hibernation

It is the dull light's season in this landscape of bleak, crunchy brown--the precursor to snow and the highly functional but totally non-adorable outerwear that accompanies it.

What you see here is the very last of beach, squeezed out in complete denial from a pancake-flat tube.

I'm already yawning with the touchdown of my annual photographic hibernation. Each year I try, head full of visions of crystalline flakes and brilliant sun on white. Each year I mourn my mojo.

So tell me, fellow shut-ins and winter-bounds: how do you keep your shutter spirit intact from now through May? What do you see through your lens that redeems this season of exhaust-spattered slushpiles and day after day of stay-puft marshmallow boys?*

*Texans, Trinidadians and Californians: tread CAREFULLY, sisters. Poke not this sleepy bear.

Comments

[shelli]

Well, I hate to say it, but this is one of the good things about living in Georgia (U.S.A.). We have very mild winters. It may snow once every few years. It gets cold and dreary, but occasionally we might have a reprieve of 70 degree F weather in mid-January! You never know. (Of course, since I'm writing this, we'll probably have a dismal winter.)

Right now, however, mid-November, we're at the peak of Autumn color. And we're enjoying it very much!

http://web.me.com/pabis/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy/Pages/Nikon_D60.html#46

[Jean M Fogle]

In the winter we have made it a tradition to head to the Outer Banks of NC whenever we can to reconnect with an essential part of our being.Winter beach pics are the post of the day
http://pixels-n-pen.blogspot.com/

[Karen from Chookooloonks (and Shutter Sisters)]

Kate --

Trinidadian-living-in-Texas here -- but currently in cold, rainy, foggy England! I'm sort of loving it though -- the shock of fall colours through the mist -- we don't get that in the south.

All about perspective, I suppose ... ;-)

K.

[maz]

Kate, great post, and Karen above- you are so right, it is about perspective. I'm also in rainy foggy England and you've made me think twice about moaning about my descent into a wintery torpor. I'm trying to be positive...

http://divingforpearls.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/hearth-and-home.html

[Jean M Fogle]

In the winter we have made it a tradition to head to the Outer Banks of NC whenever we can to reconnect with an essential part of our being.Winter beach pics are the post of the day
http://pixels-n-pen.blogspot.com/

[Alli]

I guess I turn my camera toward the activities we do in the winter- family gatherings, gingerbread house building, holiday decorations. And in February we are expecting our second son, so I look forward training my lens on him and his older brother.

This is from last year and our Chirstmas family gathering.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crumleydotorg/2131726589/in/set-72157603534024463/

[margie]

ha, i am laughing, you wouldn't know a beach if you saw one around here during the winter, we get so much snow.

we walk the dog in the ten feet of snow, and as for beaches, only via air travel.

http://3yrplan.typepad.com/photo_du_jour/

[Julie Alvarez]

Oh, not that I want to provoke any envy, but it's becoming summer right now here. So, now is the time that I head out with my camera.
But in the winter, I sure find lots of comfort by staying at home, because I am more of an indoor person. And I love winter. I tend to turn my eye "smaller", focusing on little things that are near me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2941043077/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2937820455/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/2944336843/

[Karyn]

I'm a native Ohioan living in Texas and even though it stays *warm* here, it's honestly very boring outside. No snow except for maybe one day and nothing to speak of at that. I miss the snow and the drifts across the fields from home. Don't know where you live, but try getting out into the countryside, forest, river areas in winter with the snow. They are always beautiful and peaceful and you might see some deer. =)

As for me, here, I too look for the colorful small things.
http://www.mundanedetails.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/dscn5705a.jpg

[Jess]

We have been seeing snow off and on since Oct 26 or so here in Saint Paul, MN.
http://fifthlampdown.blogspot.com/2008/11/ok-really-dangerous.html
These are my kids frolicking for the first time this year.

[camerashymomma]

*Texans, Trinidadians and Californians: tread CAREFULLY, sisters. Poke not this sleepy bear.

i'm staying out of this one. i do like me some stay puff boys though :)
down here in texas our hibernation occurs mostly during the summer when it's not safe to leave the AC

[charlane]

I'm going to take a special winter photography class this year - I picked up my camera again after a long hiatus on a dreary January day...so I have an affinity for stark shots against cloudy rumbly skies. Just make sure to wear gloves, scarfs and socks. There is much beauty in the skeletal lines of trees.

[sweetsalty kate]

You guys are great. This really is inspiration. Charlane, what a fantastic idea. Amazing. I think I'm just cranky with the onset of winter driving.. and I tell myself I don't shoot much during the winter and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. And now you're all grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a good shake like "snap out of it woman!".... so, uuuh, thanks. :)

[Krista]

Can I ask a stupid question? For those of you who do venture out into the winter cold, how do you protect your camera? Are the freezing temperatures dangerous to D-SLRs? This will be my first winter with my Nikon D40 in the snow and while I'm excited to try my hand at winter photography, I'm a bit nervous about protecting my investment.

