Week 1: Light Refraction

We've all seen light reflect and bounce off of objects, including clouds. But when the clouds start to act as a natural refracting agent, it is arguably one of the most beautiful sights to take in. My first photo was taken from a bus in Yellowstone in June. I woke up from a nap to see white light separated into beautiful cotton candy colours drizzled over the cotton candy clouds. Of course, no photograph could ever capture the real beauty that mother nature creates. Sky porn.

This second photo was taken at Corona del Mar State Beach in August. I was at the beach with my sister to celebrate her break up and have a girl's day. Being female and not wanting to wet our hair before going out to get drinks, we decided to lay out on our towels instead of playing in the water. As we looked up, we both turned and asked each other, "Do you see that rainbow?" "Yes, I see it." in unison. I pulled out my phone and decided to try and see if the rainbow would come out in a photograph, or if it would be drowned out by the sun. After two attempts to snap a photo, I gave up. I couldn't see the screen on my phone and it seemed that what I saw couldn't capture the entire circle of the rainbow surrounding the sun.

When I got home approximately 7 hours later and slightly intoxicated, which is totally cool because I'm 21 and have been since January, I found this picture on my phone and immediately posted it on social media and sent it to my sister. The lighting that day can never been recreated, even by a photograph, but this is the closest thing I have. And to think it didn't exist and find out hours later that it did was exciting that I could at least keep a live image in my archive. And being intoxicated might have helped my excitement.