The Dawn of Flight
Washington · USA
A 90-minute drive from Portland, Oregon, but worlds away...
Crazy man Jeff Chen and I set off before sunrise on a wing and prayer, hoping to catch something special at Trout Lake, a Rorschach collection of serpiginous marshes nestled just outside its namesake town. The light show didn't disappoint, with contrails usually cursed by photographers such as myself lending a dramatic flair to the unfolding scene. Just before sunrise, the light caught the high-altitude streaks while the puffy clouds lower down were still muted in shade. The resulting scene of pristine reflection put me in mind of the graceful wings of an egret unfurling for a predawn flight, a notion reinforced by the crescendoing tapestry of birdsong and bull elk calls emanating from the misty distance.
