Photo of the Year 2010 - Lois Settlemeyer, Camas, WA

From Lois:
Title: Eagle in Flight with Nature's Illumination
Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: Tamron 17-50 mm
Manfrotto Tripod and ball head
Exposure: 1 sec.
Aperture: f6.3
ISO: 100
Location: Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Tribal Park, Page, Arizona

The Navajo call Antelope Canyon "the place where water runs through rocks". The force of flash floods sculpt and carve the sandstone into slot canyons of awe inspiring patterns. As the sun moves directly overhead, shafts of sunlight bounce and reflect from the narrow canyon walls changing the dark red sandstone into a vibrant spectrum ranging from deep purple to azure blue, burnt orange, and gold to brilliant yellow. Airborne dust particles provide the opaque reflectance in the shaft of light.