Keepers of the Horizon

About this piece

Two pelicans face the camera from a weathered waterfront railing, their dark wings and pale breasts set against luminous water. The horizontal sweep of timber and sea balances their upright forms, while a small red sun punctuates the softly graded sky.

The story

I framed the two pelicans with enough space between them for the water and sky to remain part of the encounter. Their broad feet rested on the worn timber, and their long bills pointed down against pale breasts. Beyond them, the sun was a small red circle near the horizon. What held my attention was the contrast: the delicacy of that distant light and the solid, unceremonious presence of these two birds.