IMGP8028.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

Yes, we actually have one here. It's usually late summer/early fall. Storms roll through in the afternoons and evenings followed by clear skies and a low sun. Perfect! This one is on the W Mountain Ranch near the airport. I shot it with my widest lens, a Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 fisheye. The perfect tool to fit all of this into the frame.

If you want more, here are all my photos tagged with the word rainbow on Flickr.

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IMGP3094.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

Hartman Rocks is dry. A bit too dry even, but the transition from ski to mountain bike was smooth and instant this year.
It was a nice evening out there last night with some great storm clouds rolling through the valley.
This shot is from the Top of the World trail looking North at a spot I've taken photos before.
Pentax K-5 & da40

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IMGP2748.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

I had to stop and take this from the roadside at the Colorado National Monument. Storms rolled through the Grand Valley all day and this one was was especially well defined. When I saw I could use some canyon walls to lead to it I had to go for it. I'm glad I did.

Those storms complicated our intended camping trip but didn't keep us from having a great time on a mini family vacation.

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IMGP8987.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

I was mountain biking on Saturday which is odd for January around here and I brought the camera as I often do. Near the end of the ride I was thinking I should have just left it at home because the light was no good and I was getting tired and cold. Then suddenly the light broke through and illuminated this squall over Gunnison and having the camera became very worthwhile! I forgot about being cold for a little while and got these photos before a very brisk ride home reminded me.
Sadly the storm didn't give us any significant much-needed snow, but it was enough to enjoy a little skiing at Monarch the following day.

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IMGP9975.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

I shot this a few weeks ago on July 18 when I posted my last lightning shot. What's interesting about this one now is I discovered another photographer across town (which is about a Mile away here) got a picture of the very same bolt from much closer. His is up close and personal!

Flases of Brilliance on FLickr by Ryan C. Wright

I guess in a larger community it might not be that noteworthy but in our town of 5000 or so I thought it was pretty cool.

Nice shot, Ryan!

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IMGP9955.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

Caught some good lightning from the porch last night. A powerful storm rolled through and I just set up the tripod on the covered porch taking shot after shot of 10-15 second exposures. I got three decent lightning captures and I think this is my favorite.
Pentax K-x & DA15 Limited, f8 ISO 100 10s

Edit to add: I was flipping through all the photos on my camera and it looks pretty cool so I made a short time lapse video here. For some reason I can't embed the video into this post. I should probably upgrade my blog platform...

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IMGP9869.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

I can't help but think of double rainbow guy. Shot with my 8mm fisheye and cropped.

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IMGP9575.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB.net.

I thought I might get wet or threatened by lightning on this ride, but I had to get out there. The light was surreal and I only got some light rain on me and distant thunder rumbles. I put fewer miles in than I was planning but took a lot more photos than usual!
The evening sun, wet landscape, and dark stormy skies add to to some really nice photo conditions. The firm tacky trails made for great mountain biking too!

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IMGP4655.jpg, originally uploaded by MattB (somedudeus).

I spent the weekend with a good group of people taking the AIRE Avalanche Level 1 course near Crested Butte. It was certainly an interesting weekend for it because we got several feet of snow. So there was lots to study and many changes going on in the pack as we did our field work.

Much of what we learned was review for me but it was nice to be able to formalize this information and and refine/practice my techniques for evaluating snow and safe travel in avalanche terrain.

If you are a backcountry skier, rider, or just want to know how to stay safe in avalanche terrain, I highly recommend this course and Crested Butte Mountain Guides who taught and developed this internationally recognized program.

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I've been wanting to get a good lightning shot for a while. Tonight I got it from my porch with a 10 second exposure and my K-x/DA15 combo. Woo-hoo!

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