First rain. Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Hi all. The drought is broken! I took this shot last Sunday, the crops are in and we have our first day of rain for quite some time. We have had the driest December and January on record. Though only a week ago I can see the fields getting greener by the day as I cycle to work and from work. I suspect now that the rain has started it won’t stop until we are knee deep in mud ;-).

I bought out the colours in the rainbow by using a polariser and applied a virtual ND filter in PSP liven up the fields a little.

The tree in the field to the left of the row of power poles is the Pear Tree from a couple of posts ago.

Enjoy, Paul.

Matthew-Watt, ribeiroantonio, siolaw, AiresSantos, Photo65Net, drweizy, danos, sway, kiwi_explorer, Docarmo, edytungkal, jafadabret, emjleclercq, josepmarin, jhm, plimrn, Scharan, trekks, scobert, aloyho trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

ayansadhu (1499) 2008-02-16 21:15

excellent capture of the rainbow along with the golden light...well composed & good exposure too :)

siolaw (25800) 2008-02-16 22:20

Hi Paul
Yes, it does look quite dry around there! Rain is a must for agriculture... but too much is also not good! Nice double rainbow with good colors, beaming down from this dark, dramatic sky... the ground is a bit dark, but that is only natural, with such a thick cloud cover!
Greetings
Laurent

joshy (313) 2008-02-16 23:41

Hi Paul,

Your picture shows very beautiful rainbow. But the description gives the dimension of better rainbow in the mind of local peoples when they got rain after long summer..
Very good composition FTS

Joshy

AiresSantos (42624) 2008-02-17 0:31

Hi Paul
Great moment in the first rain, beautiful rainbow bery well captured.
Excellent definition and depth
TFS and have a nice Sunday
Aires

Matthew-Watt (4467) 2008-02-17 0:33

Hello Paul,

I would have run down to get the pot of gold for sure, use it to buy a new camera. Like how the patch of ground around the 'base' of the rainbow is brightly lit while the surrounding countryside is a lot darker. It will be good seeing more shots of this area as the grass becomes greener. The mention of the pear tree is good so we can put into perspective the placement of one of your previous good shots. I miss NZ; I look forward to a revisit.

Matt

pablominto (41084) 2008-02-17 0:38

Hello Paul,
This is an interesting view of North Island countryside!
Typical late summer colours, probably enhanced by the draught this year, but still something to feed on for the cows...
The rainbow brightens the landscape!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Photo65Net (43096) 2008-02-17 1:01

Paul,
Superb landscape !
You caught beautiful depth, with of cours so nice rainbow.
Regards,
JB.

jaywalker (12242) 2008-02-17 5:30

Hi Paul, Glad to see you back, a lovely view across this plain, the rainbow is excellent & adds great & welcomed colour, very well composed with great depth, kind regards Wilson.

drweizy (333) 2008-02-17 8:38

nice landscape, very nice note, i can feel your mood at that time must be like the rainbow. TFS
The climate maybe really changed these years. In warm south China, last month this year, heavy snow lasts many days, many people there may be have not seen so heavy snow until last month. But in cold north China, like Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, etc., very less snow than ever in the past 2 monthes.

danos (32956) 2008-02-17 11:45

Hello Paul,
has the drought reached up to the New Zealand? As i see the rainbow is raised in the sky.I like this landscape view with the fields to spread in the entire scenery.The pale light and colour make the capture interesting.

Regards,Danos

ribeiroantonio (21957) 2008-02-17 14:16

It is a very clear rainbow as we can see all the colours. It is good to know that the rains have returned to the region. Do not worry about the mud. We need the rain. Well done.
Antonio

UnTrained (0) 2008-02-17 22:27

Hi Paul,
what a luck about the rain and what a luck that we can see the rainbow of that first rain since a long time. Wonderful view over the landscape in the light of the rainbow. The ground looks a bit dry in its brown colour.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

robertosalguero (110) 2008-02-17 22:59

Hello Paul,

The rainbow is a nice element in this image. I am really attracted by the organized landscape and hills in the distance. Your image is very good because you found a high spot to compose it. The colours seem natural and the shapness is excellent. Thanks Paul.

Roberto

sway (360) 2008-02-17 23:44

HI Paul,

The rain was a welcome sight, even for us town dwellers!

Love the colours in the rainbow and the browns of the fields. they contrast nicely.

TFS

Sue

Giorgio (8750) 2008-02-18 0:25

- Splendid, it is rare to have such a good definition of the colors, it was necessary to be there, right at the good time, you did not let pass your chance, bravo, Paul!
giorgio

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2008-02-18 0:29

Hi Paul,
I bet the farmers were having a good celebration at the pub after the recent rainfall. The rainbow is a good symbolism ... wonderfully captured. The contrast in the landscape is fantastic. Well composed with good image quality. Excellent work! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

Docarmo (8844) 2008-02-18 7:14

Hi Paul,
Fantastic rainbow in this vast territory. Sunlight in the background gives a good contrast to the dark foreground.
Very well done!
Thanks for sharing,
MCV

gracious (20017) 2008-02-18 8:55

Hello Paul,
Looks like we need as much rain as possible now to overcome the drought!
beautiful landscape photo with a nice rainbow, good displayed of light and shadows in the captured!
well done and take care
best regards
Tony

testmaniac (12254) 2008-02-18 10:39

Hi Paul, very nice photo and great and colorful rainbow.

