Maine Coast Acadian Storm, Nov. 18th 2013

But year after year it always proves that it's more a time of rest in spirit than in reality! See the deal is that after the rush of the end of the season on the island and the fall colors of autumn have passed and the winds of november give the place a real ghost town effect all of a sudden- I always gravitate to hot chocolate and movies and working on images from the summer and organizing etc. Anything but feeling pressed to make catalog worthy imagery and or advance my place in things. It's important to rest sometimes like theres no hot if theres no cold, no rich if there's no poor- right, you know what I mean. So November comes and I feel relief in some ways, but then I go out with my camera- like just to look around, with no real agenda, and year after year I end up making some of my best images of the year then. Like these from last November: (but this was an unordinary trip far away off the island which proved to be ridiculously inspiring for photography- The Olympic Peninsula in Washington state:  Ruby Beach Sea StacksA promontory of sea stacks jut out into the Pacific Ocean at Ruby Beach in Washington.

"Ruby Beach Sea Stacks" Nov.7 2012

Oceanside Oregon Beach Swing in the FogMorning fog adds isolation to an empty swing on the beach at Oceanside Oregon.

"Mood Swings" Nov. 5 2012

Shi Shi Beach Sea StacksSea stacks jut out of the Pacific Ocean at Shi Shi Beach in Washington.

"Shi Shi Beach Sea Stacks" Nov. 6 2012

"Martha's Vineyard" Nov. 24 2012

"Rippogenus Driftwood" Nov. 9 2011

r.Cape Cod National Seashore. I found these two large driftwood tree stumps (this is the one on the left) set sturdily into the sand while walking on the beach looking for images to make in the rain in November. I couldn't believe the good fortune in finding these as a photographic subject, but still I have no guess as to what the function could possibly be! Maybe a volleyball net post?

"r." Cape Cod Ma. Nov. 23 2011

"Order Your Fresh Killed Goat Whole or Half" Nov. 24 2010

Before then (2010) it's more of a blur and not so good. Anyways, you know how inspired you are when it's beautiful in the summer and you're hot to go make vibrant sunrise images or then the fall colors are popping so you're working hard to make nice autumn photos, then winter photography with beautiful snow drifts and into spring with the fresh greens of new growth and waterfalls of winter melt runoff, but November just usually leaves me feeling really uninspired and I don't like to have to force it then. So this year I'm trying something entirely new and made a small studio set up with off camera flash and backgrounds and am making still life studies of sand dollars and shells and veggies that Sophie grew and stuff like that, and it's proving to be real interesting, at least warm and comfortable and it's near the beer or coffee pot which is always nice. But either way it's a productive and interesting way to get through the brown stick season and into the winter snows. I'll leave you with a couple of those for now-

"Sophies Garlic"

"Sand Dollars"

How does November affect your photography? Do you do anything different?

Have a good one- Nate.