November

Foreword;  This a piece that I had originally planned to post in the month about which it is written. Some day I really must get around to starting a support group for procrastinators.


     I went out for a walk this morning with my new camera slung around my neck to make some photographs. ( Or, as I'm fond of saying, to see if there's any pictures that need taking.) I took a couple of shots on the bridge near my home. Although I liked the results, I thought that I would try the same shot in black and white. With the absolute ease which is digital photography, I switched my lovely little Canon G12 to the black and white mode and took a few shots. I then switched it back to it's normal colour mode  to be ready for future frames in colour. When I swiched it back to colour, it seemed that the camera wanted to stay in black and white! It wasn't until I had frantically found a subject with some bright colour and pointed the camera at it that I realized that it had indeed switched back to colour. Such is the nature of light on an overcast day in November. It's hard to find colour of any abundance anywhere. Or so I thought.

     As I continued my morning sojourn, the weatherman's promise of "partly cloudy" validated itself.( Has anyone else noticed that meteorologists almost always say partly cloudy as opposed to partly sunny? They must be a pretty pessimistic lot. Myself, I try to be a "glass half full" kind of person.) The sun broke through the clouds that were scudding about propelled by a stiff breeze. I found that good images could still be had. What was required was a change in viewpoint, both physically and mentally.

     November can be the worst month of the year for outdoor photographic pursuits. The riot of blazing colour that saturated the landscape just a few weeks ago is, for the most part, gone. The sky is often overcast, casting a light that is almost as grey as the landscape it illuminates. The physical viewpoint change requires a shift from the general to the specific. Rather than create sweeping vistas ablaze with colour, now is the time to employ the principle that less is more. The sun, at this time of year, passes through the day at a much lower angle. It is almost like having the golden hours of daylight ( early morning and late afternoon ) all day long. It can emphasize the texture and colour intensity of even the most mundane subjects.

     So, as the old saying goes, " If life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Wait... that really only applies if life hands you lemons, sugar and water. If life hands you nothing but lemons, you're pretty much screwed. But you get the idea. 

     There is a joy to making photographs with natural light. It forces me to utilize my skills and tools in direct relationship to the environment I occupy. Philosophically, it reaffirms my situation in this universe. I am a miniscule but essential part of the Great All That Is. It's up to me to make the best of it.

                                                                 ...more later

William St. Bridge

                                                     

                                                                      



                   That fire truck (built in the 50's) is still on the active roster at the fire hall although it is used mostly for parades and celebrations. Our junior boys football team won the league championship so they .got the hero treatment.  Gotta love small town life!