Pelicans on the hunt for a meal usually travel in groups as they sweep low over the waves in search of prey. This trio of pelicans, skimming over the rich blue waters of the Pacific Ocean on an early September morning, creates a horizontal thrust, echoing the flow of the soft waves that gather below them. Those waves are deceptive – the surf is running high, and the surging greenish wave anchoring the image at the bottom of the frame is far larger and full of foam. It is this contrast between the smooth horizontal glide of the pelicans and the massive horizontal crash of surf against a sandy beach that tells the story here.