2022 Weekly Photo Challenge
Week 10: Hazy Shade of Winter
Time, time, time See what's become of me While I looked around for my possibilities I was so hard to please But look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter --Paul Simon
Those are the opening lines from “A Hazy Shade of Winter” by Simon & Garfunkel. And while we’ve almost made it to springtime, we’re not quite there yet. As I sit down to write this week’s challenge, the yard outside has turned white with a light snow, the trees are still bare, and the sky (or what I can see of it, anyway) is definitely an overcast, hazy shade of winter.
As a photographer, it can be difficult to find inspiration in the sometimes bleak color palette that winter brings. But this week, that’s exactly what I want you to do. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to create an image that doesn’t rely on bright colors or high dynamic range. Try instead to focus on whites, blacks, grays & browns, and see where that leads you.
Not all winter skies are completely flat & boring. Take a look outside; are there any clouds in the sky where you are? Maybe there’s something nearby that could provide some contrast?
Sweeping vistas & grand landscapes are all well & good, but interesting winter images can be found even in the small details right outside your front door. (Sometimes!)
While the images above are definitely processed in black & white, that’s not the only way to focus in on muted colors. Winter weather and the lighting it provides can lead you to interesting muted color palette images just by focusing in on scenes and objects around you.
Raindrops on roses may be all the rage, but have you ever found yourself stuck in a car on a cold, wet, rainy afternoon?
Try shooting through the windshield (with your camera, of course!)
What about looking for repeating patterns and maybe a few leading lines when you’re hanging out under the shelter of an overhang?
It really doesn’t matter too much what you decide to use for your images this week, so long as you get out there with your camera and find something. The point is to keep shooting, even when the weather’s cold and the sky is gray.
Because springtime really is just around the corner.
Have fun!
Eric Culver Photography 