Thanks!

[maile]

your words/images always amaze me Kate. I'm going to steal "mourning my mojo". My mojo comes and goes unpredictably. And even though I know that it's an ebb and flow, it always feels permanent when I'm going through each phase. Chickens, then feathers. Such is life, I guess.

[donna]

Well I am headed home to sunny Australia where it is summer at christmas time ...yay for the Southern hemisphere! But I have to say I do love the snow its just the inbetween time I'm not a big fan of...the muddy, slushy blah weather. So when its like that outside I like to focus on taking pics inside.

http://lemondingo.blogspot.com/2008/11/thinking-about-christmas.html

Donna

[Wanda]

Being new to this, I am not sure what I will do. I know that I spend a lot of time shooting trees and leaves, so maybe I will have to go the evergreen route. And I like macro, so who knows what I might find there. My goal, however, is to just keep shooting. Nice thing about digital...I don't have to develop the film or even keep the pictures.

What percentage of shots do you all keep?

[misti]

How about a Texan living in South Florida?? The tomatoes are ripening as I type! (don't shoot me!) ;) My only problem is the lack of light by the time I get home from work. *sigh*

[Jeanine]

I use those sucky winter months to process all the photos I didn't have time to upload during the summer because I was too busy taking photos :) That, and I have a feeling I'll be blogging more, which means sitting in front of the computer, which means playing with webcam self-portraits (which I discovered over the weekend). Too much fun.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15607464@N03/3036350887/

[Diane Schuller]

We're well into winter up here so I have no choice but to embrace the beauty of it, if not the cold weather and awful clothes :)

Things like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/3038942198/

or this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/3038104563/

or even catching wildlife in our backyard like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27458974@N00/2521863989/

get me outside despite the brrrr!

Diane

[Kate Baumert]

Like Shelli (first comment made on this post) I live in the south (Arkansas) so our winters are milder than my home state of Iowa. In the winter, I look in doors, towards people for inspiration.

http://happyinthehamptons.blogspot.com/2008/11/it-was-one-of-those-slow-but-intense.html

[Diane Schuller]

Krista, I'm not sure if you'll come back to read responses ... I live up north in northern Canada so it definitely gets cold here and I am outside all the time taking photos!! When it's minus 20 and colder I keep my camera inside my coat but hanging from the strap on my neck. It's the battery you have to protect - never go out in the cold unless your batter is fully charged. The other thing you need to proect your camera from is condensation. Don't pack it back up in the camera bag until it's been sitting out, uncovered, for at least an hour or more. I could give a few more tips. Contact me if you'd like more help with this okay?
Here's my email: dianeschuller @ gmail . com (just remove spaces to send)

Diane

[Marcie]

Personally - I love winter...look forward to the white snow and the photo ops that brings. Am always trying to find the light in the darkness. Altho this was taken just this past weekend..it's very reminiscent of winter:

http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=590

[Kate at LIttle House Monday]

In southern England where winter hangs over us like a dank, damp flannel we will do just about anything to light a brief warming spark, including burning in delightful, barbaric effigy a man who crusaded against puritanical royal oppression of religious freedom in the 1600’s. It’s a great family celebratory tradition...:)

http://littlehouse-monday.blogspot.com/2008/11/blog-post_09.html

What I really miss is finding surprising moments of brightness in real winter...

http://littlehouse-monday.blogspot.com/2008/11/cardinal.html

[sweetsalty kate]

Diane, what a fantastic response to Krista's fantastic question - thank you so much. I'd also recommend fingerless gloves, but that's more for self-protection than camera protection. :)

Wanda - welcome! I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a ruthless deleter. I delete at least half upon download, and only would put a very small perecentage of those on Flickr. But that's fine with me - with children being my most common subject, my goal of improving my shooting ratio has gone out the window. ahhh, digital.

[Steph Wiese]

I noticed a light blanket of snow on the ground this morning, then roof tops covered in a light white blanket... I got sentimental. Read about it here: http://stephwiese.squarespace.com/

[leaca]

I live in Alaska and I have to make the best of it--trying not to hibernate is the goal. Photography has been so helpful. I have a reason to endure the cold temps to get some winter shots.

http://www.simplyblogged.com

[Shawna]

Diane, thanks for the info! I wish I still lived anywhere that we got a deep freeze. Not that I mind dressing in hoodies all winter, but I miss the ice and snow as magical subjects. Kate, have you tried capturing the stars yet? A time elapse photo is something I want to try as soon as we get a clear night here in seattle :O)

[Courtney]

I'm a Michigander currently living in Garmisch, Germany located at the foot of the Alps. Send all your snow here...we are lacking it, so we'll take it with open arms! I sometimes dread the winter because of the lack of sun, so I try to brighten my day by focusing on the abstract, details of odd things, that we miss when something else beautiful pulls our eyes in another direction.

