on a flat, dull, mild, grey winter day. This is what passes for winter in North West England.
No snow, no ice or frost and definitely no sunshine.
Brings to mind Hardy’s peom ‘Neutral Tones’ –
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
– They had fallen from an ash, and were gray.
Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Over tedious riddles of years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro
On which lost the more by our love.
The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
Alive enough to have strength to die;
And a grin of bitterness swept thereby
Like an ominous bird a-wing….
Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,
And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me
Your face, and the God curst sun, and a tree,
And a pond edged with grayish leaves.
(Thomas Hardy)
Roll on Spring….
JOHN PICKLES 
A beautiful scene, John. A fair amount is going on, but it remains serene.
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Thanks Mike. This is just a straight scan. When I get the time to print this in the darkroom I think I’ll be able to ‘balance it out’ a little better.
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It’s still very impressive and natural. Don’t go all HDR with it!
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Just a little burning in of the sky I think. Not sure how to do HDR in a darkroom!!!
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That could be a challenge, indeed! Small subtle changes are preferable, I generally think.
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Great choice of poem for your expressive “flat, dull, grey winter” scene…
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Thanks. The poem seems to fit a lot of days here lately, along with ‘The Darkling Thrush’ (also by Hardy)
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[…] Derwent Water. […]
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tMT: beautiful image & poems; i’ve reposted…thx RT
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Thanks. That’s very kind
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