Especially a WILD cave?

Taking stunning photos inside a cave is usually as easy as taking out your cell phone. Most modern cell phones have strong enough low-light settings which make it easy to catch the cave’s good side. It can be a little tougher to include yourself in the photo since our formations are carefully and artfully lit, and you standing in front of them are not. It’s a problem we usually solve by encouraging guests to use their flash or a second phone with a flashlight on to add your own spotlight.

The Cathedral Room's colors are significantly more visibile thanks to the new lighting on the Hidden Wonders tour at Natural Bridge Caverns
The Cathedral Room’s colors are significantly more visibile thanks to the new lighting on the Hidden Wonders tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

But when you go into the wild parts of the cavern system like our expedition team there are no multi-million dollar lighting systems showcasing the formations. Plus in our cave there is so much mud, it can be tough to get a clean shot (pun intended).

Muddy boot in the foreground of photo while two cavers look at a pool lit with a bluish light.
From a recent expedition to the Dome Pit. Note muddy boot in the foreground.

Fortunately we’ve worked with amazing professional cave photographers that have traveled the world capturing these incredible dark places and they’ve shared some tips and tricks for catching images deep in the dark underground.

Caver on rope
WildCat Expedition – Descending into the Cave to recover ancient wildcat bones. photo by Chris Higgins

Chris Higgins (https://www.instagram.com/chrishigginsphoto/) has captured stunning images on several of our expeditions and we’ve noted several key techniques:

Stunning pool of blue water in the wild area of the cavern is in the foreground as a caver stands in the background.
Stunning pool of blue water in the wild area of the cavern is in the foreground as a caver stands in the background. Photo by Chris Higgins

First you have to bring in lights. We carry in LED panel lights that are battery operated and capable of varying “warmths” which is rated on a Kelvin scale (fun article on that topic here). We also have smaller lights that can be placed under water which is critical to get a shot like the one above.

Caver descends into pool
Travis Wuest jumps into the pool at the bottom of the northern passage.

Next you have to be an experienced caver to recognize cool moments that are there to be captured like this descent into a watery area. Having an artist’s eye for framing a shot helps too, with enough light to capture the splash, the dark cave and shadow drawing your eye to the action and another caver in the background for perspective.

Cavers exploring
Brad Wuest watches as T. Dexter Soechting descends from the entrance squeeze into the room.

Next you need patience all the way around. Setting up lights takes time and getting everyone in the perfect position isn’t always easy. When you can “see” what isn’t quite there, you still have to paint (and repaint) the scene with light. Having a deep understanding of your camera’s capabilities is critical.

Skill, experience, a patient crew, and a beautiful cave. That’s all it takes! Curious about the wild areas of the cave? We do lead adventure tours through parts of it – learn more on our website.

Here’s a few more of our favorite shots from the wild areas in our cavern.

Searching for cave critters in the upper passage in a wild cave section of Natural Bridge Caverns
Searching for cave critters in the upper passage in a wild cave section of Natural Bridge Caverns
Flowstone and pools at the end of the northern formation passage.
Flowstone and pools at the end of the northern formation passage.
T. Dex Soechting among the sodastraws and stalactites in the northern passage.
T. Dex Soechting among the sodastraws and stalactites in the northern passage.
Caver and fossilized bones
J Morettie examining wildcat bones in Natural Bridge Caverns during Wildcat Expedition