White Pelicans, Evening Sky. San Joaquin Valley, California. January 1, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A flock of white pelicans curves below winter evening clouds
When photographing out in the San Joaquin Valley on late-autumn or winter early mornings and evenings, we are usually very attuned to the sky and cloud conditions. It isn’t always obvious. On some evenings the sky can be quite hazy, even dismal. But that thick haze can work like a scrim on a theatrical set, and when the light appears behind and above it, the sky beyond can be magically revealed.
On the spectrum of skies from drab to flamboyant, this one might best be described as subtle. It was not the kind of neon sky that is almost unbelievable in its intensity and brightness, but there were many layers running in various directions, and subtle effects of color did appear. At just this moment when the sun was just below the horizon, too low to cast direct light on us but still lighting the bottoms of the clouds, a curving ling of white pelicans passed overhead.
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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