Summer Photography at the Grand Canyon
Summer 2025 was unforgettable at the Grand Canyon National Park—but not for the reasons any of us expected.
On the Fourth of July, lightning ignited a wildfire only 3.5 miles from the developed area on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. What came to be known as the Dragon Bravo Fire began burning slowly at first, but on July 10th, strong winds pushed it, changing its behavior and accelerating its growth. As the fire advanced across the Kaibab Plateau and towards the lodge, the National Park Service was forced to evacuate visitors and non-essential personnel and to close the entire area. Roads, trails, viewpoints, and the historic Grand Canyon Lodge were suddenly inaccessible.
By the end of Saturday, July 12th, the fire had grown to 5,000 acres and destroyed 50-80 structures, including the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, after exhibiting extreme and volatile fire behavior. The fire continued to burn throughout July, August, and well into September. Finally, on September 29, 2025, the fire was listed as 100% contained after burning 145,504 acres. Fire suppression costs on that date reached $135,000,000.
For many of us, the loss of the lodge and the cabins was especially painful, representing generations of memories tied to the North Rim.
During that time, I was honored to contribute to an article for National Geographic, sharing my perspective on the Dragon Bravo Fire and the loss of Grand Canyon Lodge. It was an opportunity to help document not just the facts of the fire, but the emotional weight carried by those who know the North Rim intimately—as a place of refuge, history, and quiet connection.
At the same time, July and August were already on the calendar for photography workshops. Over the summer, I ran four Grand Canyon workshops, partnering with Sean Parker on two of them. While the monsoon season was quieter than usual, the canyon still offered plenty—subtle light, slow-building clouds, smoke-softened horizons, and moments that rewarded patience and presence. The conditions were different from what we might hope for in a classic monsoon year, but they revealed a quieter, more introspective side of the landscape.
What stood out most during those weeks wasn’t just the light or the weather, but the people. Each workshop was filled with thoughtful, generous photographers who shared a deep appreciation for this place. Many arrived as participants and left as friends, and those shared mornings and evenings along the rim remain one of the most meaningful parts of the summer for me.
As the season progressed and fire activity eased, I was finally able to return to the North Rim later in the year. Standing there again—surrounded by a landscape forever changed yet still unmistakably itself—I made some of my most contemplative images of 2025. Smoke softened the light, silence lingered in the forests, and the canyon offered a quiet reminder of resilience.
This gallery reflects a summer shaped by fire, community, and adaptation—a season of altered plans, meaningful connections, and the enduring beauty of the Grand Canyon.
A double rainbow arcs into the shadowed depths of the Grand Canyon, where cliffs plunge into darkness and light dances across stone. In the distance, golden sunlight filters through passing rain, illuminating Zoroaster Temple in a radiant glow. From Yavapai Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
On a summer day at the Grand Canyon, layers of ridges stretch into the distance, their silhouettes fading into soft hues of blue and gray. At the heart of the panorama, Angels Gate rises like a sentinel, anchoring the vastness in quiet majesty.. The view reveals the canyon’s immense depth and scale, where light and atmosphere combine to create a scene of timeless beauty.
The Palisades of the Desert glow in the warm light of late afternoon, their sheer cliffs and rugged formations catching the sun’s golden rays. Viewed from Desert View on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the layered stone is bathed in rich color and shadow just moments before sunset, revealing both the immensity and the intricate textures of the canyon walls.
As the sun rises, warm light spills across the Grand Canyon, illuminating the silhouette of Vishnu Temple with radiant color. Layers of cliffs and buttes fade into soft tones of orange, pink, and violet as the sun breaks the horizon, revealing the vastness and depth of the canyon in a scene both majestic and serene. From Yaki Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Clearing storm light bathes the Grand Canyon in a painterly glow as a light rain drifts through the depths. A solitary pinyon pine anchors the foreground perched on the canyon's rim, while golden light crowns Isis Temple in the distance.
As the sun sets, the last touches of golden light grace the upper reaches of the Grand Canyon as the depths of the canyon settle into blue shadow. Viewed from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Along the Rim Trail, resilient pinyon pines frame the Grand Canyon at sunrise, their twisting branches reaching toward the light. As beams of sun spill into the canyon, the trees stand as living witnesses to the passage of time, rooted in stone yet ever reaching skyward, a reminder of life’s persistence against the vastness of the land.
Viewed from the South Rim, the canyon takes on a painterly quality as afternoon sunlight scatters through the atmosphere, softening the cliffs into subtle layers of light and color. In the distance, the Colorado River reflects the light as it winds through the depths of the canyon, continuing the slow work of carving and shaping this vast landscape.
Sunrise from Yaki Point paints the Grand Canyon in brilliant golds and reds. The first light sweeps across the cliffs while the wind stirs through the trees and across the rocks, carrying the morning into the depths of the canyon.
After a day of monsoon storms, and as sunset approached, a gap in the storm clouds briefly opened, allowing warm sunlight to spill through, painting the Grand Canyon landscape of countless ridges and buttes in golden light.
Partnered with Sean Parker - night sky - Milky Way & star trails - Starry Landscape Stacker & StarStaX
North Rim fire - Dragon's Breath collection