DEEP DOWN INSIDE

EDITOR’S NOTE: In 1977, John Blaustein published The Hidden Canyon: A River Journey, a collection of photographs he made while guiding dory trips down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Accompanying the photos were an introduction by Martin Litton, who gave Blaustein his start as a river guide, and journal entries by the legendary Edward Abbey, who, according to Blaustein, was lured by the promise of “a free river trip and all the beer he could drink.” If you’d like to see more of Blaustein’s work, the third edition of The Hidden Canyon is now available online and in bookstores.
 

Redwall Cavern, a natural amphitheater carved out of the Canyon’s limestone by the rushing Colorado, frames a view of the river. “Having that little cloud right in that triangle of blue sky, as a sort of accent to the whole thing, was just a nice bit of luck,” Blaustein says.

Lush plants surround one of many small waterfalls in Elves Chasm, an idyllic spot in Royal Arch Canyon. “The magic of that place is the combination of shade and water,” Blaustein says, “so you have vegetation that wouldn’t grow in the otherwise hostile desert.”

A thunderstorm brings hazy yellow hues to the Canyon, as viewed from a hillside near Granite Rapids at sunset. “This was on film, and dynamic range was critical,” Blaustein says. “You can’t capture all the highlights and all the shadows, so the old adage is to shoot for the highlights.”

A trickle of water in Matkatamiba Canyon reflects nearby buttes. “People on commercial river trips always ooh and aah at the views above, but I always tell them to look down — whether it’s in a pool of water, a stream or the edge of the river — to see a great reflection of the Canyon’s colors,” Blaustein says.
 

“It’s fun to simplify things and get down to the bare essentials — to capture the quintessence of the Canyon.”

— John Blaustein
 

The blue-green water of Havasu Creek rushes over rocks in morning light. “I just love shooting the moving water and capturing those reflections,” Blaustein says. “When you’re standing there looking at it, it looks different from what it looks like through the lens of a camera at a long exposure.”

Cindell Dale rows a dory over Hermit Rapids, where some of the Canyon’s largest waves occur. “I always tried to capture the most dramatic action,” Blaustein says.

Longtime river runner and conservationist Martin Litton rows Lava Falls at age 87 in 2004. Blaustein met Litton in 1969 and soon was running the river with him — even though he wrecked a boat on one of his first trips through the Canyon. “Anybody else might have fired me, but he gave me another chance, and the rest is history,” Blaustein says. “He was an enormously generous soul.”

“I try to see the Grand Canyon in a little bit different way — show what it feels like, not just what it looks like.”

— John Blaustein

Comanche Point (right) looms above a bend in the Colorado River upstream from Tanner Rapids. “What makes this shot special is how delicate the light was that day,” Blaustein says.

Dory passengers run 122 Mile Rapids at sunset. “This was at the end of all three editions of The Hidden Canyon,” Blaustein says. “It’s just such a classic parting shot. It captures the magic of floating down that river in what Martin Litton used to call ‘an itty-bitty rowboat.’ ”

On the Colorado River, dories navigate the Grand Canyon above Tuckup Canyon. “Having done so many trips down the river, I know what the light is going to look like at certain places,” photographer John Blaustein says. “On this stretch, late in the day, the light is going to be perfect. I can’t count how many bad attempts I had at getting the placement of the boats and the oars right.”