AMAZING Fantasy Canyon - Pics & Film

[TJ Sheridan]

Back in August I decided It was time to stop procrastinating, and make the drive to Eastern Utah. I've always wanted to visit the eastern deserts, but kept shelving it in order to pursue other sites. I had seen a few photos of Fantasy Canyon, but had no idea where it was, and the photographers I asked wouldn't give up the location, giving me misdirection as to the difficulty and accessibility. When I finally found the site location, I was happy to learn that you can drive right to it on dirt roads... and I was frustrated that people were intentionally keeping the site secret.

I had a friend lined up to go with me, but he backed out, so I just pushed ahead alone.

There were some beautiful discoveries along the way, including herds of wild antelope, and numerous herds of wild mustangs living in the desert. But the canyon itself was truly the highlight, not just of this trip, but of ALL trips I've done in Utah. The site is so unusual, so ALIEN, that words can't really describe it. The sandstone formations look like a mixture of dinosaur skeletons and weird alien carcasses.

I got there in the evening and realized I would need to camp overnight to shoot it at sunrise as well. Talk about an eerie place to stay the night! I'm considering making this a Halloween weekend annual event.

As an aerial film maker, I couldn't have been more pleased with the scenery. It was a delight to film those odd forms.

When I got home and reviewed the footage, I realized this film needed a special soundtrack, something haunting with vocals describing memories of past creatures revealed in gardens of bone. So I spent the better part of a week writing and recording an original soundtrack for this film.

It's one of my best films, and hopefully a few BackCountryPost nature lovers will appreciate the effort put into it.

If you do visit the site, be aware that the formations are smaller than they appear in photos, and some are quite delicate. I am positive that the splendor and fragility of the place is the reason photographers keep it a guarded secret. Please be careful and treat the site respectfully. Keep pets on leashes, and energetic children on shorter leashes.

There is a rest room on site and a few tables for eating.

Cheers!

- TJ Sheridan
- www.birdseyevideos.com

Featured image for home page:

 

[Nick]

Fantastic work, TJ! What type of device are using for your shots? A quadcopter setup? It really looks great.

 

[TJ Sheridan]

Thanks Nick. It's similar to a quadcopter, but it's a custom rig I built that gets me better performance and better camera clearance than a quad. I call it a T6.

 

[Jammer]

Awesome shots, TJ. Very beautiful work.

The Devil's Advocate in me has to ask... Is it safe to be flying a camera around what you admit are 'delicate features'? And... are you scaring the beejesus out of those horses?

I have no experience with such aerial photography (I am definitely jonzing for some though!) So... I'm hoping maybe you can help educate me and others about the capabilities and potential pitfalls. I'm really so curious about it all. I'd love to know if it's no big-deal and super easy with the right gear, or if it takes a quite a bit of experience and could possibly face regulation in the future. Or... somewhere in between.

Thanks for sharing.

- Jamal

 

[steve]

So cool. I'd love to see your camera and copter setup.

 

[TJ Sheridan]

Awesome shots, TJ. Very beautiful work. The Devil's Advocate in me has to ask...

Jamal,

Good questions. As with anything, safety is entirely dependent on the person using the tool. Most people drive cars safely, but quite a few don't. Most full-scale airplane pilots fly safely, but a few don't, and sometimes things outside of human control happen that create unusual danger, such as violent weather, or malfunctioning gear. Good pilots avoid flying in inclement weather, and do flight checks to test gear before flying. Same rule applies for good RC pilots.

I've been flying for over a decade, so with my skillset and experience I'm comfortable flying in these locations. But some amateur fresh out of the hobby shop with a multi-rotor and no idea what he's doing could pose a slight danger to anybody or anything he flies around. When I say "slight", I mean that a multirotor won't kill anybody, heck, the motors aren't even strong enough to cut someone. The worst that could happen is a small bruise or bump. Regardless, hopefully people are smart enough to know what their skillset enables them to do and operate their gear safely.

