Marsh, Geese, Autum Tree. San Joaquin Valley, California. December 9, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Geese take to the air beyond an autumn tree in San Joaquin Valley marshlands on a foggy morning
These Central Valley wetlands are not just where the birds are. The total experience they provide includes the migratory and other birds, but it also includes light, atmosphere, sound, and much more. And virtually none of the elements is static — each undergoes transitions on a daily or seasonable schedule. I thought about all of this once again as I started visiting this autumn, beginning a bit before the “winter” birds arrived and while the lingering effects of summer were still felt back in October. My latest visit was a month and a half later, in early December, a time when winter and fall elements seem to overlap for a while.
I usually arrive before dawn, in near darkness and often in foggy conditions. The first impression of these landscapes, aside from those associated with the fog, are usually aural. I finally finish my two-hour drive, turn off the car, get out, and hear the wild, exuberant sound of thousands of birds — geese and (especially!) cranes and more. At this point the transition from night to day is already underway, and I quickly begin to work the light of this time of fast-changing light and conditions. On this morning it had been clear, but low fog began to form just at dawn. Perhaps an hour later one of my favorite morning conditions began — that period when the low sun just begins to overpower the low fog, shedding soft but strong light on close subjects but still allowing things in the distance to retain a muted and soft appearance. Beyond this autumn tree in that first light, geese that had settled onto this pond overnight began to rise up and fly away.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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