TFS

Philip

jmdias (19649) 2008-02-18 16:36

paul

the landscape is almost without colors and cause this our eyes go to the rainbow. Very nice light, the strip of color is like a trace made by a giant pencil

hugs

jorge

edytungkal (4519) 2008-02-18 23:04

As i always said that captured the rainbow always a special moment and i waiting for that. We have the opposite weather, its raining since december until now, almost everyday in grey sky. Back to your picture, despite not on full rainbow, i really enjoy this colourful rainbow above the huge interesting landscape. Nice shot Paul, tfs

daniel

jafadabret (40075) 2008-02-19 4:02

Paul, c'est un paysage magnifique avec les champs qui ont été moissonnés. L'arc-en-ciel sur ce ciel encore chargé de nuages fait une percée remarquable. Bonne gestion des lumières et des couleurs.
Jacques

Clementi (44761) 2008-02-19 13:17

Ciao paul ,
fantastic raimbow,
well composed & good exposure ,
i like the odor of the first rain .
good job
Giorgio

emjleclercq (14414) 2008-02-19 14:25

A very nice rainbow to put some color in this very clouded view. But I also like the pattern of the fields and hedgerows.

All the best,

Emmanuel

giorgimer (21370) 2008-02-19 14:37

Hi Paul,

very beautiful lanscape, the rainbow is perfect. The sinuous road in the FG adds interest.

Well done!

Gio

danyy (69223) 2008-02-19 23:41

Bonjour Paul,
un magnifique ciel sombre bein coupé par cet arc-en-ciel bien lumineux et coloré, joli contraste.
Les lumières au sol sont agréables.
Regards.
Daniel.

josepmarin (33955) 2008-02-20 1:15

Hi Paul,
You have caught skilfully the aesthetic effect of the double rainbow dominating the image of this landscape, in which it seems to smash on having fallen down from the clouds of a gray and stormy sky.
Good work in PP to give a great result in the colors and in the luminosity of the photo.
A splendid composition.
Best regards,
Josep

Graal (58445) 2008-02-20 2:37

Hi Paul,
beautiful landscape with the rainbow, fine captured time and place, good POV. Well done photo. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

jhm (83073) 2008-02-20 4:08

Hello Paul,

A double rainbow to the sky, the one very strong and the second with a light colour.
You play very well with light and shadows and also a wonderful panorama view.
Quality and sharpness are superb.

Best regards,
John.

plimrn (19688) 2008-02-20 6:10

Hi Paul,
Rain after a drought is a real joy; the rainbow is a perfect celebration. You used your polarizer very effectively, the colors are bright and true against the deep cloud detail. I also like that hint of the second arch. HLJ, Pat

Scharan (13955) 2008-02-20 13:10

Olá Paul

Como a água não aparece, o arco-íris parece brotar da terra e acho esse efeito bem interessante; suas cores ganham mais vida contra um céu acinzentado. Parabéns.
GA
Vera

emilbo (9535) 2008-02-20 15:54

Salut Paul!
Belle prise de vue et excellente composition. Toujours beau à voir un arc-ciel après la pluie et surtout avec le soleil qui éclaire l'arrière-plan à droite. J'aime bien les champs séparés par des rangées d'arbres et d'arbustes.
Félicitations!...
Emilius

MarcT (21103) 2008-02-21 0:59

Hi Paul,
Beautiful double rainbow. It's good you're finally guetting some rain. Everything is stil brown on this picture.
Cheers
Marc

trekks (14332) 2008-02-21 2:32

hi Paul

Splendid rainbow strike across this sky and over such a wonderful landscape view. Very well done.

Your high angle of shot is well chosen. From a tall building or roof?

TFS, bill

ahmetgedikli (22032) 2008-02-21 13:48

Hi Paul,
Wonderful lanscape...
Great composition, light and colours...
Really good job!
Best regards,
Ahmet

crckt (7090) 2008-02-21 21:27

Hi Paul,
This is an awesome shot! The rainbow has added a lot of drama, the contrast and clarity is excellent too..
Well done.
Regards,
Shaeri

jmcl (14037) 2008-02-22 18:27

Hi Paul,

You found a wonderful point to shoot the rainbow from .. great composition .. very thoughtful against the parched landscape .. beautiful .. very nice.

take care,

John

Angshu (33963) 2008-02-26 0:46

Hello Paul
Beautiful how you captured the rainbow, actually two of them. Like the play of light as it hits part of the scene, while the rest is dark. The road creates a good perspective. Very good depth & nice colours for this vast landscape. Well done!
Regards
Angshu

Dyerco (9212) 2008-02-27 21:59

Hi Paul
You caught the rainbow very well. it is well placed in the scene. The slight under exposure helps to bring it out.
Phil

hoorge (1434) 2008-03-04 11:45

Great job, Paul. What a good find The rainbow definitely did justice to this picture.

evanrizo (456) 2008-03-05 1:10

Hi Paul, a wonderful, a really wonderful composition, double rainbow, the fields and the road on the right makes it very amazing.
The illumination gives the superb-right atmosphere.
Cheers
Evangelos

scobert (5333) 2008-03-11 14:36

Hello Paul,
This does indeed look like a parched landscape. It reminds me of the desert in Nevada during the dry season. You captured a beautiful double rainbow which acted as a good omen for the end of the drought. I have never associated droughts with New Zealand, but I always learn new things on Trek Earth. I hate droughts and I am glad that this one has been broken! Beautiful photography!
Stan

aloyho (6109) 2008-04-11 6:07

Hi Paul,
I really enjoyed this rainbow and have wished to see a bit more of the other, but I guess it is about composition. I am not sure how it is interpreted in NZ but people here always say that the clearer one is male while female is a bit shy. I also like the distribution of trees here which showed your careful selection of the scene. Well done!!

Regards and a great day ahead. Thanks

Stepan (27175) 2008-05-06 0:24

Never that one before !?
And I do enjoy the brown tones of the ground. And the snake road is lovely too... An interesting scene, with the rainbow as extra interest.
Stéphane