
I’m often asked what I feel is the best photograph I’ve ever taken of the Grand Canyon. I waste no time in answering “O’Neill Butte Rainbow.” Every photographer has a shoot after which he or she will proclaim, …”I never have to take another picture again in my life.”
This was that moment for me. A monsoon storm had rumbled through Grand Canyon Village, pushing east just before sunset.
The most intense rainbow I had ever witnessed could be seen arcing across the treetops of our tiny community. “If it were visible over the canyon,” I thought to myself, “this would surely be a sight to behold.”
I grabbed my cameras and made a beeline for Mather Point. As I pulled into the parking lot a double rainbow was elongating overhead, and began spilling into the canyon. The multi-hued bows lingered for half an hour, leaving onlookers stumbling around speechless in a giddy trance. I used every roll of film I had, and every frame was a keeper. This image is available as a matted print on my website.