We saw the cloud roll in. At first it seemed like fog, then a brown cast became subtly visible. Looked again minutes later and the whole world had changed. If I had any idea this was about to happen, I'd have started shooting way earlier.
Normally the wind comes from the west. In southern california they call these easterlies Santa Ana Winds, here traditionally they're called El Diablo. To historic local tribes the words kinda mean the same. They are winds that come the wrong way and last year caused the historic devastation all over norcal.
Hoping to get on the roof of the new building I raced to the job site. Everyone between the office and the car had to make a comment about the camera I held, and while I love talking with locals, this time I really wanted to go. I
The tree line on the east side of the job site is what I wanted to catch. While I was driving the five minutes it seemed the colors were changing by the minute.
The scissor lift was already up, and I didn't want to wait for them to bring it down. Mostly because I didn't really know what kind of shot was available up there and time seemed critical. I wanted to head towards the oak tree. We have a client who wants a film print of a single oak--the lonely tree on the hill--and we've been trying to find the right tree. But I had to get a couple before heading for the trees.
The lighting was so low I needed to crank my ISO to 1600 and I could still only shoot around f4. Despite it being 2 pm. Like the longest eclipse ever.
Took a couple of the building itself, but I figured that wasn't where the magic would be so I didn't really stop.
I dropped the aperture to 2.8 to make sure the shutter could freeze the images, recently I had again shot a few that proved out of focus and didn't want to make the mistake again. Probably should have grabbed the tripod from the van but I first thought of it when I was super far away.
This (below) is the shot I was looking for, but as I kept heading north, the images kept changing all over. The hills kept filling more of the frame, I felt I had to keep going quickly because the light was unpredictable to me. I really wanted to be everywhere at once.
To get one shot, necessarily I was missing another. Choices...decisions, its all very hard.
As I kept heading north, everything just kept getting even farther out of this world.
For an hour it seemed no matter where I pointed the camera, every angle was truly incredible. They say the fire was an hour away but it sure seemed just over the hill.
We study all this science to try and predict and explain but I'm still mystified after all these years by freak events like what happened yesterday.
All images ©ramsayphotography
canon Mark II, 16-35 2.8, no filters
November 8 2018.
Hi @voder, thank you for sharing the photos, although we love to see the photos but please stay safe as well. I didn't know the effect so great that it turn the sky color and it look scary.
The situation now under control?
The fire that sent the smoke in the photos seems to be controlled as of right now, apparently there are some doozy situations south of here though. We're in a town of 20 000 people, and they can usually protect places like this okay, although with the winds changing its pretty hard to know what is coming where. Last year whole neighbourhoods nearby burned with no notice. Every part of the world has risks associated with its environment, tornados, floods, or in this case, random fires.
Thanks for your concern. We're pretty good here because a courthouse and a cop shop are nearby and those never burn. This year when the fires were potentially threatening our town, we got the 747 water bomber to show up and protect. Its the people in the country with the horses and goats that really are at risk.
@voder glad to hear that everything under control. What caused the fire, open burning or the weather? I could imagine the haze. In my country, every year also faced the same situation, haze from our neighbor country because of fire due to open burning. The wind blow the haze to all her neighbor countries, My country would be one of them.
Stay safe!
Thanks! I guess its an hour east. And we have a pretty good fire break built by last month's River fire. I actually can't believe there is anything that could still burn.
I have no idea what causes these fires but I never really thought that it has to do with the wind blowing through the wrong way. Just like you, I think there is still more mystery behind it. Hope you are somewhere safe?
The sky and light turn this colorful once it is about to start? Wow! Your photos really are fascinating. Its at times like this that there are so many pictures to take at different locations, yet so little time. I guess it was tough making some of these decisions bit you photos did turn out to be really stunning. It's something I haven't seen before....
It's like the magical sunset shining all over the place and defeating darkness, it's just so sad though that what follows this beautiful view might be disastrous.
I think the tree branches grow to deal with wind from the west, they just didn't know to prepare for this, like a knee bending the wrong way. Then the branches hit the power lines. Although this one was apparently started by someone trying to light a campfire.
I've never seen this happen before, it was a smoke cloud that rode into our little valley on these crazy westbound winds.
Thanks for reading!
These are absolutely breathtaking in a 'end of the world' kind of way. Living in California as a non-Californian native there's an odd fascination with wildfire. I remember driving out of Visalia last year when the Railroad fire had only just started and being able to see the red glow of the flames on the underside of the clouds or smoke on the distant horizon. It was beautiful and terrifying. These images evoke the same feeling in me.