[claudia]

I was just thinking about this the other day.
http://gnubee.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/chasing-the-light/
Is it me or was there just not enough time between warm and flurries! I've already begun to notice where the best light is in the house ~ what little there is *sigh* Hey, only about 130 days 'til the first day of spring... I think I'll go edit some summer shots that I "forgot" about...

[mary]

There are some amazingly beautiful things to see in fall and winter. Just take a walk and see where it leads you:

http://inasoftlight.blogspot.com/2008/11/silent.html

http://inasoftlight.blogspot.com/2008/11/listen.html

http://inasoftlight.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-snow.html

[Jen - Beebee Mod]

I love the bareness at time and the first snowfall that covers the trees so nicely. But I love to sew, to quilt. Its slowness is just what I need.
http://americana.visualblogging.com

[Heather]

When Winter arrives in these mountains, I abuse the macro feature on my camera. And I move inside. Steaming cappucinos. A lone shell of pasta that fell to the floor. Birdprints in the snow on my porch. Everything in my home is game.

[vivienne]

here in vancouver winter is full of grey skies and rain. something i discovered last year was to watch out for silhouttes and think beyond the image itself as is to what i could do with it in photoshop. so though i miss the beautiful light of summer, i find i have lots of material to work with when its raining so hard that all i want to do is stay indoors and play in photoshop....an example here. this image was so bland i almost passed it by...total grey sky. but the silhoutte of the tree worked perfect to create a moody image!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/missvivienne/2298617492/in/set-72157604000985580/

another suggestion for those who live in rainy places. as soon as the rain stops its my favourite time to run outside with the camera and capture drops of rain on flower petals (if there are any left) and leaves. sometimes that can feel almost as magical as golden hour!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/missvivienne/2422242158/in/set-72157604432252820/

[Kyla]

When it's cold and blowing outside, I usually focus my efforts on sorting and editing the multitude of photos I have on my computer. 15 minutes at a time . . . I can relive all those Spring, Summer and Fall memories from years gone by. Then I can concentrate on dragging out pretty paper and embellishments, and scrapbooking them for all to enjoy.

As for what I concentrate my lens on . . . it's a good time to take family and holiday photos, not to mention those "in the moment" photos that I'm usually too busy to take during the rush of summer. This winter, I plan on recording people's hands and faces, as they go about their daily tasks. And if you're brave enough to risk the cold, mother nature always has something fabulous to photograph . . .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thekreativelife/3039682170/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thekreativelife/3039682118/

[Lucy]

Winter in the midwest. Dull, gray and cold. This will be the first year I have had my camera out and look to see what there is to shoot. I think there will be more indoor shots than outdoor...but who knows. I have posted some more thoughts here:

http://lucyslogicakayouknow.blogspot.com/

[Misty]

I try not to let it phase me. I don't always succeed, but I still take my camera out. In fact, part of why I love winter is that I can focus on photographing what I want to photograph and not just what I'm paid to photograph.

An attempt to photograph the freezing air.

http://myinneraria.blogspot.com/2007/01/i-wasnt-sure-if-it-would-workbut-it.html

3 feet of snow put to use on Valentines day.

http://myinneraria.blogspot.com/2008/02/happy-valentines-day.html

[elizabeth]

I was just about to say ..

*whispers*

I live in Oregon

:)

but on grey, gloomy days, when I don't want to head outdoors - the poor pup becomes an even more favored subject - or else I buy flowers

[Suvarna]

Surviving the winter in Vancouver means getting outside, even in the rain. I have a cover for my camera and a sleeve for the telephoto. Of course when it gets torrential, I head for the great indoors and my light box gets dusted off.
here are a few recent winter shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10751420@N07/3039329259/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10751420@N07/3039327859/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10751420@N07/3040166346/in/photostream/

[JeanaMarie]

hi. how about Aussies? can i taunt you just a little by telling you how lovely it is to finally be enjoying the warmer weather light after months of viewing it only through the lenses of my N. Hemisphere friends? :)

Bright indoor lights?

[Bunny]

I will cook and take pictures of food:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherbunny/2093215239/in/set-72157603572769594/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherbunny/2146791458/in/set-72157603572769594/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherbunny/2166926691/in/set-72157603572769594/

[Kacey]

I don't like winter. You have to push me kicking and screaming into it. Sigh. When it turns cold and gray, I resort to staying nicely warm inside and shooting photos of the wildlife out my office window.

http://www.wineonthekeyboard.com/2008/02/23/life-in-focus-friends/

http://www.wineonthekeyboard.com/2008/02/19/freak-snow-storm/

Not looking forward to this again this year...

[Tartelette-Helen]

I can't complain about the winter weather here in SC...but it brings the opposite point: hard to get in a winter mood/ mojo full of snowflakes and hot cider to shoot the beauty of winter. Music. Music helps tremendously.