At the time I was taking this photograph, I had not yet learned the weather patterns of the Chihuahuan Desert. Actually, I hadn't learned much about Albuquerque at all. All I knew was that a storm was brewing, and bad weather is the time for good photographs. Albuquerque turned out to prove this mantra even more than usual. As I was racing to find a location, a famed New Mexico summer monsoon outpaced me overhead. Most of the precipitation did not even reach the ground, but rather evaporated in middair -- a phenomenon known as virga. As sunset neared, the sunlight reached just the right angle to be filtered by the virga, creating a bright desert double rainbow while simultaneously lighting up the clouds and the dramatic Sandia Mountains bright gold. It was one of the most stunning light displays I've ever seen.

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"Land of Enchantment" is the state motto of New Mexico. It is truly a fitting motto, what with the state's remarkable sunsets, storied history, and phenomenal geology. Truth be told, I came away with many photographs that deserve this same title. There is enchantment around every corner. But if one scene deserved the title above all the others, this was it. As a summer monsoon swept through Albuquerque, I set out with my camera, racing the sunset. I found my vantage point - the base of the dramatic Sandia Mountains - and was just in time for one heck of a light show. The sun dipped below the clouds, and lit up the virga (rain which evaporates before hitting the ground) as if switching on a light. Then appeared the brightest double rainbow I've ever seen, seemingly only a hundred yards away. Combined with the golden foothills and towering Sandias, I felt like I was on the set of an epic movie. It was one of those experiences that sticks with you forever, whether you photograph it or not.

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This giant storm loomed large, dwarfing even the towering peaks of the Sandia Mountains. In Albuquerque, supercell storms such as this are fairly common during the summer monsoon season. The moist warm air rises up from the gulfs that are south of New Mexico on both sides, and collides with the cold dry air descending from the plains to the north. Massive convective storms are the result. I was photographing this storm from a safe distance, watching as the inner details of the cloud showed their form in the changing sunset light. It made for a beautiful sunset, although a bit stormier than I'm used to.

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I photographed this beautiful desert sunset at the base of the Sandia Mountains, right in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This was one of the very first days I was in New Mexico, just driving around, looking for a place to shoot photos. Little did I know that New Mexico would immerse me in phenomenal opportunities all summer long. It's no wonder they call it the Land of Enchantment. The sunsets during the Chihuahua Desert's summer monsoon season compete to be the most beautiful I have ever seen. I thought I was blessed to see a sight this gorgeous on my very first day... but it was really just business as usual!

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This photo was taken from atop of the Sandia Mountains. A beautiful sunset was mingling with a powerful monsoon over Albuquerque, New Mexico. It did not take me long to figure out why they call this the "Land of Enchantment." The beautiful cloud formations of the summer monsoon season, coupled with the sandy desert air, lead to some of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. Not just colorful clouds, like the tropics, but rather scenes where the whole entire vista just explodes with color. I found that here at the Sandia peak was my favorite place to witness the splendor. The panoramic views of the mountains and desert are sure to reveal some stunning atmospheric phenomena somewhere.

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