Thanks for sharing!
~ Mako
Howdy voder! Oh man, those fires and smoke are wild and dangerous but wonderful to take photos of the sky and the colors so great job, very strange and eerie effects of the fire. The photos are excellent and I could almost smell the smoke.
Is this the first time you've been close to a fire like this?
The smoke was from the fire that burned the town of Paradise, and that's a couple hours away. So I wasn't really that close, but we did all have to double check to make sure. Seemed like it was much closer than it was. This fall the mendocino complex fire started about 4 miles from here but the wind was blowing normal so it went the other way. We could see the flames from the office and that was a little disturbing.
Thanks for the comment and for the compliments!
howdy again sir voder! Wow, that seems like you're close to too many fires! I'd probably get paranoid.
Hi voder,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Thank you for sharing such interesting natural phenomenon, it is amazing that nowadays we have such preventable to capture these unique natural wonder. I can understand how difficult it is to make a picture of certain thing when everything is changing every second. What I thought, was there no record function of your camera, that could be probably helpful to capture everything on continuous recording. Nevertheless great pictures, you were lucky to have such opportunity :)
It indeed looks like the fire is far closer than an hour away. I can imagine that the damage caused by fire is horrible and I hope that there are not many victims of this fire. You are very brave when you go chasing the fire :) People panic and run away and you run towards it. But I'm sure that your client was happy with your work. I didn't know that California was suffering such fires. I understand that the place is dry but we mainly get to hear about fires in Australia.
If I don't think about your fact that the effect is caused by fire, I love your photos :) The colors are full and vibrant and the mixture of colors in this way can only be done by nature. I especially like the ones with birds escaping the fire and the dark red ones with people on the roof.
It's amazing and scary to see how powerful our nature is and what damage it can cause (not that we are not causing any harm to the nature ourselves).
Thank you for sharing! And congratulations on your curie vote!
Thanks! I've heard it said that the best photographer is the one who actually has a camera. Just got lucky with being in this valley at that time I guess. I didn't do any color corrections, only straightened horizons and cropped in a bit. As you say, only nature can come up with those gradients, I too was merely an observer.
Thanks for the comment and for checking out the blog. :)
These images are beautiful as they are disturbing. I'm in Sacramento right now and was thinking about driving down to LA this Monday. How difficult was the drive for you? Did you move far up north or stay close to Santa Ana?
Thank you for the compliment! We are in mendocino, the big fires burning in malibu are like 12 hours south. The smoke in the photos is from the camp fire in lake county, just north of you actually. Wonder if you can see the smoke where you're at?
Wow man. These photos are stunning. I love the one you captured of the birds against the big smoke clouds. It's got a very eerie Alfred Hitchcock feel. It really does look like you could have pointed your camera anywhere. It's something so rarely seen that it creates this feeling of awe when you're looking at the pictures.
It's such a sad phenomenon. How do the fires keep starting? I don't think I've ever been sure of the cause. I lived in Glendale, California for nine years and encountered fires on many occasions. I actually just left about a year ago. In that time I saw fires in the hills, fires along freeways and was once evacuated from my house because of a fire on a hill at the end of my neighborhood. It was the craziest thing ever to look up and see flames slowly crawling closer to you. I've never packed a car so quickly full of items. It really puts things in perspective when you're only able to take the most valuable things and only have a short time to do it. Luckily there was no real damage done to my home other than everything smelling of smoke.
Stay safe!!! And thanks for sharing. We really need to find a way to stop these fires. They've not only affected me but friends and family across the state.
Hitchcock filmed "The Birds" about an hour from here in Bodega. We have photos of the church they used and the hotel both, but no birds in any of our shots.
I've not yet been evacuated so haven't had to pack the car frantically, but I appreciate what you experienced because I've heard the story a couple different times.
I don't know if stopping the fires is a reality, but building from things other than lumber and shingles may be a pretty valuable decision. The roof part is tricky because earthquakes tend to flatten everything else. Maybe the trick is to have less attachment to stuff and like the native Americans from years ago, be somewhat mobile.
Thanks for the comment. :)
No problem man! I've seen some crazy photos come out. I'm not sure what the solution is but they gotta figure something out. These wildfires are just insane. Everything from Nor Cal to So Cal has been on fire in the last year. Insane! Perhaps different building materials are the solution. Good luck!
I've seen forest fires but I've never seen such a radiant and suffocating color.
Now my question is was there any kind of damage or rarefied air from the fire?
You were too risky to get close enough to get those incredible graphics.
