Monument Valley Sundown

Yes, that is the actual color of the rocks.

As the sun set on Monument Valley, the rock towers and spires that had been so impressive all day exploded in color.

To capture this shot, I returned to the park at closing time. We weren't far - just down the road at Goulding's Lodge, where John Wayne and John Ford headquartered during the making of "Stagecoach" and many other iconic westerns.

We had spent the day on a wooden bench in the back of a pickup driven by a Navajo guide, who took us to some amazing places.

But we were on his schedule. Now I could sit and wait until the photo came to me.

Most of the time, when you shoot sunsets, you look west. For this shot, I wanted the view to the east as the last rays climbed the mountains and the shadows filled the valley.