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Are you looking for some Bryce Canyon photography photo tips and tricks? Well if you stick around to the end you will learn 13 things to get you prepared and taking stellar photographs at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, United States. And especially if you want to do Bryce Canyon in a day, you will also want to follow this wee Bryce Canyon Photography guide.
In this quick Bryce Canyon photography post, you will discover what will help you get great photography, helpful hints that will keep you comfortable, and insider information that will alleviate common issues that may prevent you from producing your best Bryce Canyon Photography!
Surely you will love this park because of its rock formations, and proximity to the other national parks in the Big 5. Most notably Zion National Park. And in the opposite direction Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, which can be another great area to add to your list.
Whether you’re looking to photograph Bryce Canyon in the summer, fall, winter, or spring; you’re guaranteed to get something you love just by following these 13 Photo Tips to Guarantee YOU Get Stellar Bryce Canyon Photography.
1. Bryce Canyon Photography is DIFFICULT!
Do not be misled by the amazing photos you see floating around the internet. Of be off put by the first photo tip…
You can create amazing Bryce Canyon Photography. Guaranteed. If you read everything in this post and follow at least a few steps below!
If you plan on getting to the park and just start snapping away, you will be absolutely disappointed. The reason is, there are so many contrasting colors and the lighting environments that are constantly changing so stinking fast. You must come prepared!
If you come during the summer, you will have much longer periods of time where the day will have extreme contrast between the highlights and shadows.
Your lights will be blown out if you expose to the shadows and vice versa.
So this is why it is key to be prepared and or focus your day around the locations you want to photograph most. More info on different locations and prioritizing your shoot is below in section 4.
However, sometimes there are really cool looks and artistic interpretations one can take using the overexposure and using it to their advantage. You can really get creative in post-processing if you can have fun with it. You should prioritize your shoot based on the things you want to photograph the most. Again, there is more on this in section 4, below.
Now the final point is once you have left Bryce Canyon National Park and you are home editing your sweet pictures it is not as easy as pushing the shutter button in the park. Editing is its own beast to capture. More on this is below in section 13.
2. Get Creative
Use more than one lens. Or if you are only using a smartphone, make sure to utilize the .5x, 1x, or 3x zoom capabilities built within the various lenses of your phone.
Each lens yields a different expression of the artist and shows a subject off in a different way.
We have a super wide-angle lens, a medium zoom lens, and a super-telephoto lens. Each is my favorite lens. For very different reasons.
Getting wide expansive shots is a really neat way to show off how massive a place is, however that style of lens has it is downsides, too. The subject can begin to get small and fat.
So that’s when your medium zoom and super-telephoto lenses begin to come in handy and show off their capabilities!
The best part about having a super-telephoto lens is the lens compression that begins to happen. See here in this Instagram reel that I published showing off the differences between three lenses when shot at the same location.
However, if you do not have multiple lens choices, then you can get creative in other ways as well.
For example, getting low, getting a higher vantage point, simply adding a person as your subject, or even allowing the landscape to give off an added marker of depth.
3. Plan Your Route of Attack
If you are shooting sunrise, make sure you know what time sunrise is and aim to arrive at your photo op 30 minutes before sunrise.
If you can’t choose a spot, an easy fallback is going to Sunrise Point for sunrise.
At peak times of park visitation, you will want to get to your spot even earlier. And depending on the time of year, you will have a lovely blue hour as the sun is preparing to make its grand entry.
So know what to expect and plan accordingly before ever showing up and shooting.
For example:
You can clearly see the differences in photos above at Sunrise Point. This time around we arrived a bit after sunrise and the sun had already lost a lot of its warmer orange hues. And was already getting a bit blown out.
Whereas being up and ready at your spot you can clearly appreciate getting up early for sunrise and what it has to offer.
4. Factor in Delays
If you plan on visiting Bryce during peak season, you will likely encounter many delays.
Create a must, should, and could list of the places you want to visit and photograph. If it is during peak times, you may have to skip around at different locations on Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive to capture what is on your musts list.
However, if you visit during non-peak times, this bit of advice is almost irrelevant.
You can really just go to your most desired locations when you want. If you want to bounce around based on how the lighting is behaving you will have some flexibility to do so. However, if it is peak season, do not be too annoyed if you get bumped from a specific spot you would like to photograph.
5. Bring The Right Gear
For an early morning photo of Bryce Canyon National Park and its hoodoos, don’t forget to grab your trusty tripod!
