When I left work it was obvious something was going on above. I kept looking up as I made the one hour drive home. I grabbed a very quick bite to eat. Then the camera and went down to Ricketts. Ricketts seemed like an ideal choice given the lack of time (it's only 35 minutes from home) and because there are often pools of standing water. Pools can reflect the sky. As it turned out there was far less pooled water than on previous visits. That limited choices. But I'm happy anyway with the composition and thrilled with how the sky came alive a few minutes after sunset. I don't know how many of these we'll get in a lifetime. But this would be one of the better ones for me. What a blessing to be out on a beach / marine sanctuary on a perfect 22 degree evening. And not alone. At least six gorgeous Pelicans and three beautiful Black Swans were out enjoying the show. I wished I could fly to and fro like the Swans.
Six Pelicans in heaven ( shot with the iPhone - no edits )
A wider view ( handheld iPhone pano - no edits )
A three minute exposure at sunset ( with an ND64 filter and a graduated ND8 filter )