Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 150mm f/4
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Ilfotec HC

No matter how many photos of the Grand Canyon you'd seen, or heard about it, or read about it, it will happen: your first glimpse of the canyon will take your breath away.

I got that glimpse little by little. I got to the Canyon almost an hour before sunrise in a very cold morning (4 layers of clothing under my coat wasn't enough for the wind chills) and I promptly headed to the nearest viewpoint.

There was enough light to realize I was in front of something big, very big. But the deepest parts of the canyon were still in darkness so I couldn't grasp the full scale of it.

I took this photo well before the Sun rose just behind me. I needed to do something to fight the cold, and thinking about exposing some film helped me in that battle.

I wasn't expecting much of the photo though. Not only was it dark, but also very hazy.

But I love the result. This image looks almost like a painting, and it's my favorite from that morning, against all odds.

See more images of the Grand Canyon.