Gold Canyon

Yesterday myself and fellow NPN member Evan Olson made a trip up to the grand canyon in hopes to catch some dramatic monsoon action. The forecast called for a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms until 11pm. It looked promising on the way up, and by the time we arrived our hopes were getting a little stronger. About an hour and a half before sunset all the clouds that were over the canyon had moved to the east and some to the south. I realized we weren't going to get a stunning sunset sky full of color, but I know what the light can do in the canyon without cloudy skies. I saw this composition and knew there could be a chance to get some really nice backlit scenes. I took a couple exposures to make sure there was no flare, and was so attracted to the way the canyon just disappeared into the light. After the sun had set, I noticed some flashes off to the east and was able to get a couple lightning shots to end the evening. Comments and critiques appreciated.

Canon 7d
Canon 17-40mm @40mm
ISO 100
f14
1/10 sec
Tripod