Sandhill Cranes and Tree, Tule Fog. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A flock of lesser sandhill cranes in a wetland pond in front of a solitary tree in winter tule fog.
Sometimes the way that photographs come into existence seems strange. We put a lot of effort into doing all the things that increase the chances of success — practice, learn technique, develop our ability to see, take care to have the appropriate equipment, go to the locations where photographs are possible, time things correctly, and more. All of these are efforts, I think, to diminish the role of chance. Or, perhaps giving ourselves a bit more credit, steps that increase the odds that we’ll be able to take advantage of good fortune when it comes to us.
The series of recent photographs of sandhill cranes in fog is an example of this dynamic. They certainly involved all of those controllable factors that I listed in the previous paragraph. But I can’t help but acknowledge what it means to create a series of photographs from, literally, not more than a few minutes (perhaps a half hour?) in one spot on one particular morning. Aside from the fact that I knew it was possible that I’d find a scene like this, it was not exactly predictable. The weather could easily have been different, the birds could have been elsewhere, I might have chosen a different day to be there. Yet, on this morning it came together and this series of photographs was the result.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email
Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.
Scroll down to leave a comment or question.
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
California’s Central Valley has some “interesting” weather patterns this time of the year. It tends to get a lot colder at night than areas closer to the coast. If it gets into the 30s or 40s near the coast, it can get down below freezing in the interior.
And the tule fog brings its own special weather. Some winters it can just linger for a week or longer — I’ve heard stories of up to a solid month of it. Unlike coastal fog (which tends to bring moderate temperatures) it is often associated with cold weather. I’ve seen the low twenties on some such mornings. And the temperature just sits at those levels until it clears. I was out there yesterday and it was 37 degrees when I arrived a half hour before sunrise… and four hours later it was STILL 37 degrees!
Dan
Yikes!! I was thinking the temperature was in the 50s! Thank you for enduring the chill so that we can all enjoy the beauty!!
Thanks, Len. Happy New Year to you and yours, too!
I’m hoping to have a chance to photograph these wonderful birds again in the new year.
Dan
Dan, a great set of sandhill crane images . Well seen and captured.
All the best for the New Year, may it be a happy and healthy one.
Thanks, and Happy New Year to you, too!
Typical temperatures when I arrive in this and similar locations would be around freezing — somewhere between mid-20s and mid-30s most often. On these foggy days the temperature stays pretty cold until the fog thins, so it might not make it into the 40s until late morning.
And it IS a damp cold! Since I often end up standing around in these conditions I usually have to dress very warmly!
Dan
Happy New Year to you and yours! Thank you for a beautiful year of photographs! Just curious as to what the temperature was during these expeditions.