The Vault

Place: Near Page, Arizona on Navajo Nation Land

Location: Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon was considered a sacred location by the Native Americans, and it is easy to see why. The shapes and twists of the narrow canyon walls truly seem to speak towards a divine source.

I am often asked about the origin of the unusual purple and orange coloration of the canyon walls that are depicted in my photographs of this location. The walls of the canyon are made of sandstone and when the sun is high in the sky, but angled so that it illuminates one of the canyon walls directly, that wall reflects bright red light onto the opposing wall. Because the canyon is quite narrow (in some locations a person can touch both sides with outstretched arms) the reflected red/orange light is quite intense and focal, causing discreet areas of the opposing wall to glow.

But what about the purple? The walls that are not illuminated by the sun or by the reflected light is instead lit by the blue sky overhead. The light of the sky, in conjunction with the sandstone, produces an odd blue/purple color. Our brains tend to neutralize this unnatural purple color and we perceive it as a flagstone grey/blue. However, both film and digital sensors remove our brains interpretation and reveal the true and very unusual underlying hue.

Visiting these canyons is truly an experience to be remembered.