I once described depression as like a view of mudflats on a cloudy day. All the colour and energy seem to drain out of the world. So I was really struck by something Colleen wrote in a recent post. She had been on a walk and said it was ‘one of those grey days that, if you are in the right frame of mind, can be soothing rather than miserable’.
This was a new idea for me. I have only ever thought of grey days as difficult. So today I took my camera for a walk with the aim of photographing anything that was grey and that I found attractive.
Here’s what I came up with.
The water in my beloved Porter Brook.
A stone wall
A horse’s muzzle
Bare branches against the sky
Lichen
Finally, I had to include this one because although it isn’t grey it does capture how a dull day can actually make colour look even more vibrant than usual.
Given more time I am sure I could have added to these pictures. So thank you, Colleen, for helping me to see grey days in a new way.
And thank you Joanna for such a lovely post and lively photos. I can’t tell you how heartening it is to know that my wee words have made a difference to the way you see grey. I’m very moved.
(PS Gwen John I think is very good at dealing with grey, I think. When I used to visit Sheffield a good deal I’d always try to make enough time to pop into the Graves on the way to the station to see the painting of her room.)
That’s a great idea about Gwen John – I shall pay her room a visit when I go into uni next week. Blessed relief from the mad crowds in the shops!
Great post. The photos are worth taking a look at.
Thanks Thomas. One of the things I like most about having a blog is that it gives me more motivation to explore photography.
Great photographs Joanna. I love the one of the horse.
I was very struck by that comment on Colleen’s blog, too. I don’t like the grey days very much either, and was rather dismayed at the lack of daylight this weekend just gone, and the rain.
Your photos help me to think differently about the grey too, thank you for taking them and sharing them here. I especially like the soft horses nose.
Thanks to you both. I am very fond of horses in general and their noses in particular!
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