When the trees are bare and the weather is cold and dull, November is the bleakest of months. Sometimes, it snows by month's end, and can be a very welcome bright lift. Mind you, we will then moan and groan about snow for months on end.
However, as I write this on the 18th, it hasn't been like that often this year and certainly not yesterday, the 19th. Mind you we do appreciate this nicer-than-usual November, but it was messing with my desired bleakness theme. However, when Monday was more overcast than it has been, I decided to make some photos that would explore the bleak motif. Even though the temperature was still rather pleasant, at least it wasn't very sunny, so I gave it a try.Off to the trail went we, and here are my shots, converted to mono in order to eliminate any remaining colour.
Beyond the bend in those ↑ photos I waded off the trail onto a little path beyond the bramble. My outfit really stands out, but I am trusting that the overall bleakness is evident.
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| photo by Sue, editing by AC |
I did some more editing, taking the first photo up there at the top, cropping it a bit, and making it rain.
How melancholy! Come to Hawaii, where there is abundant color.
ReplyDeleteBut you won’t know the joy of the first flowers of spring after a one winter. 🤓
DeleteYour photos are a great representation of the month of November. So lonely, ominous and desolate. Love the one where you have the little dab of color in it.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I like how that one turned out — better than I had hoped when I decided to do that.
DeleteI don’t know what’s worse than bleak but that’s what it is here. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteIt’s back to bleak today, but it has been a pretty good month for the most part.
DeleteOne of the things about your photos is...not the bleakness, but the fantastic composition in using black and white for those leading lines on that wooden walk. I find November bleak with the overcast days and endless colorless moods. But then it can bring out your artistic talents! You made November beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSometimes necessity (or almost) is the mother of invention.
DeleteYou're messing with the weather now? One powerful guy! We have a gray day here with the hope of rain coming tonight or tomorrow. It's so needed. Dan in his volunteer fireman role went yesterday to a forest fire south of here with two others from his station. He was gone for 5 hours. Extra man/woman power was needed to fight the fire which was discovered after it had been burning for several days. They put it out.
ReplyDeleteMy mind boggles. How did just three guys manage yo put out a fire that had been burning for several days? TG they did.
DeleteAfter last night's wind, it seems pretty much a better day today. Hope so, anyway. Love your mono shots.
ReplyDeleteWe hada sunshine yesterday! I was so pleased.
ReplyDeleteI was also pleased, but it is dreary today so far.
DeleteI get depressed just looking at these November bleak shots...so of course the only one with color brightened my spirits! B&W does focus well on textures as well as design elements in photos, so I shall be satisfied looking at those.
ReplyDeleteYou have the eye of an artist. I just muddle along.
DeleteLove that 1st shot even though it is bleak.
ReplyDeleteYou captured bleakness well. I think hot chocolate is called for!
ReplyDeleteLove the black and white and the spot of your colorful jacket. You nailed bleak November well. Our year is still weird -- we still have a number of trees with full, colorful leaves. Yesterday was in the 60s. Tonight, snow is expected. This November is just plain weird.
ReplyDeleteI was feeling the bleak, until your bright jacket showed your true colors. We're supposed to be getting some much needed rain, but I admit a gray day brings down my energy.
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ReplyDeleteLove your photos. Especially the one where you are the only bright spot. Ah, November, was mild and wet here until wind roared in last night tried to blow us away. We remain, a bit soggier than usual, trees down but power lines repaired. God bless those guys who go out into this and fix all that.
ReplyDeleteI like bleak shots but am happy to see our evergreens when I go for walks.
ReplyDeleteThose photos express November well. I want some snow to make things less bleak.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice this morning - warm and sunny - but halfway through my dog walk after lunch, it started sleeting and the grey clouds came in. November is mercurial in its tendencies.
ReplyDeleteLove how you did the colour splash
ReplyDeleteAgreed, November is a bleak month. the days get shorter and we are holding our breath so that we don't get very cold weather.
ReplyDeleteYes, that last one is the poster child for our usual November. I really like it. Makes me want to wander around that bend to see what's there.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, this has been an unusual month, though. We have finally had some overcast days and even rain! Most of the month has been more like October. Turned cold today, though, with some frigid winds, and apparently we have a chance of some flurries in the morning. We shall see.
It is due to get cold here today as well. You know, that bridge picture is haunting in a 'what lies beyond' sort of way.
ReplyDeleteTheres nothing like a black and white photo to convey the bleakness you described.
ReplyDeleteBleak indeed! I love me a bleak, cold, rainy November day. That's the time to sit by the fire (the one I don't have because it would make me too hot so I make do with a candle), and read and doze and snack! xoxo
ReplyDeleteNice atmosphere. Well, bleak is not 'nice', no. My adjective choice was pretty weak. I really do think that the shot of red you in the bleak bush is a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteToday is much more Novemberish. But, you must remember, some Novembers have snow from the get go. We should be counting our blessings instead of shovels.
I wonder if that first picture would look welcoming in color? It's a welcoming path. But the black and white, with the turn...it looks a little ominous.
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