• Andrew Wyeth.

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I have always heard the term “chasing light” concerning photographers. If I’d be honest, I have to say I never quite understood the term. If anything, I would think photographers are like the people waiting at the arrivals section of an airport waiting/hoping for the light to arrive. But on a trip to Monument valley in 2014, I finally had a first-hand experience of how the term came to existence.

We planned a thanksgiving holiday trip to Monument valley and managed to get hotel accommodation pretty cheap. So we decided to stay till the last day, wake up super early, and drive straight home. Due to the distance we have had to cover, and this meant starting even before sunrise. We woke up as planned to very overcast and cold conditions. Some time into the drive, suddenly, I noticed the beginnings of a fantastic sunrise in my rearview mirror. We did a quick search and decided to head to Grand Canyon National park’s west entrance to take advantage of the incredible colors on display that morning.

The closest viewpoint would be the Navajo point coming from the east, and we decided to head there. Throughout the drive, we had the colors right on our tail. We managed to get to the viewpoint with minutes to spare. The temps were in the -20 range with heavy winds. After parking the car, I ran the short trail to the outlook point. Once I reached my destination, I realized that I forgot my gloves. But once the color show started, none of it mattered to me. It was mesmerizing with fantastic pastel colors to match that of the canyon walls. After about 10 minutes, I lost all feelings on my fingertips and reluctantly decided to leave satisfied, watching one of the best sunrises I have seen in my life. It was my first experience chasing light or being chased by light.