Walking On A Cloudy Morning

A Gray Morning Makes For Moody Images

“Xochimilco Church Courtyard” — Photo by Author

I have always loved cloudy mornings and gray days. Perhaps it comes from growing up in Arizona, where the sunshine never seems to stop. That wanting of what we don’t have.

When I moved to Eugene, Oregon, to study photography way back in 1983, I felt like I had landed in heaven. The frequent gray skies somehow allowed me, to shine a little brighter.

I soon discovered the soft, diffused light, made for photographs that suited my vision. Images that felt like old friends. I was no longer fighting with harsh contrast.

“Sitting Figure” — Photo by Author

The rainy season in Oaxaca often creates the soft light I prefer. This morning was abundantly diffused. My heart was happy. My camera, Joni, was happy.

What surprised me were the subjects I was drawn to. With soft light I am often attracted to scenes with deep, saturated colors. Subjects that become even richer in diffused light.

This morning it was the moody subjects and surfaces that called to my eye. Ones that I would choose on a sunny day, as long as they were on the shady side of the street.