Where no crew had gone before.

Hidden deep in the landscape not far from Page, Arizona, Cardiac Canyon is one of the most beautiful slot canyons on the planet – and until now, only Navajo tribal members had explored it’s secrets. The Navajo hired Eminent National Park Photographer Frank Lee Ruggles to be the first to photograph the canyon, and he partnered with us to develop a TV documentary series titled “Knowhere.”  With Frank and his Navajo guide Justin Whitehair in the lead, we set out for the adventure of a lifetime.

This remote and rugged canyon was a challenging shoot – we had only one full day to film the entire episode in the canyon, plus one additional day for interviews with local Navajo. The entrance to the canyon required a steep 300-foot descent to the canyon floor and sections of the canyon required ropes and climbing. The filming style of “live exploration” with an on-camera host and Navajo guide required additional equipment and setup time, but we had to move fast – we needed good audio, stabilized cameras, lights, reflectors, and drones. Some of the most beautiful sections were so tight that each person had to turn sideways to squeeze through – but these were also moments we wanted to capture for the episode. Shots had to be scouted and equipment shuttled ahead or behind to get the angles, and dialogue adjusted on the fly to make sure the complete story would be told.

After a long exhausting day, we exited the canyon as the sky grew dark, knowing we had an amazing story of discovery to share with the world.