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 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.  The image below is my first shot of this rainbow.  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.

The picture above is a close-up of the first photo.  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.

Above is 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 above.  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..

Above is a summertime view of the same tree at Elam Bend shot in  2005.  The name "Elam Bend" is a descriptive place name that describes a sharp bend in the Grand River that occurs here.  The river has changed its course in this area several times 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.  You can see the area including the tree using the Google map link shown below.   The tree appears as a black dot in a tan colored field near the bend in the road.  The map should be centered right on the tree.  The tree has suffered much damage since the image was taken due to harsh winter ice storms.

Rainbow over Mt. Zion Church 2009
Rainbow Near Conception, Missouri
 

Popularity and fraudulent claims:  The photos that were taken on this evening have become very popular on the internet. These rainbow  images have been used hundreds if not thousands of times on the internet for personal and commercial purposes without my permission.  I have received thousands of requests to use the images, especially the ones  taken with a fisheye lens, in various projects.  One image was even spread throughout the web in a "chain letter" type e-mail.  I did not start this e-mail.  Visits to this web page and other Missouri Skies pages of mine have soared into the tens of millions since these shots were taken.  This has brought with it both good and bad experiences for me.

Unfortunately I have been accused by a woman in New Zealand and New Zealand Television of stealing one of these images from her.  The image in question is the third image from the top taken with a fisheye lens.   The woman says that she took the picture on the road to Raglan, New Zealand a "couple of years ago".   Television New Zealand TVNZ even did a news story on a consumer affairs program called "Fair Go" in November of 2009 detailing this woman's story.  The photo that is the center piece of the story is my photograph but they even show my web site "Missouri Skies"  and my name as the person that stole it.  It was pointed out to me that they even showed a second view in one of their shots (5th photo from the top of this web site showing the tree at a closer distance).  My brother points out the irony in the whole mess by noting that it is interesting that TVNZ used my photos without permission in order to do a story about stealing photos. The story can be viewed here providing that the link is not broken: NEW ZEALAND STORY.   I appreciate the overwhelming show of support regarding this matter.

All that I can say is that I have more than 10 ways that I can prove that I took the photo.  The woman in the story offers no proof at all.

1. I can show the exact location including Google map evidence:  Google Map of the Area
2. I can take you back to the exact place in this video: YouTube Video of me at the tree
3. I have Additional photos of the exact area and scene taken the same day as the image in question: Rainbow at Elam Bend
4. I have taken photos of the scene during different seasons.  Some even prior to 2006.
5. I can prove the exact date, time, and camera data  using EXIF data from my images
6. I have proof of Lens/Camera combination plus proof of purchase of lens and camera
7. I have full image proof.  The photo that was claimed to be stolen by the woman was a crop.  I have the original large version.  Does she?
8. I have proof of early publication: Missouri Conservation Magazine, page 2
9. I have proof of early publication: Spaceweather web site.  Do an archive search for February 18, 2006
10. I noticed that if the woman accusing me of theft took the photo on February 2, 2006 then the season in the southern hemisphere would be summer.  Why no leaves on the trees?
11. I have found a major error on TVNZ's part showing two different versions of the rainbow series instead of one shot as claimed by the woman.
12. I can access weather records from the national weather service proving the rain that day.