In the Picture: November

This month's theme for our November self-portrait linky party is:

"I am grateful"

There are so many things

that I am grateful for

but

one thing which comes instantly to my mind is this:

I am grateful for clean and plentiful water

to drink

to wash in

to cook with

to brush my teeth.

I am grateful that I do not have to walk for hours

with a heavy container balanced on my head

to fetch water from a distant well.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscoro

which means light/dark contrast.

This month's exercise in

"Exploring with a Camera"

is to try and capture the artistic technique of using light and dark

to render an object as three dimensional in two dimensional art.

Kat Sloma of kateyestudio.com

says:

'In photography, the concept of chiaroscuro can be used to create dramatic images.'

Coming out of the mist

Sunrays against the mist

I can feel the surface of the wooden fence thanks to the black backdrop which seems to bring it forward.

Walking towards the light from the depths of the woods

Leaving the wooded area

Catching the light in a backroom of the local baker's

walking in my neighbourhood before 7 a.m. this morning!

Petal poetry

Orange and yellow

Fold after fold of satin

Ruffles and perfume

Cascading

Sublime.

Catching the light

The weathercock points its beak in a mottled blue sky

and tones of yellow and gold and rich brown fill the woods

a lone leaf rests its golden head on the fence

and the beech leaves glint in the afternoon sun

The green grass receives an eiderdown of copper 

and the wooden bench beckons as I turn back to go home

Down the hill, back to my neighbourhood and admiring the colourful Larch trees on the way.

I'm so fortunate and grateful to have all these lovely areas

within easy walking distance of the town in which I live.

Photo-Heart Connection: October

Coming back home through the streets from a walk in my neighbourhood,

looking around me with pleasure and awareness,

this ordinary moment suddenly became extraordinary!

What happened?

Will Nature never cease to surprise me?

I came to a standstill with a quick intake of breath

as I bathed in this wonderful reflection of autumn's glory

in a shiny dark blue surface!

The sky and the trees had come down to meet me

lest I forget to look up

and bathe myself in their presence.

Nature, the artist, 

uses her paintbrush to bring us into the moment

where everything else falls away

and there remains just simplicity

and beauty.

Joining in the monthly meeting with others as we reconnect

here: