“Winter Plants, Fog, and Bird” — A solitary bird perches in wetland plants on foggy winter morning.
Winter is the time of fog and migratory birds in California’s Central Valley. But once again and all too soon, we are approaching the end of that season. Orchards are blooming and temperatures are rising, and in a week or two the migratory geese will be on their way north again. The thick tule fogs will give way to the clearer skies of spring.
This photograph comes from a visit to the Valley back in January, on a day I chose precisely because it was going to be foggy. It turns out that I got too much of what I was looking for — the fog never cleared, and in the murk I could not find many of the birds I came for. Instead, I photographed the quiet and mysterious landscape.
“Winter Fog and Trees” — Thick tule fog in a thicket of trees, Central Valley.
TWinter is the season for migratory birds in California’s Central Valley, and I try to get out there as often as I can. This region is also the site of extraordinary tule fog — frequently thick enough to make driving quite challenging. My ideal day of bird photography In the Valley starts with early morning fog that begins to thin after dawn. But sometimes the fog does not thin.
This was one of those persistently foggy days. I could hear birds around me, but I could rarely see more than a hundred feet or so into the murk, so bird photography was not happening. That’s my signal to revert to landscape photography, and fortunately the fog produces a moody and mysterious effect on the landscape.
“Receding Desert Ridges” — Desert ridges recede into the distance, Death Valley.
The desert is a fine place to photograph basic geological forms and effects of light. At first glance this may appear to be a monochromatic photograph, but it is just that the colors are so soft and subtle, being muted by the desert atmospheric haze. That haze is also responsible for the lighter tones of the distant mountains — an effect known as “atmospheric recession.”
Now, weeks after I made the photograph, I can only recall the location in general terms. It certainly was not an iconic spot nor a location where most people would stop. But these patterns speak to me, and I’m fascinated by the conjunctions and relationships of lines and by the layers of tonality in a such scenes.
“Dormant Wetlands Plants” — Dormant and dried wetlands plants reflected in the still water of a quiet pond.
My first “real” visit of the season to my favorite migratory bird photography location did not go as planned. (Actually, I did stop briefly a month ago and a half earlier, but things were still slow back then.) I was hoping for luminous tule fog and lots of geese and sandhill cranes. Instead I got thick gray elevated overcast and fewer birds than expected. Ah, well, it happens… and when it does I look for something else to photograph.
This is one of the “something else” photographs. This area is full of shallow seasonal ponds, and when they fill the summer’s plants still emerge from the still water and make fascinating reflections. For this subject the very soft light from the overcast worked well and revealed a more of the plants’ details.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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