Rainbow at Elam Bend - Missouri

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 .


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. notice that the sky inside of a rainbow is much brighter than the area outside


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.


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.


Above view 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.