With no GI add a light or two slightly lighter than the canyon medium color that reflect upwards from below to simulate light bounce within the canyon itself.
the sunlight is red orangish and the opposite light blue … though for a better recreation you might even end with a tri light environment here.
there are rather good tutorials and articles on the web on how to fake real lighting in rendering, especially those from earlier days when renderers in 3d modelling weren’t as powerfull should be of good use and interest to you
Also if there is only one light and no gi, you can just reduce shadow intensity to get a similar effect. I sometimes do that for quick and dirty renders