Chicflat Loc: Tulsa, Ok,

I do much less photography in the winter. The light, the cold, the lack of color and so much more stifle the urge/ I still want to enjoy getting a good shot. Part of my problem is that what to shoot is always an issue. Where I live there is little at this time of year to grab mt attention. No Florida lush, green vegetation and no snow cover -we get maybe four snowfalls a year that usually last at best three days - many days of bland sky, and repetitiousness of the few subjects with much interest make for spare times.
Below are a few shots that I have taken this year or in the last couple of years. What I would like to know is whether you face the same doldrums and if so what catches your eye. Please feel free to show your work. Comments are welcome, since I did extend the invitation already, and thank uou.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

How about macro or close-ups? Framed or cropped much closer, your photo #2 could be an interesting study of that curvy plant against the white posts. Think patterns, lines, light and shadows rather than more literal or wider viewpoints. UHH's close-up forum: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-113-1.html

You might be interested in a Facebook group called Create 52. MinnieV posted the link recently:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/327777904493968/?ref=share

There is a weekly theme, and the one that started today is "street lights." I would never have gotten out of my recliner to shoot "street lights" if I wasn't signed up (I am not active on Facebook other than for this weekly group)

street lamp, on Flickr

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

More ideas: Shop windows, paying special attention to reflections. Museums (usually no tripod or flash allowed), architecture, "stuff" inside antique or second-hand stores.

Don't forget about us in the PP Forum. This is a great time of year to learn new processing skills:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-116-1.html

A photo I shot from my car last week just 'cause I like chickens. I did a lot of playful pp to achieve this look and make it feel like summer

chicks texturized , on Flickr

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Where I live we don't really have what most would consider a 'winter' but we certainly have plenty of bland days of either heavy cloud or blazing sunshine. A project I'm presently undertaking is documenting the weekly progress of a bridge construction and have found the only way to make the images a bit interesting is to use sunrise/sunset lighting.

Whilst it takes commitment to be at certain locations for subjects when the light will be favourable have you considered this?

An example of using the light on a mundane subject as the suns setting.

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hcmcdole

Go for a hike at a park nearby (hopefully one with water). You can see a lot more with all the leaves off the trees this time of year.

We have a state park less than 10 miles from our house and go as often as we can. These two shots (first from my phone, second from a super-zoom) show the difference in weather two days apart in early January.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Bare branches against a contrasting background, close-ups, leaves with various colors and textures, spots of ice and any water. Items that have details and things that you don't want heavy shadows with are items that photograph well on cloudy days.

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mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Travel the back roads and look for interesting subjects like old buildings, sun rays, etc. you can have a blast! Look at my blog https://www.photobee1blog.com/2020/01/another-trip/

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Freeman Patterson, a Canadian educator will tell you that as a photographer you need to see. Many of us look but do not see. He tells his audience that if we are not capable of seeing what is familiar, what is around us that then chances are excellent we will miss many opportunities when in a different place.

As suggested by Linda macro photography could be a good start. A good exercise is to walk 10 steps outside your front door. Observe what is around you and make 10 photographs of whatever you like with the composition that you find most pleasant to your eyes without moving from that spot. Analyze the results. Show it to someone if you can with more experience and ask for critique and what would that person had done differently. If necessary repeat the exercise with a different view based on the critique. Did you notice that something changed?

Mr. Patterson has a book entitled "Photography and the Art of Seeing" that you could buy second hand to save money. He describes in that book exercises that will help you to see photographically. Inside your home and outdoors there are plenty of opportunities to shoot but you have to find the subjects and you have to see. A bland sky could be replaced during editing, one of the advantages of using digital photography.

Go out again. Look around and be patient. You will see lots of subjects to photograph regardless of weather, regardless of where you are.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

It’s surprising what one can find just out driving around. I was out yesterday afternoon (bland, cloudy, unappealing Indiana winter weather) and found this little barn tucked away in the edge of a woods. A little pp, and presto--a decent, at least to me, capture. I have also posted this one for the gallery. If one looks, he can usually find something, be it indoors or out. This one is sharper in download.

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Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

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billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

In the winter I look for contrasts that are not available in the summer. For example, near my summer home at Lake Pymatuning there is a gate house on the dam that controls water flow from the Dam, almost everyone takes a picture of it during the summer. I wanted to do a different angle on it so I picked a day in January using a long lens and below is the result. Remember to isolate your main subject and include as little else as possible. Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
The first shot is the gate house taken in September, the second was taken in January.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Work on honing your black and white skills or try some night shots.

FunkyL Loc: MD

[quote=camerapapi]Freeman Patterson, a Canadian educator will tell you that as a photographer you need to see. Many of us look but do not see. He tells his audience that if we are not capable of seeing what is familiar, what is around us that then chances are excellent we will miss many opportunities when in a different place.
quote]

As soon as I read your question, I also thought of Mr Patterson's wonderful book. Winter is a great time to experiment, and to try some of his exercises. Just this morning I was up on a stepladder playing around with what I could make of the way the sunlight hit a wind chime that was blurred by a thermal film that covers the upper part of the kitchen window. It's also a great time to teach yourself new techniques in post processing. When there's nothing that you're really emotionally invested in shooting, you can really be free to play around with it, and if you don't like what you get, delete it with no regrets.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Graphic subjects with sharp contrast work really well but are hard to find because the light is so even on cloudy days. Fog can help create a moody composition. I agree, it’s quite a challenge.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Can't decide among all the fantastic suggestions offered? Create a custom wheel, spin it and shoot the theme chosen by chance
https://wheeldecide.com/

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