#00306, Parched Pelican

It was a particularly dry summer in 97/98 and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands took it hard. At the time I had never seen the lagoons anything less than full, but when I drove past this time I noticed that the lake beds were not only dry but totally parched with huge cracks.

I returned the next day with my camera intending just to get a photo of the patterns in the dry mud. Luckily (for me at least) there was a dead pelican smack in the middle of the lake bed.

Shooting directly against the light does make it more difficult to keep detail in the bird but is by far the best way to bring out the patterns in the mud.

Jerabomberra Wetlands, ACT

Technical: Tachihara 5x4 field camera, 210mm, 1/2s, f64
Keywords: parched pelican dry summer 97 98 jerrabomberra wetlands lagoons lake beds cracks camera patterns mud dead shooting bird jerabomberra large black white landscape wildlife abstract crack