At least the fire was controlled, I have heard on other occasions it reaches the cities and it is catastrophic and more if there are lives to regret.
thank you for sharing your risky publications, excellent photographs
greetings
On the day I shot these, the wild fire burned an entire town called Paradise, previous population was over 20 000. It was over an hour away though, so I was never in any kind of risk. Three months ago maybe, but not this week.
Thanks for your concern and for commenting!
Without thinking that it is because of fire, I really like the photos. They are stunning and look like because of burning afternoon sun.
But oh my God! The second and third photos look like hell is getting over the place. So sad.... 😰
Every year, I see and hear news about fire in California. Since this is a known problem, I wonder what effort is being done to combat or even prevent it from happening.
California is mostly desert. It has a rainy winter then the summers get almost nothing. The spring brush grows, dries, then sits. To manage the millions of acres of forest--mow the grass and trim the shrubs--would be a public works project on scale with building the great wall of China.
Last year Governor Brown vetoed legislation to put all power lines underground. Now instead they randomly turn off the power to random parts of the state. I guess it shows an attempt? Pacific Gas and Electric is a private company with total control over all utilities, they would have had to bear the cost of burying these wires. Curious decision. It got surprisingly little media attention.
Also, California is broke. There is no money for infrastructure on any level at all. It all goes to pensions for bureaucrats that over-managed days gone by. That's pretty cynical maybe, some of the employees still show up daily I guess.
The whole world seemed so apocalyptic it was incredible to experience! I felt like I should be running for my life but everyone kept saying the fire was miles and miles away and no one seemed to panic. It was like looking at a spontaneous eclipse, everyone on the street had to share the moment together and marvel at what was going on.
Thanks for your comment, its great to know that people actually read what I write. :)
What kind of attempt is that when you deny power to some parts of the state? Does that mean those states that were powered down do not need power?
Bury the wires. Why, are those wires the cause of the fire? I don't think the private companies will really care burying the wires because that will be too much cost for them. That is unless the government mandates these companies. I am not sure in California or in the US in general but in my country, many companies would shrug things off for as long as there is no legislation that they are breaking.
There is money if only the government will allocate funds for infra. It is a matter of where the public money is allocated by the officials. Again, that is how I see it in my country. They say we lack this and that but we do not have the fund to proceed. The heck with that reasoning.
It is funny that I am "hearing" this same thing from the other side of the world. Though for our version, our pensioners are receiving pittance. Where most of the funds go are to the people behind the desk who just wait for the day to end and still receive their salary on pay day.
Was there ever an instance when the fire got to your residence areas or even close that your people really need to run for your lives?
I don't know if the utility company paid off the ex-governor directly or indirectly, but likely one of his kids will be on the board of directors or get some other ceremonial $250K/year lifetime job appointment. Good work if you can get it.
The government here is a collection of unelected bureaucrats who collectively knuckle under the voter's choice. The big company's elites are nearly indistinguishable from these unelected employee government elites, and it doesn't matter who wins the election.
Re-allocating funds away from ever increasing government departments is impossible. That cannot happen because these department directors intend to hire the assistant's nephew, and if they were to recommend their own downsizing, they'd be immediately extricated from the community of largess.
Our pensioners too receive a pittance of the spending power they thought they were promised, except for the ones who retired recently. They figured out how to cook the books on the pension allocations and cranked their allotment significantly. it will only be good for a little while though, when the world reserve of US currency hits the mainland, inflation will be many many percents.
Last year a co-worker's sister had to run for her life, but relatively few stories like that make it around. People are paying attention this time of year, when the winds switch everyone knows the drill. Except just after they start. In the first couple hours, things can go sideways.
Thanks for the comments. I'd love to see government choose to spend money on things that benefit the people more directly, I'd love to see big business lose its ability to coerce elected officials via the departmental directors, but as it stands, the fire fighters get huge checks and operate what appear to be controlled burns (on the federal government's nickel) while PG&E isn't hit with a multi billion dollar invoice. First round of golf is on me. :)
Are you a real American? Why do I "hear" whining all along? 😂
Kidding aside, it is very surprising to know those details from someone who is from the same place. From the other end of the earth, and I believe in other corners too, America is regarded as an "ideal" place to live with the American dream.
We've been and is still being hit by really bad inflation and I wonder how long will we go this way. Fares and prices of basic commodities are skyrocketing but salary rate is not moving. Among other may more problems...
