as i watched an ominous storm cloud approach from the northeast, i felt a sense of dread. the previous day’s sunset light had been snuffed out by the rain, and with half an hour until sundown, it was looking like it might happen again. the sky was full of dark clouds, but the cloud that drew my attention looked particularly menacing. the way it hovered over the valley, it reminded me of an alien mothership from the movies. tendrils of rainfall dropped from the massive cloud as it spilled over the cliffs. It seemed to grow as it moved, filling the valley on its way toward my position.
but when it’s storming in yosemite, there’s always a chance of magic. the cloud was just moments from enveloping me in rain, when a hint of light started to peak through to the west. a faint rainbow faded into view. as i rushed to reposition myself and ready my camera, the light intensified, and suddenly the rainbow glistened brilliantly in technicolor.
rain drenched me as i photographed the spectacle. i let out an excited yawp. what a scene! all around, a ceiling of gloomy clouds, but to the west, a glowing beam of golden light shone through. it felt like yosemite valley was one big, dark room, and someone had cracked a door open to let in a sliver of light.
a minute later, the storm cloud enveloped everything, and the light was gone.
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storm rainbow, yosemite national park. photographed march 2024. single exposure.
Scott Oller (@scottoller ) submitted this amazing mountain image into the 2025 NLPA and took home runner-up in our Mountain special award. This was an instant favorite amongst the judging panel.
In Scott's words:
"I love the thrill of watching the sunset from high on a remote mountain, knowing that a long descent in the dark awaits. This distant view of Cloud’s Rest, framed by a glowing ridgeline, caught my eye with its vibrant colors and angular lines."
illilouette veils, yosemite national park. the base of this waterfall, at the top of the illilouette gorge, is a difficult to reach & seldom-visited spot that is full of photographic possibilities. visiting in autumn when the flow of the waterfall was weak, i found this delicate interplay between rock & water.
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photographed october 2023. single exposure.
Scott Oller (@scottoller ) submitted this wonderful image to the 2025 NLPA, which was highly commended in the Abstract Landscape category by our judging panel and got a lot of love in our live final judging session. Every single judge and co-founder said something to the tune of "wow, I wish this was my photograph!" That pretty much says it all!
Nice work Scott!
In his own words:
"I visited a towering waterfall, far off-trail up a seldom-visited gorge in Yosemite. Most of the waterfall was in shadow, but a ray of light met the mist in just the right place for a shimmering rainbow to appear. As I photographed it, the prismatic spray drifted from side to side in the wind."
