5 Pictures of November
In the final days of the month,
I always comb through my Lightroom catalogue, checking whether my images of the month are selected, edited, and exported. Initially, this was done solely to free up space on my current 1TB internal SSD, which is considered small by today's standards.
Over the past few months, though, I've started building small collections of my favourite photographs taken within the last month. This is a great way to also see what happened during that time, the photoshoots, the hikes and everything in between, really. That's how I got the idea of publishing my favourite images in an article with the story behind each photo, including why I took the shot and, potentially, the technique as well.
To keep things concise, I landed on 5 images per month.
What happened in November
We didn't really get lucky with the weather on Vancouver Island this month. Lots of rainy, gloomy days. And while I sometimes seek out the wet, foggy days to go out and capture the Pacific Northwest that glows under that kind of weather, I, for some reason, didn't feel inspired to explore much. I was also bogged down at home with a backlog of editing and administrative tasks that I shall not bore you with here. On a lighter note, I also started receiving some iPhone gear for the iPhone 17 Pro I unboxed in early October, once back from my trip to France. Some gear, including mobile lenses, filters, and cases, was purchased, while others were sent to me for review. So, on the few somewhat sunny days of November, I started testing out some of this gear. Somehow, more than 80% of the images I took this month were shot with the iPhone 17 Pro.
Here are my 5 images of November presented in chronological order.
I) Paradise Meadows
2025 • November 2 | Strathcona Provincial Park, BC
November 2 was one of those days that began with a pale but clear blue sky, typical for this time of year. I hoped to catch glimpses of the autumn colours on Mount Washington in Comox. However, as we drove north from Nanaimo, the clouds grew thicker. Upon reaching Mount Washington, we quickly realized that the vibrant autumn colours had been blanketed by the first snowfall. This was clearly an oversight on my part, as snowfall in early November is typical for this alpine environment. Our initial plan was to hike the loop to Battleship Lake, but since the weather wasn't improving, we decided to just do a loop around Paradise Meadows instead. As we followed the boardwalk through the meadows, we crossed a stream that hadn't yet frozen, which surprisingly contained some of the warmest colours found in the valley. The brown and bright long grass, neatly combed by the flowing water, was gently undulating in the current.
I tried several compositions, sometimes leaning over the water and twisting my polarizing filter to reduce reflections, revealing the true colours of the grass.
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro
II) Gerald Island
2025 • November 7 | Moorecroft Regional Park, BC
That day, the sun was there for most of the day; it was we who were late to catch it! I guess I was still not used to the days being this short that time of the year, and when we arrived at Moorecroft Regional Park on Nanoose Bay, the cove was already in the shade, the sun barely filtering through the trees.
The only light seemed to bounce off Gerald Island, turning the small island's trees and shores a golden hue that contrasted against the deep blue ocean and the pastel sky.
Sadly, zooming in reveals the soft focus. I learnt that day that when using the Moment 58mm T-Series lens with the iPhone 17 Pro, you need to tap to focus to ensure your image is in focus, rather than simply pointing and shooting, as is the case with most iPhones.
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro
III) Mossy Logs
2025 • November 18
On my way to Heart Lake above Ladysmith, I reached the first viewpoint on the town below and slitted off the main trail as I could hear a nearby stream. I carefully stepped onto the wet, smooth rock and discovered a small stream of running water. Despite its smaller size, the sound it made was loud and rushing, and the water trickling down rocks off the main stream resembled a tiny waterfall. Although the scene was predominantly green, the colours from the fallen leaves added a nice contrast to this peaceful setting.
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro
IV) Evening Mountain Stream
2025 • November 18
The trail that leads to Heart Lake runs for the most part along a stream that descends from the mountain above us in a series of slivering streams, waterfalls, and canyons. This was my first visit here, and I was pleasantly surprised by this place, which is not often mentioned on many bucket-list websites for places to see on Vancouver Island.
I passed this stream on the way up and got a few shots; however, the overcast weather rendered the scene pale in comparison to a few hours later, as I was descending the mountain and found the stream backlit by the setting sun filtering through the trees. To get closer to the stream, I had to bushwalk through thick vegetation. The ground was hidden beneath a carpet of leaves, so each step felt uncertain. At one point, my leg fell through the rocks down the slope. Surprised by the sudden fall, I grabbed the nearest thing I could find—a thorny branch. Undeterred, I pushed on and finally reached the stream's edge. After washing my hands in the cold water and removing the thorns from my fingers, I leaned against a large mossy rock to take this photograph.
Although the rock obstructed my view, I decided to use it to my advantage since it was covered in orange leaves, adding a splash of colour to the scene. The shallower depth of field of the Moment 58mm T-Series lens guides the viewer's eye toward the stream, which reflects pleasing golden hues. One note about the leaves on the rock is that those at the bottom of the picture display a purple hue. This effect was caused by the Moment 58mm lens, which has a significant flaw: it produces a strong purple lens flare. Since this photograph is part of a lens review, I decided to leave the flare as it is to demonstrate how the lens truly performs.
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro
V) Rainforest of Qualicum
2025 • November 23 | Little Qualicum Falls
On a late afternoon, we took a walk around Little Qualicum Falls, testing the Sandmarc 58mm Tele Lens on my iPhone 17 Pro. While the following image wasn't captured with this lens, it is my favourite from that day. It features deep green conifers with bare branches, yet covered in moss that hung down like ropes. If I were to describe the wet forest of the Pacific Northwest, this is likely the kind of image I would share.
If you live on the southern coast of British Columbia, especially near Vancouver, you probably know that Vancouver and its surrounding areas serve as a backdrop for a prolific film and television industry. I've lost count of how many movies and TV shows I've seen that feature recognizable locations in this region. One of the most obvious giveaways is the local vegetation.
One recent movie that comes to mind is "Jurassic World Dominion," which was filmed in 2021 in and around Vancouver. While watching it in the theatre, I couldn't help but snicker when I saw "The Sierra" backdrop, complete with a highly recognizable Canadian train. Another stage was the Sanctuary in the Dolomites, featuring its misty, deep forests. This setting is reminiscent of one of the Pacific Northwest's most recognizable landscapes, which is hard to imagine in the Italian Dolomites. But I suppose that's what we call "movie magic."
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro
Final Thoughts
Here are my five favourite images taken in November. Although nothing seems quintessential, November was definitely a slower month. After all, it's not just about "bangers," a term I actually quite despise to describe photographs. There were no epic locations or elusive wildlife. However, these simple images remind us to document the everyday moments, like a short walk in the woods. They also bring to mind the famous saying, "The best camera is the one you have with you," because you never know what the next turn might reveal.
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