It was not a shock or even a surprise that West Michigan was gray all week. And yet . . .  “Grand Rapids, Michigan, hasn’t recorded a single minute of sunshine without a full blanket of clouds since January 22, according to their official monthly climate report,” reports The Weather Channel. As a resident, I can confirm that. So, inspired or depressed, I decided to shoot indoors and go black and white. Mostly.

The cover image fits the mood of the week. Gray. Stuck indoors looking at clouds and precipitation. It was a bit of an experiment. I took three shots, with the camera on a tripod. The first focused on the chandelier, the second on the planter just outside the window, and the third on the mailbox across the street. Then I used Photoshop to “focus stack.” That is, align the photos in layers and let Photoshop choose the areas in focus from each image, creating a final image in focus from close up to far away. The camera and lens could not do that in one shot.

This week’s images are the day-to-day stuff I see in the house. Things related to food and drink, especially breakfast. A plate and knife for morning toast. An espresso machine.

Sleep, clothing, and cleanliness. The blinds in the bedroom, windows in the bathroom, hangers in a closet and washer and drier.

Stuff on the coffee table in the living room. Headphones on a book about dogs, airline tickets from Hawaii, and a birthday card.

Finally, a splash of color. The mantle about the fireplace. I went color with this one because the Christmas card from my sisters is a painting from the Ottawa artist Andrew King. I love his whimsical, weird, moody stuff.

Categories: Grand Rapids, Weekly ImageTags: Black & White, Clouds, Fujifilm GFX 50R, Grand Rapids, Gray Skies, Michigan, Winter