February 2, 2006 Rainbow at Elam Bend (McFall, Missouri)

Elam Bend ^ | February 2, 2006 | Dan Bush of Albany, Missouri.

[ckilmer]

February 2, 2006 Rainbow at Elam Bend (McFall, Missouri)

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On this day a rare February Rainbow was seen here in Northern Missouri at sunset. This rainbow was visible over much of the area and was noticed by many people. It was seen as a partial bow in some areas and completely full and even double in others depending on where the rain was falling. The photos on this page were taken at the Elam Bend Conservation Area near McFall, Missouri.

My heart leaps up when I behold A Rainbow in the sky: - William Wordsworth

As I pulled the truck up next to one of my favorite trees I looked over my left shoulder and there sat the most vivid rainbow that I had ever seen. It appeared to me to be about a 100 yards away or maybe even closer. I was unable to get a great shot at first. I couldn't get out of the truck with the camera because it was still raining fairly hard. I didn't want to get water on my lenses. This is my first shot. I can't remember whether it was taken in the truck or standing outside. Due to the low altitude of the setting sun the red color of this rainbow was more vivid than the other colors. Notice that the colors of the secondary rainbow are opposite in order of the primary rainbow colors with red appearing on the inside of the bow. Also notice that the sky inside of a rainbow is much brighter than the area outside. For more information about rainbows go HERE.

This is a close-up of the photo above. It shows the apparent close proximity of the right flank of the rainbow. That tree line is about 1500 feet away from me as measured on an aerial photo. I have never seen a rainbow this close before other than one created by artificial sources of water such as a garden hose or sprinkler. NOTE: No pot of gold was found as a result of this event.

A fisheye lens view of the rainbow including the old tree near the road. The hill behind me put part of my surroundings in shadow. This was my first ever shot of a complete rainbow. No other camera or lens that I have ever owned was capable of taking such a shot where both flanks of the rainbow were seen all the way down to the ground. As an added attraction this was a double rainbow.

This is a photo of the left flank of the rainbow. The rain had moved beyond the tree line at this point. These tall trees are on the southern bank of the Grand River as it runs to the east near Elam Bend.

I moved closer to the tree with the fisheye lens for this composition. The secondary rainbow is still there but is disappearing fairly quickly.

As the rain moved on and the rainbow dissipated the view was still picturesque to the east. Notice that a small portion of the rainbow (primary and secondary) is still visible on either side of the tree paralleling the trunk..		A ghostly red hue lit up the landscape as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

My final shots were aimed south and west where the light from the setting sun was still shining up onto the cloud deck.. The clouds were at times almost mammatus in appearance.

Above are two views of the old tree with the sunset behind it. This ended my photo sequence for this evening.

This is a summertime view of the same tree at Elam Bend shot in 2005. The name "Elam Bend" is a place name that describes the bend in the Grand River that occurs here. The river has changed its course in this area including a major shift as a result of the flooding in 1993. This area is also listed in the book Geologic Wonders and Curiosities of Missouri as a "shut-in" where the river valley narrows considerably with bluffs very near the river.

All photos taken with a Nikon D70 Digital Camera. Photos taken by Dan Bush of Albany, Missouri.

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[ckilmer]

Great pics

[GSlob]

Rainbows look juicier through a polarizer filter on the camera.

[cvq3842]

Beautiful! Thanks for posting!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I recently acquirted a Canon 20D digital camera with a 1.4 lens. I'm still learning all it can do.
Your Nikon is great!

[Captain Rhino]

From Genesis (KJV):

9:8 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9:9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
9:10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
9:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
9:14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
9:15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
9:17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

The bow in the clouds is, of course, the rainbow.

[swmobuffalo]

Great pictures. Thanks for showing a natural "Missouri" wonder! And your photo proves that there is no pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, (unless you took it and didn't say anything!)