November is a month in which our natural surroundings become progressively more stark. The transition from the splashy colors of fall to a more monochromatic environment sends us looking for something visually satisfying.
One is the noticeable improvement in shadows. We may pay more attention to shadows toward the end of the year because other environmental elements have disappeared or gone dormant. Or it may simply be that shadows are more conspicuous because they have gotten bigger: With the sun lower in the sky, our shadows grow longer.
The accompanying man-shadow image is a self-portrait of Bob. Bob is five foot eleven inches, but this image created on a sunny morning last month more than doubles that. His shadow will be even longer this month. And, to tell the truth, Bob is not quite as thin as his shadow would lead you to believe.
As children, we were fascinated by our shadows. As adults, there is no reason for that fascination to disappear. Look for shadows when and where the sun shines this month.
The other shadow image is of parts of a bicycle and bicycle rack. It was taken at Zingerman’s Deli on Detroit St. while we were on the way to enjoying a corned beef on rye. Taken at a different time on a different day, it does not show the same extreme elongation as Bob’s shadow. It does, however, show some strong graphical elements that are kind of cool to look at.
The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, will occur on December 21. After that, we will all start getting shorter in the shadow department.
