Grand Canyon :) Tips??

So im a highschool student and this spring break im going to the grand canyon. Im going with my dad and im going to hike around some trails there. This is not that hard after last summers 120 mile hike in New Mexico. THis is why i want to make it more photo oriented. I was wondering if anyone has tips to shooting the grand canyon in its beauty and getting good perception of size etc. I am aware HDRs are common here and i will do a few not to over due it but anything else unique to suggest? My gear im bringing is as follows:


Rebel XT: as always (ugh haha)


70-200 2.8


16-35 2.8(rented) (suggestions to other lenses to rent?) wider on crop body??)


18-55 3.5-5.6 ugly kit lens..


Gitzo reporter tripod and ball head.. remote release


again, tips? thanks in advanced :)

I'd be tempted to not rent the 16-35 and instead rent the EF-S 10-22, just because you have a crop body, and the Grand Canyon will seem all the grander in some ways if you go as wide as possible.


So you could bring the 10-22 for impressive wide-angle landscapes, the 18-55 for more standard stuff, and the 70-200 for tighter shots of the interesting stunted trees and boulders.


There are some GREAT hikes down into the canyon and along the rim. I've only been to the southern side.

My advice...watch your step (don't fall in the giant hole in the ground).

Are you going southern rim or nothern rim?


And, seriously, watch your step. If you're framing a shot, and feel like you need to step back or forward, maybe don't be looking through the viewfinder when you're moving.


Oh, and bring plenty of water if you're hiking. People do get lost and dehydrated a lot there.


Camera-wise, I second the 10-22. I visited the north rim, and at the time the widest lens I had was the 18-55 on a Rebel, and really wished I had something wider.


Also, might be worth renting something longer than 200mm, if you happen to spot a california condor.

haha thanks Sean i wasnt aware :p well i just figured out i like the looks of the tokina 10-17 mm fisheye becasue at 10mm its fisheye but at 17 its distorted wide angle effect. what do you think of this lens? also i only have one body so im concerned about brining more than two lenses.

mpphoto12.....have you given any thought to panoramas?The GC is made of them.


The post processing programs make it relatively simple.....suggestion; take them in vertical and start w/a shot w/your lens cover on, to separate from all your other many photos....also finish w/a lens cover shot.


Have fun

yes i planned on doing panoramas becasue they are common there.. i have done them before and look foward to them here.. thakns :) anyone have thoughts with the tokina idea?

+1 on the Canon 10-22mm or the Tokina equivalent. You'll notice a huge difference betwen 16mm and 10mm on a crop sensor.

sounds good but will it be as efective as the fisheye/semi fisheye of the tokina?? also, i only have one body to carry to would it be more efective to get a wider use lens like the 17-55 2.8?? thanks

<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"]17-55 is a great lens butthe 10-20 would just go that much wider where this location would seriouslyuse it. The 17 wide would equate to about 27mm where the 10 would equate to 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] 10 degrees really can make a difference.<o:p></o:p>


<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"]Ialso think a fisheye would create some really cool shots.<o:p></o:p>


<span style="font-size: 8pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"](PS I have taken some really nice shots with the 18-55 :)) <o:p></o:p>


MattG

would it be a better i idea to rent a camera then? like the 40D or 50D to get cleaner shots with more dynamic range plus have a second body then to use two lenses on each body to avoid switching lenses?? hmmm

I wouldn't suggest having 2 bodies hanging around your neck if you're hiking!


The fisheye will give a different effect than the 10-22mm ultrawide angle so I guess it depends on what results you want. I use my 10-22 a lot and it works perfectely for landscape shots (for me) which is why I recommended it over the 16-35. Unfortunately I can't comment on the fisheye as I haven't had the opportunity to use it.


I'm not sure what you mean by it's effectiveness compared to the fisheye but it will give you some nice dramatic results at 10mm.

I'd rent the new Sigma8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 HSM (the widest lens available for your body) and a 7D if you have enough money (:





A graduated NeutralDensityFilter and a Circular Polarizer Filter will make your shots look neat

good suggestions thanks! but i cant seem to find that sigma anywhere :( i sadly dont have enough money to rent the camera too :(

I recently found suggestions from friends who thought the Tokina 11-16 2.8 was a good idea. Does anyone else think this would be a good idea? im not crazy about the few small mm range though. Im still stuck between the sigma 10-22 the canon 10-22, tokina zoom fisheye, and the tokina 11-16.