That time of year has started in the Midwest, and soon we will be in the depressing season of gray and brown. A constant rain over the past day will likely force the last of any remaining fall color to the ground. Some subject material will remain on the ground for a very short time before decay sets in and the cold, wet weather is felt to your bones. Not one of my favorite times of the year. I know photographers must challenge themselves to make interesting pictures of the uninteresting and mundane, but I still struggle. Not only because I find the subject matter drab, but there is an emotional disconnection as well. It is one of my most unproductive times of the year.
It also shows our strong connection to nature’s cycles and how it changes our mental state, and how that can affect our creativity and motivation. A time of year for retreat and sleep, rejuvenation and recharging.
Have a happy Thanksgiving. . A warm thanks to all of my visitors here, new and old for your continued support and comments And for you folks in warmer or coastal regions – send some creative energy to the folks in the midwest will ya? 
Sounds like a plan Mark. I love the thought that you put into an image. Very nice and happy Thanksgiving!
Great image Mark I know what you mean about the coming season, hopefully we will get some snow and it will add some beauty to the landscape.
Have a great Thanksgiving as well
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Love the dewdrops on the leaf in that picture! Creative energy coming your way (from SE Louisiana–still t-shirt weather here.
Lovely browns and rain drops on Tulip Poplar leaf!
Here in southeast PA, USA, we have had an unusually long and beautiful fall, for which I am grateful. I, too, find winter challenging. I bought a season’s pass to Longwood Gardens with the idea of taking photos in the conservancy during the drab months.
Good idea Anita, we have a couple greenhouses that I should probably visit more often.
Lovely capture, Mark.
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Jackal
Mark, I completely understand the need for creative energy this time of year if you live in the midwest…that was part of the reason I headed west.
So, here is some west coast creativity coming at you: When it’s cold, rainy, and ugly out side try doing some “Indoor Landscapes”.
I too am having a hard time finding things that draw my eye and make me want to take the camera out of the house. Gray, rainy and cold weather for the past 2 weeks hasn’t helped things either. Yesterday was the first sunny day I’ve had, and I made sure to take advantage of it.
Hey Mark, what a fantastic photo! I really love the brown tones in this and your other fall photos. I have to say, though, that the thoughts and feelings you expressed here mirror my own exactly about the coming of winter, and boy did I just get depressed!
My one and only tip for breaking out of that dark and depressing mood is to find a thick woods to lose yourself in, thick enough so you can’t see the grayness all around you, and a wet day is better than a dry one. You’ll find that the light gets filtered in amazing ways, and the odors are like perfume (to me at least). You might even run into some interesting critters if you’re lucky. 
Good shot. Great details, especially the water droplets on the leaves. Nice job.
wonderful shot. I like the simple composition and the brown colors.
Markus
Mark, beautiful image from a tough time of year. I know that I find it very hard to get out in the cold with the leaves half on the trees and half on the ground….not ‘optimal’ for shooting. Making myself get out is the big problem. Once there I usually find something to shoot, even if it is just to stay in practice. But it sure is hard dragging out of bed. Snow makes it easier, but even then….
And Happy Holidays to you!
Beautiful image, Mark!
Your thoughts about winter are how I have sometimes felt in the summer here on the coast when we can go for days (even sometimes weeks) with thick fog and no sunshine. I now “talk” with the fog and ask for her graces…. she’s given me some wonderful photo opportunities. Try talking to Winter and ask her to bless you (I hope you’re smiling!).
You have a keen eye, Mark. Great photo of the leaves- presented in a very artistic, arresting manner.