Make sure you have a sturdy shot at those pre-dawn twilight blue hours, you will want something sturdy. In contrast, keeping the tripod around all day will help you get those staged photos of you and your family all together. And finally, if you plan to shoot some night photography. You will certainly require a steady base for those long exposure shots and sequences.
Bring or purchase a neutral density (ND) filter, a variable ND filter, and/or a circular polarizer with an ND filter. We recommend the last one as it accomplishes two in one and is really high quality. Much higher than the previous Amazon basics polarizer we used to use.
Read this post about how when and why to use ND filters and Polarizers.
If you choose to stay for some Bryce Canyon night photography then you will want to have a wide lens that has a large aperture of at least 2.8. Like our Samyang 14mm 2.8. You can no longer buy that lens for Canon, so I linked the Canon version.
And the final kit is sunscreen for summer and hand warmers for winter.
The sun is strong actually all year round so you could always use some sunscreen. And finally, the hand warmers help keep your hands warm, but also to keep your lens from getting too cold when shooting in those frigid temperatures before the sun rises and after it has set!
6. Sunrise at Sunrise Point. Sunset at Sunset Point.
You may be thinking, well duh, of course, that’s where I’m going to be for sunrise and sunset for my Bryce Canyon Photography trip. But there may be some other great options to be had as well.
For example:
- staging yourself up at Bryce Point to capture the Amphitheater at sunrise.
- taking yourself to Bryce Natural Bridge can be a great option, too, as it gets backlit and illuminated by the sun rising.
- or dipping down into the hoodoos to get a different–more up close and personal–perspective of the hoodoos at sunrise.
Don’t get narrowed in on having to do your sunrise and sunset photography at Sunrise Point and Sunset Point just because THAT. IS. THEIR. NAME. There are many places to choose from. Some are better than others. Some have been popularized and others not so much.
However, Sunrise Point and Sunset Point are great first choices or stellar fallback options if you haven’t chosen another place prior to arriving.
Is Sunset or Sunrise Better at Bryce Canyon?
Now, this is like saying does sh*t stink? Sorry for the awful analogy. It is an obvious and difficult question to answer…
Sunrise and sunset at Bryce Canyon are equally beautiful and incredible. But it also goes without saying, it just depends on the day and the weather that is going on during your visit.
If waking up early is not a problem for you and you generally have an idea where you would like to be for sunrise, then go for it. However, on the other hand, if you’re just unable to make it to the park for sunrise and sunset is all you are capable of seeing and photographing, then that will be your best bet.
Now, even better, if you have the chance to be in the park for both sunrise and sunset in Bryce Canyon, then you can choose for yourself!
7. Take A Break
After all your early morning scrambling to capture the best blue hour light before sunrise at whichever spot you chose. And after capturing many more photos after sunrise with the incredible golden hour light. Take a break.
The sun seems to quickly rise, especially at the 9,000 feet elevation, providing extremely harsh light everywhere.
Unless you are going for an overexposed fine art photo look/style that is terribly hard to edit in post, then I would suggest taking a break from normal shooting and either go into the visitor center to check out what they have. Make some breakfast and/or lunch depending on the actual time you finish up.
Taking a break to actually enjoy the park and all it has to offer instead of worrying about the shot is something we all need to remember a practice regularly. If it is all too much business and getting the shot, where is the fun in that?
Because there is such harsh light, it’s a built-in opportunity to slow down and take a break.
Or consider taking a hike along the many trails in the park like Navajo Loop Trail and Queens Garden Trail.
8. Hoodoos During the Day
Because of the previous point, you will have a bit of time to chill and relax before continuing down on your Bryce Canyon Photography trip.
You can either walk along the Bryce Canyon Rim Trail from Sunrise Point to get to the Navajo loop trail or better yet, take Queens Garden Trail and connect to the Navajo look trail.
Head on down into the hoodoos and hike the Navajo Loop Trail which starts and ends at Sunset Point. This is an incredible way to see the hoodoos closer and a fabulous way to cool down a bit if you are visiting in the summer.
Although the lighting is still really bad amongst the hoodoos, you can still find some interesting shots and keep these ones for your memories if they just do not turn out.
Once the day starts tipping towards sunset, you can hop back in your car and drive down the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive which has eleven more viewpoints along its 18-mile road. Plenty more opportunities for stellar Bryce Canyon Photography.
9. Use Your Telephoto
We recently upgraded our entire photography kit to the Canon R series and are absolutely loving it. But one piece of kit I am most excited about is the Canon RF 100-500mm lens. It is a beast of a super-telephoto lens. And it delivers.
Quite the upgrade from the Canon EF 55-250mm lens.