That being said, even if a guy with a small multirotor were to bump into a rock formation at Fantasy Canyon, it wouldn't hurt the formation in the least. It's not THAT delicate. When I said that the formations were delicate, I meant that if people and children decided to climb all over them, some formations could be damaged. A few years back the most famous formation in Fantasy Canyon was destroyed by vandals. I've heard a few people insinuate that it was done by a famous photographer who wanted his most valuable photograph to be immortalized and irreproducable, but most think it was just careless kids throwing rocks or climbing on the formations.

Let me put it this way, I wouldn't encourage friends to have a keg party there, nor would I encourage scout masters to take troops there.

I've been filming wildlife quite a bit this year, and am surprised how calm most animals are around small multirotors. They're not big enough to pose a threat, so most animals will trot at about whatever speed you're flying, which for multirotors isn't very fast, and when you move away, they stop and go back to grazing. If you stop and hold still, most animals will actually approach the multirotor to get a better look because they're curious. But some idiot could go out and chase a starving animal in the core of winter until it exhausts itself, and that would be, in my opinion, criminal activity. The RC flying wouldn't be the criminal part, you could do the same thing on foot or with an ATV or motorcycle or snowmobile or full-scale aircraft. Therefore laws banning anybody from exhausting fragile animals would be logical, but not banning an entire sector like RC out of fear one idiot may do it. If that logic were followed then all vehicles known to man would have to be banned, as would horseback riding and the man himself. As a rule, if I want to film wildlife, I give myself a short window to get a shot, usually 30-60 seconds, and then move away (as demonstrated in the horse shot), so as not to overly fret the animals.

Regulations regarding RC aircraft are currently in flux, the FAA is working with the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) to come up with a new rule set for this type of activity. The problem is that the FAA, which announced it would be producing a rule set back in 2007, has done literally nothing in the past six years, and has just postponed their rule making again for another year. In the mean time the aerial photography & film market has absolutely exploded, with some vendors selling units by the tens of thousands every month. The FAA has put itself in a position where any rules it make may be irrelevant - hundreds of thousands of pilots flying model aircraft with cameras aren't gonna just shelf or throw away their gear. The FAA has no way to police the activity, and few Americans will respect their authority, especially since they never go through the formal legal process of making laws (i.e. legislative proposal, debate, and bill signing). Since 99% of people operating multirotors rarely fly higher than a few hundred feet, and air traffic rarely travels under 1000 feet (unless landing or taking off from an airport), most people see it as a non-issue. There are already laws against flying RC gear near airports. But the FAA claims that any air more than an inch off the ground is theirs to control, and they see it as a threat and want to regulate it. For all their passion on the subject, you'd think they'd have an actual rule out by now, they've had six years to do it. When they finally make a proposal later this year, there'll be more pilots flying RC aircraft than there are flying full scale aircraft, and they'll have a lot more opposition than they would have six years ago.

In the mean time, states and local districts are taking matters into their own hands by drafting local legislation and the majority of states have or are in the process of legislating the activity. Utah has yet to regulate it, but it will eventually if the FAA fails to do so. Some states have passed laws, primarily based on privacy concerns and not safety. The senator for Oregon for instance introduced laws banning it because he "didn't want somebody spying in his bedroom window". To which I say, "stop messing around with your maid or neighbors wife and it won't be an issue!"

There are other laws enacted by other government organizations that prohibit ANY aircraft, whether full-scale or model aircraft, from flying in their jurisdiction - among them are many National Parks such as Grand Canyon, Arches and Zions Park. If you get caught flying any sort of aircraft in those areas without a permit, the fines are steep... several thousand dollars. For that reason, I like to seek out interesting locations on BLM land, where there are fewer people and the areas are designated for recreational activities. Fortunately, Utah has an abundance of incredible landscapes outside of National Parks that would take a lifetime to explore. When I say "would", I mean "will".

