Nature photographer Kevin Ebi remembers getting the shot that appears on the Postal Service’s upcoming Haleakalā National Park stamp.
Ebi was driving up Haleakalā to scout photo locations when heavy rain turned to hail.
“Then something amazing happened,” Ebi recalled. “The hail turned into a light drizzle. Sunlight poked through a tiny hole in the ominous cloud. And a rainbow dipped into the crater.”
He managed to get a few shots before the hail resumed.
Ebi wasn’t satisfied with the pictures, so he waited for additional opportunities to shoot the rainbow. Six brief windows presented themselves during the next 90 minutes.
“My favorite image — and the one that is used on the stamp — was taken during the next-to-last window. It was also the briefest opportunity. I was able to shoot only a single frame before the rainbow vanished,” he said.
Ebi is honored USPS chose the heavenly photo for the stamp, which will be one of 16 on a National Parks sheet dedicated June 2.
“National parks take us into a different world, a world of jaw-dropping scenery and experiences that are dramatically different from our daily lives. This image of Haleakalā is both to me,” Ebi said.
