On the 9th of September 2020 San Francisco woke up to dimly lit orange skies caused by high altitude smoke from California's wildfires. Resembling the view through a CTO gel used by photographers and cinematographers to warm the appearance of light, the strange orange sky lasted most of the day. San Francisco Airport served as an interesting foreground subject for this strange light. Despite the appearance, the air quality at ground level was relatively good considering the circumstances, the soot was held aloft by a marine layer below it. The element most difficult to communicate visually was the humidity and stillness of the air. It lent a hushed quality to the atmosphere. Everything felt a bit quieter.
These photos were made between 11am and 1pm. No color correction was made. ©2020 John Paul Poritz, all rights reserved.
