I had already been to Upper Antelope Canyon once before to shoot photos, but I was back this last May to capture the beams of light in there that are so famous. I had heard about how they glow and create highlights in the canyon that are completely magical. What I didn't know was how the sand moving around the canyon would look when passing through these beams of light becoming backlit and glowing.
Sand was being kicked up in the canyon while I was setting up my composition, but what I was going for in the composition was not really to get a neat image of something in the beam of light. No, I was looking to capture the canyon with the beam of light placed in the frame not as prominently.
"Spectre"
For "Spectre", which I took first, I had the beam of light hitting the bottom left side of the frame. I was close to the ground, but I was able to look through the viewfinder when shooting. The whole frame blacks out completely while being exposed and this was when the ghost appeared and left just as quickly. I would not know exactly what I had just shot until later that night. "Spectre" was destined to be the "Trinity" centerpiece though as the composition allows the eye to travel and enjoy the canyon as well as the image of a ghostly girl in an evening gown staring back through a terrifyingly sharp skull.
"Aberration"
Beyond the centerpiece and flanking it on the sides would be what I call "Aberration" and "Angelic". Each of these have their own wonderful components to them as the part of the canyon changes, but the composition remains the same in each of them leaving the main change to be the beautiful shapes created by the glowing sand. In "Aberration" there is a near-formed human shape to the beam of light with four hotspots of glowing sand creating the effect. "Angelic" has a more fully formed look with a clear shape taking place almost angel-like in the feel.
Angelic
This specific trifecta of images in "Trinity" will be available in a single edition to a single buyer. It is meant to be an artist's proof giving this already rare and unique piece an even greater value due to the inmate rarity of it all. Something similar was sold by Peter Lik called "ghost" for a record amount several years ago now, but you can be the judge as to which one is the better shot from the slot canyon's light beams.