Landscape in the Rock

Antelope Canyon, Utah-Arizona Border

At first glance, this might appear to be a photograph of a crimson sky over a craggy mountain range. Actually we are looking straight up between the narrow sandstone walls of Antelope Canyon. One wall resides in deep shadow, the other glows with indirect sunlight, reflected from the pink sandstone walls higher up.

For thousands of years, flash floods have been carving this slot canyon ever deeper into the sandstone of the Colorado Plateau. The result is a myriad of sculpted forms, textured draperies of stone that testify to the power of moving water working over eons. A favorite of nature photographers, this canyon is one of the most-photographed spots in the Southwest.