Cranes Reflected in Mumbai Harbor Puddle

Copper-toned light washes over a shallow tidal inlet near Mumbai, turning a rain-filled depression into a dark mirror. The reflection shows the long, slender necks and sharp beaks of several cranes standing in the shallows, their forms inverted and slightly distorted by the water's surface tension. Dramatic, heavy clouds loom overhead, casting deep shadows that contrast with the warm, firelight glow reflecting off the wet mud. The shallow depth of field blurs the distant industrial skyline, focusing attention on the crisp, rippled edges of the birds' silhouettes. One droplet hangs from a crane's wingtip, catching the fading light before falling back into the murky water.