Arizona
Read More
"Sunrise at Mather Point" - Grand Canyon, Arizona
I had never previously been to the Grand Canyon, so during my first photo expedition to Arizona in February of 2006 (at the time I was living in Cape Cod, Mass.) I made plans to visit the South Rim at sunrise. I checked-in to my hotel in Flagstaff at midnight and checked out 5 hours later.
Arriving at the Rim just before sunrise, the morning was very windy and cold - temperatures were well below freezing in the single digits. Wearing multiple layers with hand-warmers in my gloves and shoes, I set up my camera and tripod and waited for the sun to appear above the horizon.
Surrounded by a surprising number of spectators also braving the cold, I watched as the warm light from the sun slowly started to touch the highest peaks in the Canyon. It was an incredible sight seeing it for the first time. First one peak would light up, then another, then another. All the while the continuing brightness of the morning slowly and steadily increased giving more and more detail to the valley below.
Watching the Canyon awake and come to life quickly made me forget about the cold that morning and also went a long way in helping my decision to move to Arizona - a move made some nine months later.
ArizonaGrand CanyonGrand Canyon National ParkMather PointSouth Rimlandscapesunrise
