Jul 9, 2014

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Rainbow Brite. Rain-Blo bubble gum. LGBT pride. Italian peace flag. Double rainbow euphoria. Roy G. Biv. Gateway to gold. No matter the point of reference, rainbows have a way of capturing the imagination and bringing about a sense of wonderment.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day and the rainy season, Baltimore Sun director of photography Robert Hamilton provides a few tips for photographing the meteorological phenomenon. As for finding that pot of gold, we can’t help you there.

: Rain from a fast-moving front result in a double rainbow in a view looking southeast from a parking garage above the Merritt Athletic Club Tuesday, Jul 8, 2014. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)

: A rainbow is seen over the Domino Sugars sign. (Justin Fenton/Baltimore Sun Staff)

: A rainbow appears over Camden Yards during the middle inning of Baltimore’s game against New York June 28, 2013. (Gene Sweeney Jr./Baltimore Sun Staff)

: Clouds and a light rainbow hang over the ballpark as Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott stands at the plate just before he hit a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers on the night of Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters’ debut in front of 42,704 paid fans at Oriole Park at Camden Yards May 29, 2009. (Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore Sun Staff)

: A portion of a rainbow rises above the Black Soldiers statue that looks out to War Memorial Plaza June 28, 2013. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)

: A rainbow reaches from the sky beside Corpus Christi Catholic Church near Maryland Institute College of Art on Mount Royal Avenue following a late afternoon storm June 23, 2008. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)

: A portion of a rainbow rises behind the Shot Tower June 28, 2013. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)

: Late afternoon sun showers on New Year’s Day, 2012, brought a fleeting rainbow above the Johns Hopkins Hospital campus. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun)

: Nasser Lee, 7, of Baltimore leads his older brother Najee, 8, through the misting tent that produces an afternoon rainbow in the summer heat during the first day of Artscape July 16, 2010. (Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore Sun Staff)

: Patrons check out a rainbow outside David’s in Hampden June 28, 2013. (Photo by Steve Ruark/The Baltimore Sun)

: A rainbow adds a dash of color to a drab sky over the landscape of the Forest Hill Industrial Park as the sun pops back through the clouds after a brief but heavy rain Feb. 18, 2014. (Baltimore Sun Media Group)

: A double rainbow enhances the sky over Bel Air near Econ Drive May 11, 2013, after strong storms rolled through the area. (Baltimore Sun Media Group)

: A rainbow is seen after heavy rain over the Aurelia high road in Gavorrano near Grosseto in Tuscany, Feb. 14, 2011. (Giampiero Sposito/Reuters)

: A rainbow is seen in the sky after a heavy rain outside Tampa, Fla., Aug. 27, 2012. (Getty Images)

: A passenger ferry navigates past the Sydney Opera House, as a rainbow is seen in the sky on a sunny winter afternoon July 31, 2013. (Daniel Munoz/Reuters)

: Sheep graze close to electricity-generating wind turbines as a rainbow is seen in the background on July 26, 2010 near the northern German town of Husum. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)

: A rainbow is seen over the Savoy Hotel and the Shell Shipping and Trading Company in London Jan. 31, 2014. (Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters)

: A paratrooper from Chosen Company of the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry photographs a rainbow toward the end of a helicopter assault mission near the town of Ahmad Khel in Afghanistan’s Paktiya Province July 16, 2012. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

: A double rainbow appears after a heavy monsoon over Nipton Road in Searchlight, Nev., July 13, 2012. (Gene Blevins/Reuters)

: A Nepalese man takes a photo of a rainbow with his mobile phone as it stretches over the horizon near the Kathmandu Domestic airport in Kathmandu on Feb.16, 2014. (AFP/Getty Images)

: A rainbow and lightning come together as the sun casts shadows on the buildings in Kuala Lumpur on July 1, 2010. (Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images)

: A rainbow is seen after rainfall with the backdrop of Bashantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu Sept. 29, 2011. (Reuters)

: A rainbow is seen over the skyline in Havana, Nov. 7, 2011. (Desmond Boylan/Reuters)

: A rainbow is reflected in a fountain on the river Alster, on April 1, 2013, in Hamburg, northern Germany. (Markus Scholz/AFP)

: A rainbow appears as a pedestrian crosses one of the Golden Jubilee Bridges in London Jan. 31, 2014. (Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters)

: Tottenham Hotspur and Doncaster Rovers players run on to the pitch as a rainbow arcs over Keepmoat Stadium before the Carling Cup second round match between Doncaster Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur on Aug. 26, 2009 in Doncaster, England. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

: A rainbow appears as coffee plants are irrigated in a farm in Santo Antonio do Jardim Feb. 7, 2014. (Paulo Whitaker/Reuters)

: People gather on Copacabana Beach in front of a partial rainbow during New Year’s Eve celebrations on Dec. 31, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

: People gather on Copacabana Beach in front of a partial rainbow during New Year’s Eve celebrations on Dec. 31, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

: A rainbow at Avalon, N.J. — a popular destination on the New Jersey coast. (Handout photo)

: A rainbow is seen over the Union Building, where the body of former South African President Nelson Mandela was lying in state, in Pretoria Dec. 12, 2013. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters)

“There are no real magic tricks for taking pictures of rainbows. Each situation is different, determined by atmospheric conditions and general weather patterns. If you get lucky, it will appear behind a darkened sky, which will allow for the colors to appear more saturated. Occasionally, a polarizing filter may help increase color saturation, as well. Composition can be the key to a successful image. Putting the rainbow in context to its surroundings gives the picture added dimension, increasing the viewer’s interest. The one big tip is to use a tripod. Keeping your camera steady will give you a much better chance of an in-focus image. Nothing is more frustrating than to get the perfect rainbow in the best setting and ending up with a fuzzy picture.” – Robert Hamilton

For some inspiration, check out this full spectrum of rainbows from around the world. Then go chase your own.

Capturing rainbows around the world (and in Baltimore)

Leave a Reply Cancel