January 2024 Photo of the Month: SNT433

My January 2024 Photo of the Month is SNT433, taken during a beautiful afternoon here in Santee, California.

SNT433 Background

It is time to get back to my Modern Equivalents images.  I have always loved clouds, and always loved creating cloud images.  When I first started a portfolio for these photographs, I assumed nobody would like them.  There is some of that, but some friends and colleagues have also expressed support.  But I create this work for me, and what my peers think of them is not what I have in mind during their creation.

After some mild Santa Ana conditions which brought on deep Winter days approaching 80 degrees, we finally had some actual weather come in.  With that, come the clouds I love the most.  These were leading-edge clouds, ahead of the main storm.  While people often look for clearing storms (for good reason!), leading-edge clouds can also be beautiful and dramatic.

This image also featured a plane and two birds riding thermals in the afternoon, making for some interesting study.  At this scale, their size and strength are indistinguishable.  Of course, we know the metal bird is large and sturdy, if not fragile were it to impact anything but its wheels.  And to the right, are two beautiful and delicate birds, part of a large Class (Aves) of animals that survived more than one mass-extinction event, hearty enough to outlive the dinosaurs.  This contrast is thought-provoking and interests me.

As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the image.

Further Viewing

Photos of the Month Portfolio Archive

Modern Equivalents Portfolio Archive

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tmschultze

T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.