Photographing Standley Chasm (-23.71534  133.47355)

About Standley Chasm

Useful Links

www.standleychasm.com.au

About the Chasm

Standley Chasm is in the West McDonnell ranges. It is a high, but not very wide canyon through a rock hill. It is, around 40 Km due west of Alice Springs. The chasm is on private land owned by the Arrernte community. The chasm is known as Angkerle Atwatye to the Arrente, and is an important Women's dreaming site.

Viewpoints

There are several view points here:

1. From entrance - looking through the gap, with the sides towering above you.
2. From inside - looking up or upwards, showing the sheer walls and hieght. The chasm has brilliant reddish brown rock, and the sky is usually blue out here. Contrasting the two makes for interesting photos.
3. From the nearby hills.
4. Ignoring the Chasm. This might sound strange, but the chasm is in the West McDonnel Ranges. Here there are lots of sand, lots or red rock walls, lots of trees with white trunks, and a fair few cycads and palms. There are lots of opportunites for nice photos that dont include the chasm itself.

Other Things to Look Out For

How I photographed the Chasm

What I took - what was in my kit

Firstly, I have not been there yet on this trip. I did take my children 20 odd years ago, and we enjoyed the outting, however my photos from then are long gone.

I will take my LowePro Backpack loaded with Linhof Technorama with Velvia 50 film for the panorama, and Canon 5DSR body, Canon 24 mm TS, Canon 16-35mm and 50mm Sigma Art Lenses, Manfrotto 190 Tripod, and of course a range of lens wipes, spare batteries, sunscreen and bug repellant.

I think the perspective correction and selective focussing of the Tilt - Shift lens will work particularly well in this case.

This is also one of the few places that I will take the GX680. Again, for the tilt-shift aspect of that camera.

As with any of the West McDonell areas, I love the reds and blues that can come from these ranges. There are wildlife around - mostly small wallabies - but they are hard to get close to and even harder to photograph in as part of the scene. The scenery is awe inspiring in its size and scale, and of course a small kangaroo is neither of those. It becomes lost in any scene.

Techniques

Nearby Locations

Nearby photographic locations

1. West MacDonnell Ranges overview
2. Glen Helen Gorge

Location

Standley Chasm / Angkerle Atwatye, West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory

Approximate coordinates: -23.71534, 133.47355

Markers identify photographic objectives, not guaranteed parking positions or open access.

Apple Map – Photographic Locations

This Apple Map shows the principal photographic subjects and nearby locations. Verify cultural restrictions, signs, road status and track conditions before relying on a marker for access.

How to Get There

The only way to get there is via car, and mostly from, or on the way to Alice Springs.  The road is sealed and fine year round.  From Alice Springs, you need to drive about 40k west along the Larapinta Drive to 23.786832 -133.515267 where you turn north on the Standey Chasm road. The site is about 10km north.

If you are coming from Glen Helen Gorge, or Ormiston, simply head back east towards Alice Springs and take the same turn of as above

Driving from the State Capital

The state capital is used as a consistent reference point. Apple Maps calculates the automobile route to this location; your actual route may vary with your starting point, traffic, roadworks and temporary closures.

Current Access / Conditions

Weather, fire and road conditions may close or modify access. Operator instructions take precedence over mapped markers.

Best Time to Visit

While this is the 'outback' it is not the northan outback where you need to worry about wet and dry seasons. It is fine to visit year round. The summer can be hot during the day, but this is a nice place to swim anyhow. Winter provides more slanting light and longer twilight, so is slightly better from that point of view.

Accessibility

Expect conditions ranging from surfaced visitor areas to uneven natural tracks. Carry water, first aid, offline mapping and suitable footwear, and turn back when heat, storms or visibility make the route unsafe.

Where to Stay

Where stay

This site is only a short drive from Alice Springs or from Glen Helen Gorge, however, if you wish to stay at the site, there is a nice camp ground there that does not cost much. They have all the facilities that you would expect: toilets, showers, washing machines, BBQ's, powered and unpowered sites, etc. This is Aboriginal owned land though, so alcohol is not permitted and is prohibited by federal law. The gates are also locked out of hours (see the website for the latest hours) .

There is hotel accomodation in Alice Springs, and after all, this location is only 1.5 hours out of Alice. However there is a Discovery Park at Glen Helen Gorge. (-23.68575  132.67296) This has cabins and of course allows caravans, RV's, camper trailers and tents.  The park also has a camp kitchen, resturant, retail shop, laundry and swimming pool.;

Photography Recommendations

Photography recommendations

• The key photograph depends on direct sunlight reaching the chasm walls, so timing is more important here than simply arriving at sunrise or sunset.
• Arrive well before the expected light window so you can choose a position before the chasm becomes busy.
• Use a wide lens carefully for the confined space and consider vertical frames; a normal lens is useful for abstract rock, reflected colour and details.
• Bracket the extreme contrast between illuminated rock and deep shade rather than sacrificing highlight detail.

Suggested Photographic Sequence

1. Photograph the shaded approach and rock details on the walk in.
2. Choose the principal chasm position before the direct-light window.
3. During the strongest light make wide, vertical and tighter compositions while protecting highlights.
4. After the direct light passes, photograph softer reflected colour and details on the walk out.

How Long Should a Photographer Stay?

Allow about 2–3 hours centred on the chasm’s direct-light period; check current opening/access information before planning around a precise time.

My Priority Photographs

1. A defining environmental view of Standley Chasm / Angkerle Atwatye
2. A tighter photograph of its characteristic details
3. A composition communicating scale
4. A weather-driven or low-light image