TJ

 

[ogdendude]

Through Googling I have found one avid explorer who seems to put exact locations for tons of hard to find places. Of course I have mixed feelings which are also slightly hypocritical. Of course I want to go to placed like Fantasy Canyon, but we also don't want to have it ruined by others. I don't want to stop other people from going there, but I also don't want someone to keep me from going there. I have been able to find just about every location that I have made an effort to find. But some of it took a lot more work than other places. I had never heard of Fantasy Canyon until recently. Looks gorgeous. I didn't know about the mustangs. That just adds to the majesty of it. Excellent post.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I'm surprised you had trouble finding Fantasy Canyon....the BLM has had directions on their website for many years. Right across the road from some gas operations

 

[Howells Outdoors]

I'm surprised you had trouble finding Fantasy Canyon....the BLM has had directions on their website for many years. Right across the road from some gas operations

Yeah "some" gas operations.
Driving through the maze of roads is the fun part of getting there.

 

[TJ Sheridan]

I'm surprised you had trouble finding Fantasy Canyon....the BLM has had directions on their website for many years. Right across the road from some gas operations

Yes, I know that NOW! But when I first learned about the place and tried finding information about it, the photographer (Fatali) who shot the photo that revealed it's existence to me wouldn't tell me the name, so I didn't know what to ask for. When I pressed him about it's location, the photographer said it was in the middle of nowhere, completely inaccessible, and known to only a select few "hard-core naturalists and hikers". I believed him (stupid, I know) and didn't go looking. But it bugged me, gnawed at me, until finally I got on some photography forums and started asking about Fatali's photos and eventually I learned the truth of the matter. Finding it was easy once I knew the name of the place and that it was accessible.

I completely agree with ogdendude about having mixed feelings. Yes it's a wonder and a treasure, and no I don't want it ruined or harmed by advertising its existence. But I also don't feel good about NOT letting interested hikers & nature lovers know about it. The place is a real gem.

That's the reason for posting it here, where I know the backcountrypost members will respect it and enjoy it.

The mine roads are a blast to explore by the way. I spent an entire day just driving around out there looking for whatever interesting bit popped up around the next bend. Endless entertainment in what most would consider a desolate scrap of land. Aside from the horses, I also saw two separate herds of antelope, a desert fox, a lake filled with pelicans, and oodles of weird rock groupings not part of Fantasy Canyon but nearby. I can't wait to go back.

 

[Aldaron]

Yes, I know that NOW! But when I first learned about the place and tried finding information about it, the photographer (Fatali) who shot the photo that revealed it's existence to me wouldn't tell me the name, so I didn't know what to ask for. When I pressed him about it's location, the photographer said it was in the middle of nowhere, completely inaccessible, and known to only a select few "hard-core naturalists and hikers". I believed him (stupid, I know) and didn't go looking.

That's hilarious, because I had a similar experience with his picture of that place! We were at his gallery and asked the lady (his wife, who kept referring to him as "Fatali", which creeped me out) where that picture was taken. She refused to tell us, so I came home and did my thing (see the Survivorman thread for how obsessed I can be...), and figured out where the picture was taken.

I wanted to go back to the gallery and hand out flyers to let people know what and where it was.

 

[NateGeesaman]

That's hilarious, because I had a similar experience with his picture of that place! We were at his gallery and asked the lady (his wife, who kept referring to him as "Fatali", which creeped me out) where that picture was taken. She refused to tell us, so I came home and did my thing (see the Survivorman thread for how obsessed I can be...), and figured out where the picture was taken.

I wanted to go back to the gallery and hand out flyers to let people know what and where it was.

