Rainbows are created by sunlight passing through droplets of moisture at a particular angle. The mist of a great waterfall is an ideal setting for this optical phenomenon. The rainbow that forms at the base of Yosemite’s spectacular Bridalveil Fall creates a delightful mix of primary colors that can best be expressed when the image is underexposed. I made this photograph from the top of Yosemite’s Tunnel View lookout point, several miles away from Bridalveil Fall. We knew the rainbow would appear in Bridalveil’s mist – we just had to wait for it to happen. This image is one of my favorite landscapes. It is as if a giant liquid crack has opened in the earth, revealing a trace of fire in the thundering fissure.