Sunshine and showers equals rainbows

We know that the weather can be fickle, but equally unpredictable and exciting. Last week I headed off to Cumbria to catch the autumn colours before they were literally blown away by the arctic winds. One of the most wonderful natural weather phenomena is the rainbow and sunshine and showers create the perfect recipe. Heading up Loughrigg Fell at sunrise the light was clear but the weather was threatening. During a period of persistent and variable showers I was fortunate to find myself in a nice spot to photograph rainbows looking down the Langdale Valley towards the Langdale Pikes. The sun rising in the east met the rain in the west to create great arcs of ephemeral prismatic light.

At first sight of a rainbow there is always a momentary panic as one worries about the choice of lens, how to protect the camera from getting too wet and ensuring the polarising filter is secured to record the rainbow colours at their best. Sometimes rainbows are all too fleeting a phenomena, but I was fortunate to have time to record a number of pictures as the showers blew in and out and the sun shone strongly.

 

Rainbow over Skelwith Bridge, Langdale Valley, Cumbria

Rainbow over Skelwith Bridge, Langdale Valley, Cumbria