Sovereign Flight

Lake Kerkini, Greece 2024

A single pelican, close enough to fill the frame. The Dalmatian pelican is among the largest flying birds on earth, with a wingspan over three meters. People do not understand this until one passes near the boat and they feel the air move. I wanted the photograph to hold that — not the species, not the behavior, but the weight of a single bird in flight. I placed nothing else in the frame. The background is empty on purpose. One wingbeat should be enough.

The Dalmatian pelicans at Lake Kerkini in northern Greece are the subject I keep returning to. They are rare, they are ancient, and they have been doing this for longer than anything we have built. I have been going back across multiple winters, from the same boat, with the same fishermen. The photographs in this series are not a record of what is disappearing. They are proof that it still exists, that it is closer than we think.