Oh well, I wonder what we are supposed to do with our governments. I joined the second EDSA revolution that toppled our former president Estrada but solutions can not be protests on the streets everyday. Maybe we just play golf and have coffee afterwards. Those problems will be over tomorrow. 😃
Haha. Not a real American. My wife was born in Arizona, but she's an anarchist so I don't think that really counts either. They say I was born under a canadian flag but I have no recollection and I don't trust anyone. :)
If the American dream is to start a business and buy a house, then its over. Houses are $500K and wages $20 per hour. There is no way. Owning any business capable of even paying wages needs 250K to start and a couple inside connections. The only progress here is for the elites while everyone else scrapes by. Apples are $6/kg, people spend 2 weeks per month to pay rent then the government takes the next week's pay leaving barely enough to insure an old car.
Sounds like your Yellow team is like our Democrat team, and the Duerte is trying to shake out the rust. From here he seems pretty respectable, although I assume governments are kinda the same all over. Filling the pockets of their friends and giving commoners the stick. That he is cleaning up anything at all is pretty incredible, although I'm sure its much slower and less effective than anyone dared to dream.
I don't think we can do much with governments. They comfortably crush all opposition and the idea of rising against the power seems like a fool's errand. Pretty sure they'll take care of themselves and we will pick up the pieces later.
I don't believe the federal system is viable, too many small interest groups trying to prop up each other's small interest in this collective grab at the feed trough of government. We will never get power lines underground while the firefighter's union is in cahoots with the power company to co-opt the legislators. If we could have direct voting then maybe there'd be a chance, but its for sure that no one currently in power is going to let that start.
Fun chat. I followed your blog and need to check out the 3D printing of houses in your post. That future seems so much more functional than the fiasco that is the current building department system. Cheers!
They describe American dream to me as having a house, a car and a stable job. So maybe having your own business is a wish.
It looks like you folks are a fan of our president. I am not, with his way of governance. As I mentioned, inflation continues to go up but not the salary. Just now, I paid the minimum fare I knew which was already hiked from less than a year ago. But then I was asked we have another hike which took effect just today. Oh well.. And more things getting worse that I don't wanna keep whining about and stress over with. In contrast to your belief or trust to Duterte is your being against federalism. He's been trying to persuade people about that.
Those Steemhunt posts are helping me keep almost a daily post. Faster than sitting and think much of what to post... 😊
Pretty spooky man, the feeling of abandonment that transmits those photos (especially the first photo) produces a disturbing effect.
It makes us see how small we are compared to these things, right?
Cheers
Thanks for a great comment! You're so right, its like camping during an electrical storm or watching a tornado touchdown reminds me how minuscule I am compared to nature.
The photos seem so crazy like you say, but everyone was more overwhelmed with amazement than anything like fear. It wasn't spooky or frightening to experience, it was more like looking at a million rainbows at the same time, yet the images seem totally ominous. Maybe because it came in so gradually that we were all struck with wonder.
You sure got some orange skies there. I lived in San Diego for a few years, and saw this a few times. Ash was everywhere later. Those Santa Anas are awful and my sinuses do not miss them one bit.
I can't believe those guys are up there working. Time to get inside with cleaner air if you can. Stay safe.
It came on so fast that no one saw it coming at all. Skies were super clear before lunch then by 2 pm it was like night. Also there was some kind of temperature inversion and the air quality on the ground was just fine. That evening the inversion reversed I guess because we woke up to the smell of fire and ash all over the place. The next day (yesterday) air quality was terrible and this morning isn't much different.
San Diego is incredible if you're aged 21 - 25. Hope you were there for that. :)
Thanks for commenting!
I was older while in SD as a single mother who worked all the time, so maybe it was not so fun!
I was off work for a week one time due to fires, but mostly smoke and ash where I was. Only on one night, we could see fire on a mountain range far off. So creepy. I hope you get through this in good health.
Fires like hell!
Oh my gosh!
We're on hell?
I hope not and we want paradise not only on this crazy world (sometimes) but paradise after we die.
I like the photos by the way.
Great!
The smoke in the photos is from a fire that burned the entire town of Paradise California. Interesting that you mention it in such a context, it makes great food for thought.
Thanks for checking it out. :)
Oh yeah!
You're very much welcome!
There are many Filipinos I guess living in California. I hope they're all okay and all the people out there as well. Paradise turn into hell. But all will be fine in due time.
be safe!
I saw and read in the news and I can't imagine how you guys are feeling right now. Really sorry about the terrible fire @voder. But your photos are really amazing. I can't even imagine the heat there now. I hope you and your family have found shelter at a safe place?