you to visit Canyon X and feel the sense of awe that I have in the past.

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