Lake Powell, Arizona, is one of the ultimate photography hot spots. Having visited this location multiple times, we bring you all the essential insights for photographing mesmerizing images. We run a photo tour that goes here.
This article covers: Where to eat, where to stay, what to bring, how to get here, when to go and all you need to know.
Based on 20+ years of real-life experience. NO A.I. – About me
Spring: When the mountain snow melts, the water levels rise each spring. It’s a great time to visit, with cool air, a peaceful lake, and fish spawning.
Summer: The days are long, and the water is warm, but the crowds do show up. The Average temperature in June, July and August is in the 90s, so we avoid these months. There are also fewer humans in our photos.
Fall: Fall is a good time to go, with great weather and also fewer humans. The days and nights are cooler.
Milky Way Photography Spot: Remember, nearby Lee’s Ferry, Glen Canyon is a Milky Way photography hot spot. We highly recommend that you understand how to do Milky Way photography and make sure you go during Milky Way photography week.
Spend at least two full days here to photograph the entire area and explore the excellent photo locations nearby. If you do every nook and cranny like we do spend four days here.
From Phoenix:
Drive north on I-17 to Flagstaff, roughly 130-150 miles away. From there, follow directions to Lake Powell. The total distance is around 285 miles.
From Flagstaff:
Page is roughly 135 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Drive north on Highway 89, then switch to 89T past Cameron to reach Page.
A ton! Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, and Lee’s Ferry. This area is a great base from which to photograph all of these locations. They will keep you busy for days.
We were here several times in October, and it was not busy. We have read that over 2 million visitors go here in the summer months.
We travel to the Arizona side of the lake. There are 96 major canyons to explore, but you need a watercraft to visit most of them since access is limited due to very few roads. That’s the way to go if you can afford it. You will have the opportunity to create some images as no one else has ever done if you rent a boat and travel through these pristine, reflecting deep blue waters.
This location could be a place to create award-winning photography. It is also a good spot as a base for Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, and Lee’s Ferry. Plan on at least two full days here at a minimum to explore the area.
Lens: This is primarily a wide-angle lens location.
Gear: Bring your tripod and your circular polarizing filters. Don’t forget your neutral density filter to do long exposure shots of the moving water.
Gear List at a glance: Circular polarizing filter, neutral density filter, tripod, shutter release.
What you will need:
Light pollution map – light pollution map
Camera – You will need a camera to control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture manually.
Lens – A fast wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain that will appear in your photos.
Tripod – A good, sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember, when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.
Sky Map – Sky Guide is $ available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).
Flashlight—Our choice is the Coast brand. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the amount of light it emits. Get the HP7, PX45, or G50. Ideally, go with the HP7.
Moon Phaze Map – The best time to go is during a new moon, and you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so be sure to check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.
Remote Shutter Release—When painting with light and you want to go over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. When exposing your pictures in general, you can use the remote release or your camera’s built-in two-second timer.
Use a Tripod—First, you must be on a tripod. A good, sturdy tripod is necessary if it is windy. If the tripod moves, your picture will blur.
Focus – Use live view. To focus in the dark, use your camera’s live view, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens, but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angle.
ISO – Start with ISO 1600 – 3200. This is a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.
Shutter Speed – Remember, the Earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp, non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, and Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
Aperture—Depth of field isn’t critical in these shots, but letting light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (Wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow.) You will have to increase the ISO, which will give you digital noise.
Some white balance suggestions: When in live view mode, you can change your white balance settings and see what they look like. You can also shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later.
The best images are usually of the dense part of the Milky Way. We can see this part of the Milky Way in the southern sky. During March, April, and May, the Milky Way rises above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours. In June, at about 10:00 p.m., you will see the Milky Way. From July until October, you can see the Milky Way as soon as the sun sets, and it becomes dark enough to see about an hour after sunset. In November, the Milky Way no longer comes above the horizon. You will have to wait until March if you want to stay away really late or get up early to see her again.
See our Night Photography Information.
LAKE POWELL AREA HOTELS:
You can stay at Lee’s Ferry as your base location for this trip. See the Lee’s Ferry Page for detailed information, including great images.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Entrance Fee: Weekly Passes, Annual Permits and Boating fees.
1-7 Day Vehicle Pass – $15
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers.
1-7 Day Individual Permit – $7 per person
Admits one individual when entering on foot or bicycle. Not to exceed the $15 vehicle fee. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free.
Individual Permit (organized non-profit groups) – $7 per person
ONLY applies to organized non-profit groups (service organizations, scouts, religious groups, college/school groups not qualifying for a fee waiver). Individuals under the age of 16 are admitted free.
Glen Canyon NRA Annual Pass – $30
Allows unlimited entry to Glen Canyon for 12 months from the date of purchase.
LAKE POWELL AREA CAMPING:
Lees Ferry Campground
· $12 per night / per site
· 55 developed sites – no hookups
Wahweap RV Park & Campground – 928-645-2433
Bullfrog RV Park & Campground – 435-684-3000
Halls Crossing RV Park & Campground – 435-684-7000
Hite RV Park & Campground – 435-684-3103
Backcountry use in the Orange Cliffs Unit of Glen Canyon requires a backcountry permit from Canyonlands National Park.
House Boat Rentals:
Houseboat Lodgings – The first thing you’ll want to decide is what size houseboat you’ll need and what amenities will make your vacation all it can be. Find everything you need to know about each houseboat they offer and its features. You will find Luxury, Deluxe and Economy classes; there’s a boat to fit every budget and lifestyle.
Houseboat Rental Companies
Antelope Point Marina – Lake Powell Lake Powell Vacations
537 Marina Parkway N-22-B MP 4 550 Haul Road
Page, AZ Page, AZ
(928) 645-5900 (928)-608-0800
Rivers End Café – 130 6th Ave – Page, AZ 86040 – Phone (928) 645-9175
At Rivers End, you can eat healthy and vegan. Try their Veggi Hummus Sandwich, Veggi Wrap, or select healthy salads.
Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge – 644 N Navajo Dr – Page, AZ 86040 – Phone (928) 645-0007
The Blue Buddha Lounge is home to a delicious, healthy way of eating: a variety of mouth-watering raw fish, select vegetables, rice and mystical seaweed. The Blue Buddha offers oriental cuisine that will not soon be forgotten.
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