Cliffs and Canyons, Carved Layer by Layer

Cut by rivers

Water cuts down faster than it cuts sideways, so river canyons are deep, narrow and steep. The packs below show the result at very different scales:

• Steep Deep Limestone Canyon: 206 photos of the Gorges du Verdon, often called the largest canyon in Europe, shot from the rim and from below, with panoramas. 6000 × 4000, Sony Alpha 7.
• White Cliff River: 435 photos of the Rangitikei River in New Zealand, where sheer walls reach 80 metres. 250 photos cover the river and cliffs, and 185 the farmland around them. The river appeared in The Fellowship of the Ring. The Hobbit Cliff Walls pack (133 photos, Taranaki) shows the limestone cliffs where the Trollshaws scenes were filmed. See our Lord of the Rings locations page for more.
• Steep Rocky Gorge: 676 photos of a deep New Zealand gorge, plus 22 photos with kayaks on the river and 3 short video clips. The kayaks give you a true sense of scale.

Cut by rain and time

Where there is no big river, rain and wind shape the walls slowly. The Clay Cliffs of New Zealand's South Island are sharp pinnacles and ridges, 5 to 50 metres high, made of gravel and silt laid down by glacial rivers 1 to 2 million years ago. Rain keeps washing pebbles into the narrow ravines between them. The pack has 493 photos and 3 Full HD video turnarounds.

The Red Sandstone Arid Canyon in Kazakhstan (336 photos) shows dry red walls that work for a Wild West town or a hostile alien planet. For the same idea from the air, Prehistoric Canyons has 278 photos of red canyons on Kauai, Hawaii, mostly from a helicopter in early and late light, at 7360 × 4912.

Walls with a pattern

Some cliffs are worth painting for their surface alone.

• Tasmanian Painted Cliffs: 621 photos of Triassic sandstone with curving red and brown bands, shaped by millions of years of erosion.
• Fossilized Shells Cliff Formation: 264 photos from Maria Island, Tasmania, of a cliff made almost entirely of marine fossils. It breaks off in thick slabs that pile up at the base.
• Dark Canyon: 496 photos of grey rock in the Grampians, Australia, split into a wide canyon with tall walls (293 photos) and a narrow passage you have to squeeze through (203 photos).

Cut by people

Not every canyon is natural. The Sluicings Canyon in Otago, New Zealand (153 photos) was created by gold miners who washed away the land with water to reach the gold. The Ochre Eroded Overgrown Quarry in France (100 photos) is an abandoned ochre quarry known as the "French Colorado". Both are useful when your scene needs a landscape scarred by mining.

For the smaller scale of individual boulders, see rock reference photos. For sea cliffs, see coastline reference.

Frequently asked questions

How do I show the true height of a cliff in a painting?

Include something of known size: a person, a boat, a tree or a road. The kayak photos in the Steep Rocky Gorge pack and the farmland in the White Cliff River pack are good examples. Telephoto shots also help, because they compress distance and make the wall feel taller.

Do any packs show canyons from above?

Yes. Prehistoric Canyons was shot mostly from a helicopter, and the Verdon pack includes views from the rim. For more aerial landscapes, see our mountain reference page.

Can I use these for a cliff in a film or game environment?

Yes. Every license is royalty-free, covers unlimited projects and never expires. You can also build your own 3D models and textures from the photos. If several artists in your studio will use the packs, choose a Small Studio or Large Studio license.