Anyways. Regardless of what you have in your kit. Even if that is a new iPhone 14 with 3x zoom.
Utilizing those “zoom” capabilities really changes the perspective of a scene. Especially from above looking down into Bryce Canyon National Park.
Then if you have a true telephoto lens, you begin to experience a thing called compression and that is where the further back background begins to enlarge making the subject look, even more, dwarfed or grand depending on the scene. Which is a real perspective that you can’t achieve with an iPhone or a fixed-lens camera.
10. Choosing the best time to visit
In contrast to summers, Bryce canyon photography during the winter can be equally as awesome. Yet will come with its own downsides.
What Is The Best Month To Go To Bryce Canyon?
Great question!
We have personally photographed Bryce Canyon in the months of August, October, and just recently in November of 2022. We can’t comment on the springtime months at this time. Although, I am sure it its a great time to visit as well.
However, with that being said, we think Bryce Canyon in November has been the best month so far. And with it almost being winter, we would have to say visiting Bryce Canyon in Winter is by far the best time to photograph and enjoy the National Park.
And the reasons for this claim:
- Fewer people
- Later sunrise (can sleep in longer)
- Deeper orange hues to edit with
- Smaller wait times for toll booths, pullouts, and parking lots.
- Bryce Canyon winter photos are prettier (to me)
Some cons to this to keep in mind:
- It is colder (it was 9˚F overnight in the van)
- Fewer daylight hours to see everything if you are aiming to get all your Bryce Canyon photography done in one day.
- Bryce Canyon NPS does not maintain some paths and trails which can get extremely icy and slippery!
- Some pullouts and trails are completely closed
Obviously, there is always a tradeoff when it comes to choosing something. But overall, I personally believe Bryce Cayon in winter is the best! We thoroughly enjoyed photographing Bryce Canyon during the wintery time as there was snow. This provided such a nice added contrast to the hoodoos you can’t get at any other time.
Bryce Canyon Photography During Summer
Summer photography in Bryce Canyon can be a great option for people who have vacation time and want warmer weather, and more daylight to capture more pictures. Especially if you are planning on doing Bryce Canyon in a day. Just be aware that weather systems roll in quickly. But can be a photographers dream!
Bryce is a fairly small park from a photographer’s point of view. There are many places to see but not many spots to see them from. However, if you want to get to them all in one day, it is certainly feasible and most possible during the summer. Simply because you have more daylight to do it in.
The other nice thing to note: if you want to get some astrophotography of Bryce Canyon, this is a great time to do as the core of the milky way will be most visible in early summer at night. However, late winter, spring, and most of the summer are all also great times to see the core and photograph it.
11. Bryce Canyon Photo Spots
Where Can I Take Pictures in Bryce Canyon?
You can take pictures basically anywhere in the park that is not off a designated trail. With that being said, you do need to have common courtesy and respect for those around you. And especially the major rule from the NPS service, which is no drones are allowed. So drone photography and videography are off limits.
But take your camera (flagship mirrorless, DSLR, iPhone, or even film camera) with you to all the Bryce Canyon photo spots and pullouts within the park. Then head on down to any of the various hiking trails and shoot there as well, because you will get some very interesting Bryce Canyon Photography from beneath the rim!
Can I Be A Photographer With Using Smartphones?
Everyone has to start somewhere, so the simple answer is yes.
The camera does not define the photographer. The artist behind the camera is the only one who can determine their fate.
So absolutely, you can definitely become a photographer starting out using only a smartphone. You will definitely have to upgrade quickly because you will no doubt outgrow the minimal capabilities of what a smartphone yields.
The wide panorama was taken on our first ever trip to Bryce Canyon on an iPhone 5!
Now while you are planning your Bryce Canyon Photography trip, please do not buy a camera that you do not know just for this trip. Bring your iPhone or Android device and challenge yourself with that kit before upgrading!
Bryce Canyon Photography Photo Spots
Basically, every single parking lot, pullout, and trailhead or trail is going to be your bread-and-butter photo spot.
Of course, there are the more iconic social media recognizable photos that you’re likely wanting to imitate. However, open your eyes and let your creative senses flow in an attempt at capturing an image of an already photographed million-time location and make it your own!
I am not going to put a specific one or set of Bryce Canyon photo spots because I want to challenge you in capturing something that not everyone else has captured a bazillion times.
Nonetheless, in the next section below… You will see a list of pullouts and parking spots that will give you a hint and direction on where to begin!
12. Driving is Your friend
Can You Drive Your Car Through Bryce Canyon?
You can absolutely drive your own vehicle through the entire park.
