A Volcano, a Rainbow, and a Spirit in the Clouds

Photographer

Melissa N. Robertson

Category

Fine Art Photography - Landscape

Company

Melissa N. Robertson Photography

Submission Group

Professional

Year

2026

Country / Region:

United States

What an event I got to witness on June 1, 2026! The record-breaking 48th eruption of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawai'i (USA). I drove two hours with my young son to see the lava sputtering from the ground before sunrise, but when we arrived at 4:45 a.m., to our happy surprise, the volcano was erupting! We glued our eyes to this magnificent wonder of nature. The volcano sent out roaring rushes and grew higher with each one. As the sun broke the horizon, it was beginning to rain. The sky behind the smoke and volcano became another point of interest as a rainbow began forming. It was a brilliant sight! In this image, taken at 6:29 a.m. Hawaiian time, I notice what looks like a spirit in the clouds, almost as if the angels themselves wanted to see this once-in-a-lifetime event. The figure only lasted a few seconds in my back-to-back photos, but long enough to keep my mind wondering, "Just who from Heaven came to view nature’s glorious morning event?" Do you see it, too? "

Credits

Melissa N. Robertson Photography
Melissa N. Robertson
More Gold Winners
Professional
2026

Photographer

Natalya Pyrogova

Category

International Photography - Portugal Photography

Country / Region

Portugal

Professional
2026

Photographer

Derry Ainsworth

Category

People Photography - Culture

Country / Region

Hong Kong SAR

Professional
2026

Photographer

Marcel van Beek

Category

Fine Art Photography - Nature

Country / Region

Germany

Amateur
2026

Photographer

Russell Trozera

Category

People Photography - Couple

Country / Region

United States