Magical ‘end of the rainbow’ is found by photographer on Outer Banks. ‘It was huge’
A couple visiting North Carolina’s Outer Banks found the end of the rainbow this week, and the fabled spot where dreams really do come true filled the horizon.
Michael A. Eager says the surreal weather phenomenon was so vast, it could not be captured in one frame by his camera. He posted a photo this week on Facebook, where it has become a hit among photography and Outer Banks groups.
It shows the sky was literally raining brilliant colors.
“My rainbow’s end is on Hatteras Island. It was huge, but probably because it was right in front of me. The side you see (in the photo) is the left side,” Eager told McClatchy News.
“It came down from the clouds, and hung out for about 10 minutes while I scurried around trying to capture it in new ways. It came back two separate times, but nothing compared to the the first time.”
Eager and his wife, Tracy, live in Delaware and were visiting Pea Island that morning in hopes of photographing a glorious sunrise. Instead, they got three straight days of rain, he says.
“Anxious to get out, we went even though the sky was ominous. Sure enough the rain came again,” Eager said.
“It directed us to the car, with cameras tucked under our shirts. Just as we started opening the doors, the rain stopped. (We) watched that rainbow come down from the cloud on the sound side. It almost formed right in front of me. Completely awestruck, we fumbled for our cameras.”
Eager and his wife are amateur photographers who have spent many days chasing sunsets and rainbows. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and says he had never been to the beach until he met Tracy.
They have since made a hobby of visiting beaches “from North Jersey down to the Outer Banks.”
He says they will soon move to the Outer Banks from the Delmarva Peninsula.
The barrier islands are considered a photographer’s paradise, due to weather extremes. This includes cyclones and massive waves. The beaches are also known to provide panoramic views of odd phenomena such as water spouts (tornadoes over the ocean) and fire rainbows (rainbows shaped like clouds).