This may be one of the best experiences of the whole park: driving the full length of the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive.
There are numerous pullouts and photo opportunities to be had along the 18-mile-long road one way.
You have 11 pullouts along the way–each offering something slightly different and unique from the last.
View Points To Keep an Eye Out For!
- Sunrise Point
- Sunset Point
- Inspiration Point
- Bryce Point
- Paria View
- Swamp Canyon Overlook
- Piracy Point and Farview Point located at the same Turnoff
- Bryce Natural Bridge
- Aqua Canyon Overlook
- Ponderosa Canyon
- Black Birch Canyon
- Yovimpa Point
- Rainbow Point
13. Editing Bryce Canyon Photography
As mentioned in section one. Editing your Bryce Cayon photography can get a bit difficult. From starting with having chosen the right settings and equipment at the right time while at Bryce to managing the different hues, darks, and highlights in your editing suite. You will be challenged no doubt.
When I was editing a few different locations in the park, I found that I had exposed for the darks and my highlights were completely blown out. The way I edited these was taking on an almost fine art approach. Not quite totally taking away the colors. However, taking away enough to give it a slight fine art monochromatic feel. Which I think looks pretty neat.
Be prepared to delicately edit your photos to match your style and theme. Every group of photos will be very different from the next as the sun changes and produces different light environments.
If you have a hard time with editing your photos and do not have a solid clue on where to start, especially with your own Bryce Canyon photography, then I highly encourage you to check out my presets pack.
In addition, if you enjoy the look and style of my photos, please consider purchasing my Bryce Canyon Photography preset pack made for Lightroom. This is not a click-and-be-done preset pack. Simply put, it is just a layer that will help give you a starting point to then fine-tune each of your own images.
How do I know this preset pack is right for me?
If you notice it is really difficult to edit your own images.
If you are getting frustrated in the editing process.
You don’t have a clue how to move the sliders in lightroom, and you can’t find a balance between each image set.
Additionally, you edit your morning shots but it is a totally different world as compared to editing your sunset images.
Then this pack is right for you!
Reach out at jason [at] arboursabroad [dot] com to get the lightroom preset pack sent directly to your inbox!
Where to Fly Into
When choosing to visit Bryce for some Bryce Canyon photography, the closest airport to fly into is probably Las Vegas.
Luckily, Vegas has some super cheap flights in and out of the city, so this should be in your favor. Check out flights with the little flight checker below! Momondo is hands down our favorite way to find and book cheap flights!
More Utah Travel Tips
Utah Big 5 National Park | All of Utah’s National Parks in One Place
The five national parks in Utah are epic in their own ways! Check them all out here.
Bryce Canyon National Park | Our First Time Visiting
Run on sentences, big paragraphs, and photos from 2014.. this post is from our very first time visiting Bryce Canyon National Park! Don’t let the old post scare you.. there’s some great information in there!
Driving From Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park
Stops along the way, where to use the bathroom, and wildlife you may see.
Our first time in Zion, we really went out with a bang! Coming from the northwest side, we made time for the drive through Kolob Canyon, then straight into Zion for trekking The Narrows. From there, we camped for free outside of the park, before returning to the park to hike up Angels Landing.
A quick dip in the Virgin river was followed by us exiting the park on the east, going through the famous tunnel, and hiking the Canyon Overlook Trail.
Hot Springs In Utah | with a map, separated by free + commercial springs
There are five hot springs that we rave about, each free, with camping nearby, however, Utah has many more! Check out this post to find somewhere warm to soak!
We’ve had our fair share of United States National Parks. And honestly, it’s not just the national parks, but the areas surrounding the parks that is great too. Grab your US National Parks Checklist and start visiting the parks near you!
Next
Should I go to Zion National Park Next?
Zion is a great national park with lots to offer. Many great photography locations and points of interest. It too is not an easy park to photograph. However, that should not deter you from going to Zion National Park after Bryce Canyon.
Read this post on driving from Bryce to Zion.
Which Is Better Zion or Bryce Canyon National Park?
Each park offers its own unique features. Personally, this time around I enjoyed Bryce Canyon better because I had an easier time photographing the park when compared to Zion.
In addition, we were able to do only a few things in Zion as compared to our first time visiting. Therefore, I would have to say Bryce Canyon is currently my favorite between the two. However, if asked the same question a few years ago, I would have said Zion is better.
Wrapping Up
Thanks for making it to the end. I hope you learned something about Bryce Canyon Photography and that you found what you were looking for. If you thought this post was helpful, please share it with someone who you think may learn something from reading this post.
