NO-color, NO-toriously bleak, NO-good nature photography opportunities ... NO-vember? Well, some years it's "YES-vember" (Thanks to Malamute Man for that clever term.)

Last November (2010) I posted some photos as a kind of self-challenge, one to see if there were any decent nature photos to be made in a month that is generally perceived as offering few to none in most years. This of course would apply to temperate areas with distinct seasonal changes ... like in the northeastern U.S. - like in Pennsylvania where I do most of my nature photography.

No remaining peak fall foliage, no snow scenes, no flowers ... no butterflies ... NO-vember nature photography seems to call for black and white images showing forms, light and contrast set in strong compositions .

The November 2010 photos were pretty good, good enough for Malamute Man to come up with the term "YES-VEMBER!" So, you'd think that a few days ago, when I set out into a forest in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, I would have had a "Yes-vember" mindset instead of the black and white one I took along. Once into Hickory Run's woods, Mal's "YES-VEMBER" came back loud and clear ...

Herein are some of yesterday's images ... some full color, others in black and white.

Thanks Mal! "YES-VEMBER," - NO-problem.

All Rights Reserved/Article and images/ A. Macarthur

1) Hickory Run, Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

2) Birch Trees, Carbon County, Pennsylvania

3) Birch Trees Carbon County, Pennsylvania

4) Same as # 2 ... original color image.

5) Hickory Run, Carbon County, Pennsylvania

6) Zoomed in.

7) REALLY zoooooomed in (from a different angle).

All Rights Reserved/A. Macarthur