Taking Photos in Monument Valley
Taking photos in Monument Valley is easy and encouraged when visiting. Capturing the iconic beauty of the magnificent landscapes of Monument Valley is best when you have some knowledge of right angles, lighting, lens, and equipment to lock in the enormous sandstones.
Staying at Goulding’s Resort, finding the right view to photograph this beautiful American southwest region is not so difficult. Goulding’s Resort not only offers striking views of red stones and plateaus but also has touring guides to help you explore the picturesque locations in Monument Valley. The tour guides are local Navajos that offer insight and stories about the area. Goulding’s Tours offers many different tours to get that perfect picture.
So, if you’re all set to take a trip to Monument Valley, learning some photography tips will help you take some great pictures of the barren, desolate yet beautiful plains.
Classic Shots of Mittens
For every visitor, photos of the Mittens are a must as the iconic picture of Monument Valley. Planning your trip in late March or towards the middle of September allows you to witness the Mitten Shadow event. This event happens when the shadow of the West Mitten Butte casts itself on the side of the East Mitten Butte. Be sure to get your spot early because this is a very popular event and there are a lot of photographers standing by.
Capture Sandstones from the Loop Road
Utilize one of Goulding’s popular tours to capture amazing images that you can’t take when visiting the Monument Valley Tribal Park on your own. Our tours will take you off the main loop road where you can get up close and personal with the beauty that is Monument Valley. Photographing smooth sands and plateaus gives you some incredibly beautiful images. These places make the best spots to capture spectacular photos of the red sandstones.
Capture Monuments Using Long Exposure
Add the excitement of movement in your landscape photos with long exposures. Depending on your camera, the best way to do that is to use shutter-priority mode and choose long exposure time. Here you also have a choice to use AV (Aperture-Priority) mode with a small aperture (f/32). However, you need more light for that.
It is recommended to take photos in the bright daylight with an ND filter for the best results. It will give you a long shutter opening time for the best image. Some expert photographers can take long exposure shots at night to see the movement in the stars.
Recommended Equipment
For taking impeccable photos of Monument Valley, we recommend taking along the following equipment;
- Durable tripod – to hold the camera
- Polarizer – to control glare, reflections, and color saturation
- Wide-angle lens
- Rain cover
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to take photos in Monument Valley. You can take shots with your camera phone and still be in awe of the majestic buttes. The locals say “there isn’t a bad photo of Monument Valley”.