Photographing Red Rock Canyon using Long Exposure Techniques

About Red Rock Canyon

It’s hard to believe that Red Rock Canyon only 15 miles from the lights and hustle of Las Vegas.  Red Rock Canyon is a goldmine for landscape photographers with beautiful red, tan, and gray mountains contrasting against a blue sky.

In the Canyon, there is a 13 mile one way loop with various pull offs to stop and photograph.  There are also numerous hiking trails accessible from these pull offs to explore and photograph.

The canyon also has an interesting selection of wildlife including wild burros, coyotes, and desert big horn sheep.

ISO 100, 24mm, f/22, 63 Seconds

Long Exposure Photography

Photographing Red Rock Canyon is best in the morning and evening light.  However, I had good results photographing during the late morning using long exposure techniques and a B&W 77mm #110 3.0 (1000x) Neutral Density Filter .  This technique is best with partly cloudy skies.

When doing long exposure photography with a 10 stop neutral density filter, you will need to compose and manually focus prior to putting on the ND filter.  The filter is so dark that you will not be able to see out of your DSLR’s view finder.  You will also need a tripod and either a remote shutter release or use the timer shutter delay.  I’ve included my camera settings with the photos in this blog to give you a starting point for your long exposure photography.

There is a $7 per car entrance fee to enter Red Rock Canyon which is worth it.  Next time you are in Las Vegas stop by and check out this beautiful park even if it is in the middle of the day.

Related Blog Posts
A View of Death Valley with Panorama Photos from the iPhone 5
Yosemite – Nature at its Best
What to Photograph in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the Munising, Michigan Area in Only 48 Hours

Visit my photo destinations page for more great photography locations