When I asked the lady at Fatali Gallery about his trouble with the authorities at Arches when he started a fire on the redrock underneath delicate arch during a night photography workshop, she said that usually it is only jealous photographers that want to talk about that and he loves national parks and has donated thousands of dollars worth of art work to them. Fact is, he was threatened with a lifetime ban from parks. That guy does take extremely beautiful shots, but the ego surrounding his work makes him a prime suspect to be the A-hole that knocked over the teapot so that his work would be that much more valuable. The teapot is his most prominent photo on his website and a big centerpiece of his gallery. Just a small hunch I have held for a while, I don't know.

 

[TJ Sheridan]

Hahah. Well, it's nice knowing I'm not the only one who was both duped and offended by the experience with Fatali. Whether he destroyed the TeaPot or somebody else, doesn't really matter, there's no proof that I've been able to find either way, so there's no reason to blame him for it. He takes incredible photos, and were it NOT for that teapot photo, I doubt many people would even know about it. He made it famous.

My guess is that they are either trying to protect the site out of guilt for harming it, or out of the honest desire to preserve it, or out of need for self-aggrandizement and profiteering, or a mixture of all those. Whatever the case may be, it prevents people from discovering and visiting the site, which is good for safeguarding the site, but annoying for those of us nature lovers who have just as much right to see and photograph it as they do. When you consider how much devastation has been done to that area by mining operations, it seems like a moot point to overprotect it. Then I think of Goblin Valley and how completely hammered that state park is, being a popular KID friendly destination where the kids are anything but friendly to the terrain... yeah, preserving it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

Best thing to do is inform people who ask about the site, let them know it's fragile, and encourage them to treat it well and that you personally care about it being preserved. That way when they visit, they'll hopefully prevent kids and pets from stomping and climbing all over the formations. Although, if we're being honest, I'm more afraid of rowdy teenagers and target shooters trashing the place.

Anyway, I'm happy that I made it out there and was able to make a film to remember it by, and I'm happy with how it turned out.

So, on to the next film project!

 

[John Fowler]

Your video captured the mystery of this place and, for me, it's better than being there. I have been to Fantasy Canyon, and your gear let me explore the formations from angles that I couldn't see in person. And the music is fantastic as well. I felt a mixture of rapture and sadness seeing the video -- sadness because I will never be able to make something like this.

 

[ZubenElGenubi]

I subscribe to your YT channel, so I already saw it. I think this is your finest film yet. I think it's awesome that you've done just about everything here...built the platform...flew/filmed...edited...scored. I'm very impressed.

I'm in Jamal's camp: I'm very very intrigued by the possibility of having a personal drone to accompany me on destination hikes, but also concerned about regulations and risk (especially the possibility of losing a craft). My brother is an expert R/C flyer and so I know that with experience you have a good sense of limits in terms of time aloft and transmitter distance. But I'd probably lose a quad down a canyon my first try.

 

[pixie1339]

Great video TJ! I keep meaning to get out there, but just haven't done it yet. This was definitely inspiring!

 

[Christian]

When I asked the lady at Fatali Gallery about his trouble with the authorities at Arches when he started a fire on the redrock underneath delicate arch during a night photography workshop, she said that usually it is only jealous photographers that want to talk about that and he loves national parks and has donated thousands of dollars worth of art work to them. Fact is, he was threatened with a lifetime ban from parks. That guy does take extremely beautiful shots, but the ego surrounding his work makes him a prime suspect to be the A-hole that knocked over the teapot so that his work would be that much more valuable. The teapot is his most prominent photo on his website and a big centerpiece of his gallery. Just a small hunch I have held for a while, I don't know.

Nate, that's really interesting that you've thought that. I had a suspicion that that could be the case myself, and when I talked to that lady at his gallery, I pointed to the teapot image and said, "Too bad that's gone now." This is exactly what she said back, "Yes, NATURAL EROSION."

 

[Christian]

I was out there on Sunday, didn't get to spend enough time, but I found the stone wing at the very beginning of TJ's video. It was my second time there, and yes there are more incredible world class badlands other than Fantasy Canyon hidden (and unprotected/ruined) among the gas operations.