Just that word "black" indicates that this place is a challenge to photograph. The canyon not only has dark colored walls, but they are deep and steep, close together with just a ribbon of water running between them.
The most popular image of the Black Canyon is taken at the Painted Wall view overlook. It's an impressive wall of color but very little tone difference. If you watch closely as you drive the South Rim Road, you can find others as nicely colored.
If the sun is full force, go for outlines of rock formations. On cloud covered days, you can get better color and layout of the canyon but remember to catch some shadows of the rock layers for depth. Waiting is the key, until you see what you want.
Like always, forground is very important. I've had my best luck with some snow in the forground. The North Rim road with it's overlooks and some trails, including the new Pioneer Trail, can give you a fresh approach to a frustrating photo shoot. This road is best on a partly cloudy day because you are looking south most of the time. A half tone filter helps put the brighter sky in line with the amount of light bouncing off those "black" walls. This filter is a serious help for sunrise and sunset shots.
Bernadette Heath
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