Landscape Photo Competition 3 2012 : Entry Number 79

Stormy weather and shifting light have made this work. This is a photograph that can’t be planned in advance, infact it could easily have been missed altogether. We have all witnessed fleeting scenes like this and the frustration of not having a camera ready at hand. Here the photographer was there and ready, with camera, when the critical moment came. The pressure was on! The exposure is spot on, the depth of field too, and the composition is strong, capturing one of nature’s amazing displays with not one, but two rainbows... before it all disappeared.

I love the dark sky and bright sunny spell which give this image it’s power, but also the way the grass seems to lean forwards into the picture, inviting us to wander beneath the rainbows. A beautiful fairy tale photo which almost made the top spot. Well done!

The picture was taken in Abruzzo, Italy in late May 2010 preparing for a photo workshop in the area. After seeing the rainbows from inside the car, I had to race to a spot where I knew that a composition would work and get the equipment out of the car and even change lens. The rainbows faded shortly after, so I was lucky. The picture was taken with a Canon 1Ds mkIII and a Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II lens. Postprocessing was done in Lightroom. Hans Kruse, www.hanskrusephotography.com