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Naturally beautiful and complex


Naturally beautiful and complex
Photo Information
Copyright: Japie Venter (japie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-12-03
Categories: Bushveld
Camera: Canon EOS 300D, Tamron 28-300XR, Digital ISO 400, Skylight
Exposure: f/8, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Photographer's favourite, Landscapes of Southern Africa, Storms or Stormy Skies [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-12-05 1:13
Viewed: 6106
Points: 35
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This rainbow was on the way home on Friday afternoon and was taken around 20 km from my home. I have always liked this area and when it was lit up by the late afternoon sun after a rain storm and presented with a rainbow, I knew that I had to share it with you on this site.

Physics of rainbows

The rainbow's appearance is caused by dispersion of sunlight as it is refracted by (approximately spherical) raindrops. The light is first refracted as it enters the surface of the raindrop, reflects off the back of the drop, and is again refracted as it leaves the drop. The overall effect is that the incoming light is reflected back over a wide range of angles, with the most intense light at an angle of about 40°–42°, regardless of the size of the drop. Since the water of the raindrops is dispersive, the amount that the sunlight is bent depends upon the wavelength (colour) of the light's constituent parts.

Blue light is refracted at a greater angle than red light, but because of the light's total internal reflection from the back of the raindrop, the red light appears higher in the sky, and forms the outer colour of the rainbow.

A rainbow does not actually exist as a location in the sky, but is an optical illusion whose apparent position depends on the observer's location. All raindrops refract and reflect the sunlight in the same way, but only the light from some raindrops reaches the observer's eye.

These raindrops are perceived to constitute the rainbow by that observer. Its position is always in the opposite direction of the sun with respect to the observer, and the interior is actually a magnified image of the sun, which can be seen to be slightly brighter than the exterior.

The bow is centered on the shadow of the observer's head, appearing at an angle of approximately 40°–42° to the line between the observer's head and its shadow (this means that if the sun is higher than 42° the rainbow is below the horizon and cannot be seen unless the observer is at the top of a mountain or a similar vantage point).

Similarly it is difficult to photograph the complete arc of a rainbow, which would require an angle of view of 84°. For a 35 mm camera, a lens with a focal length of 19 mm or less would be required, whilst most photographers are only likely to have a 28 mm wide-angle lens.

From an aeroplane one has the opportunity to see the whole circle of the rainbow, with the plane's shadow in the centre.


The camera settings:

Program Setting: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 28mm
F Stop: F/8
Shutter Speed: 1/215 sec
ISO: 400
Tripod: No
Flash: No
Reflective Panel: No
Cable release: No
Crypton, Luc, willie, marhowie, PDP, mumek, RAP, red45, gerhardt, deud, coasties, gazo, Woodymite has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Woodymite: Thanks for the commentsjapie 1 01-19 06:21
To coasties: Pot of Goldjapie 1 12-12 04:57
To PDP: Sky leveljapie 2 12-05 13:51
To Crypton: sujetLuc 1 12-05 08:50
To ellis49: Early riser.japie 1 12-05 04:57
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Critiques [Translate]

Great picture Japie.
I know how difficult it's to get the rainbow.
I think you manage very well.
It's dramatic with the dark sky and the sunny FG.
Very good colours and nice composition.
Great and informative note.
Very well done.
Your are up early like me, my friend.

Bonjour Japie,
la scene est dramatiquement belle ! j'adore vraiment l'eclairage que l'on trouve lors des temps orageux comme celui ci.
le seul reproche que je peut faire c'est que tu as mal appliqué la regle des 1/3 2/3....dans ton cas il semble que le ciel soit de proportion 4/5 et la terre seulement de 1/5. ( je ne sait pas si tu vois de quoi je parle... )
nice shot.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1835 W: 301 N: 4287] (14767)
  • [2004-12-05 9:00]

Great composition here, Japie.
A not easy to take. An impressive greatness gets free of this image.
Great note.
Thanks

Besonders mooi Japie.
A beautiful rainbow and lovely scene to go with it.
Well seen. Good job

Japie, Love this WA landscape view of your countryside & the rainbow nails it! Your write-up is excellent on the physics of rainbows..Reminds me of a similar work-up Gerhard did recently on sunsets. Excellent work!

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2004-12-05 10:59]
  • [+]

I think it is a fantastic shot Japie. It's all excellent although a small clockwise rotation would bring the sky level. However, that doesn't stop me from appreciating this wonder. I'm very jealous you got a rainbow, I want one!


Very good picture and very good note.

  • Great 
  • mumek Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 104 W: 0 N: 180] (853)
  • [2004-12-05 16:47]

Excellent, dramatic landscape.Super colors of the clouds,the mountains and the trees.Very interesting note.

I love the title, it is just what I thought when I saw Gerhardt´s and Luc´s recent shots with rainbows, and followed the links to learn some more. They are magical, I cant avoid being fascinated each time I see one of them... In this shot you got a very unsual fugue line. I shows a fantastic landscape and colours. Very nice post.

Great shot very warm colors.
Well done

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2004-12-06 5:17]

Yes!!! Even without rainbow this shot would be stunning. Perfectly taken landscape with stunning colours and details.

Japie, this is beautifull. Excellent capture. Nice contrast between dark and light. I would have loved to see this in a LP panoramic shot as well. Excellent capture.

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-12-06 6:19]

Un delicada y bella postal sudafricana... si desease enviar algunas por correo este fin de año, te pediría el original para imprimirlos... jejeje.
Perfecta perspectiva, maravillosos colores y el arcoiris de ensueño.
Gracias por compartirla con nosotros querido amigo.

A delicate and beautiful South African postcard... if year end I wished to send some by mail, I would request the original one to you to print them... jejeje.
Perfect perspective, wonderful colors and rainbow of dream.
Thanks for sharing with us dear friend.

  • Great 
  • deud Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 438 W: 11 N: 534] (2540)
  • [2004-12-07 2:42]

beautiful panoramic view!

Very nice shot. I liked the colors and the defferences of light.

Nice colours in this image. Great capture of the rainbow. Great sky. Looks very angry. Did you find the pot of gold? I never have so it's there for the taking! TFS.

  • Great 
  • gazo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 72 W: 0 N: 13] (91)
  • [2004-12-17 21:05]

I love this dramatic scene. Beautifull.
Well done!

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-01-01 8:25]

What a wonderfull image ! great composition + colours + light..

Happy new year Japie !

Hello Japie,
I'm going to set the cat amongst the pidgeons here , so to speak. This picture had the potential for a really great scene, I would have liked to see more of that afternoon, post storm sunshine on more of the countryside while still keeping the Rainbow in view, the top one third of the pic is not needed, the camera should have been aimed lower to include more of the land. Having said this, I think it is still a good pic, but could have been a GREAT photo.
Also the photographers note was very interesting, good job!

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