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..
 
 

Shown above are two summertime views of the same tree at Elam Bend shot in  2005.  The tree has suffered much damage since the image was taken due to harsh winter ice storms.

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 recently including a major shift as a result of the flooding in 1993.  As of 2010 the river has changed its course again cutting off much of the "bend" in the river leaving an oxbow lake.    One thinks of geologic change occuring over the span of thousands or even millions of years but it is amazing to see the geology and geography of this area change before our very eyes in such a short time frame.

The area just to the south of the tree 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  field near the bend in the road.  The shooting range that sits against the hill to the south of the tree was not there when I took the rainbow photos in 2006.  The Google Map should be centered right on the tree.

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.

Back in 2009 I was even accused on national New Zealand television and the internet of stealing one of these images from a woman in Auckland (3rd image from the top).   I was shocked that this happened.  Needless to say I filed a formal complaint about this.   They have since removed the video that claimed that I stole the image and admitted that I am the rightful owner after viewing my evidence.  I received quite a bit of hate mail accusing me of plagiarism and theft because of this story.  My brother summed up the irony in the whole mess by pointing out that they (TVNZ) used my photos without my permission in order to do a news story about using someone else's photos without permission.

The woman in the TVNZ story offered no proof at all that she was the owner but I was able to provide over 10 pieces of evidence to them including the items below:

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 proof of early publication: Missouri Conservation Magazine, page 2
4. I have proof of early publication: Spaceweather web site.  Do an archive search for February 18, 2006

This issue has been resolved.  Please see these findings of the New Zealand Broadcasting Authority:  CLICK HERE