This time of year always gets me. I am such an outdoors-loving spirit, and getting out takes special efforts after standard time kicks in. Speaking of which, can someone explain to me why we “save” daylight in the summer when there’s plenty of it, but don’t in the winter when we’re already lacking? (Okay, I’m really just looking for commiseration here, not a real explanation which I can easily Google.)
Thus, when the hourly forecast indicated a break in the rain this afternoon, I took advantage of the opportunity. Mind you, I wasn’t excited to go out – it’s brown and grey with just a splash of evergreen, and it was still misty and cold – but I figure the best way to beat the doldrums is to jump in.
What it feels like walking out of Daylight Saving Time 😉
The roads are too squishy for a walk (Remember that I’m surrounded by packed sand roads?), so I grabbed my camera and decided to push myself to be creative. In this low-color day, I set my sights on a place that’s pretty regardless of sun or season: the Rapid River at the Seven Bridges Natural Area.
Tony and I walked around in the light drizzle, appreciative of the reprieve from the house (that I love, but I get cabin-fever easily) and for the serenity compliments of the rippling river.
With the muted colors and lighting, I looked for shapes. I liked the curve in the river as it approaches one of the many bridges. And since the scenery was already lacking saturation, I decided to play around with black and white.
Which version is your favorite? Really, I’d like to know if you’ll tell me in the comments!
Eventually, as the water started soaking through my jeans in patches, we called it an afternoon and headed back home. It wasn’t a high-adventure trip, but it was a good excuse to get outside.
Adventures in Michigan's Up North 
My favorite of the three is the first one, although I readily admit my own bias toward a warmer-looking climate. Having said that, I also love the very first picture of the post. Tres créatif 🙂
Thanks for the input! I definitely favor saturated images, so I struggle with anything lacking color 😉
The first is my favorite, The black and white definitely doesn’t work for me personally in this case.
“brown and grey with just a splash of evergreen,”, nice….
Thanks for the input, John. Also, nice to “see” you outside Flickr 🙂
I had hoped the lines of the river would show up more in the B&W, but I don’t love that one either. Perhaps the image will work in the winter when the contrast is greater. Good excuse to go back 🙂
Well. First I liked the first one best…then I fell for the black and white with just the bridge in color.But I can’t decide. Let me go look again. Huh. I think I like the black and white with the bridge in color. Or the color one. Darn. They’re both good, and I like the total black and white too but not quite as much as the other two. Does any of this make sense?
It makes perfect sense – that’s why there are three images to choose from! I’m a color fanatic, so of course I like that one. But I was aiming for B&W, so I included a version that way. It’s not my fave, but I wasn’t sure if it was just my own bias. I think the desaturated image looks pretty good, and it’s definitely out of my wheelhouse, so I guess I succeeded in pushing myself at least some 🙂
I am definitely a color person, accepting black and white only in very stark, high contrast images.
As to daylight savings time, 100 years ago when I lived in Michigan, parents were up in arms because it was dark when kids left for school on DST. Oh! Sorry! You didn’t really want an explanation.
>
I remember being on the bus in the mornings when the sun wasn’t up yet. I prefer that to the early sunsets, but I am a consummate night person 😉 I’m just glad I live so far west in the time zone. I can’t imagine living in Maine with a sun that sets before 4:00 some sad winter days!
I like the second. It is unusual because it enlivens the scene by contrasting the colour with near b/w.
You won’t find this on Google, it’s a secret ssshhh. They have to save some of the daylight in summer for use in the winter, Otherwise there wouldn’t be any. sssshhh. 🙂
Thanks for the input, Graham. I agree. I think the bit of color makes the scene less expected and more interesting.
Your bit about DST seriously made me giggle out loud 🙂 I won’t tell Google or anyone else, but I suspect you’re right! It’s just past 10pm here, and I feel like it’s been dark for about 10 hours. Just think how long that would feel if we hadn’t saved any day! 😉
It quite makes my day to make somebody else giggle. Ta. The main reason for not telling is the avoidance of being locked up. Have a nice day 🙂
I dig the 2nd one – b&w w/ a splash of color. I think it draws you in. Experimenting is fun! 🙂
That seems to be the consensus. Speaking of experimenting, I keep thinking about picking up that app you mentioned. It *looks* like fun… 😉
It really is (pay me, Over!) 😉 So many great mobile apps: color splash (like your shots above), slideshow videos, even found one I can scan my own image overlays in with, too. 🙂 I’m a bit of an iPhoneography junkie lately!
You’ll have to show me! You’re making me feel old and out of touch 😉
It’s Instagram! I feel well past the average user age there, but find folks doing lots of great things w/ photos (which I borrow from). 😉
I like the second one, too. It looks “juuuuuuuusssssstt right”.
And I liked Graham’s explanation, as well.
It’s the Goldilocks image 🙂
We should have saved a bit more of summer’s sunshine. It’s so dark right now! (This is when I start pining for the snow.)
I love both of the “bridge over Rapid River” photos, admittedly struck by the first one enough to exclaim a little about it to Jess; it’s now one of my fave’s of yours 😉 And the b&w/color experimentation thing is a pretty cool extension of your abilities; well done!!
Cliftonium rises! I can’t believe any of those are your favorites. (Thanks!) I had fun playing around some with the post-processing, but didn’t think any of the images were in my tops. Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder…
I like the middle version. Not sure what you call it?
I went with “desaturated.” It seems to be the prevailing winner 🙂
Like all your pictures,the brown bridge with the black and white surroundings is my favorite, very creative Heather
Thanks Jeff 🙂 I like that one the best too, and it seems the decided winner. As winter eats away at the color up here, I might play around a bit more with some color in my photos.
Excellent images. I love the way you’ve used selective color in the first image.
Thanks so much, Edith 🙂
Hmmmm. I guess I’m the only one drawn to the last one then. I like having to look for things in a photograph without being directed towards them 😉 So I find the black and white bridge in the distance rather intriguing and it makes me want to make my way towards it through all that tangled growth. It’s spookifying 🙂
As for the first, it made me think of the sound of wind blowing away from me towards the trees and rustling leaves.
Have you spent much time with Where’s Waldo? Based on your description, I’d think they’d be right up your alley 🙂 It’s snowing pretty hard today, so I might go back to that place soon for a different B&W. We’ll see which you like best then!
Haha, no clue who Waldo is let alone where! 😀 But oooh, snow! Can’t wait to see different b&w pic!
Maybe you’ve heard of Where’s Wally? Which I guess is what he’s call in other parts of the world. Anyway: http://www.amazon.com/Wheres-Wally-Martin-Handford/dp/1406305898#reader_1406305898
Loved the complete B&W of the bridge, but it was a close finish with the middle one that has just the bridge in colour! And although the water is serene…can you hear me humming Like a Bridge over Troubled Water right now? 😉 I’m so glad you decided to step out 🙂
Hahaha! I had that song in my head the entire day after taking those shots!
It might not be because things met my expectations, but I’m always glad when I choose to step out 🙂
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