Shutter Sisters

Some Things Never Get Old

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I have for some time now had a love affair with the city of Chicago at night.  I self-identify as a night owl and often prefer the amber glow of street lights or cold fluorescents to the glare of the mid-day sun for my photographic adventures. I find the required long exposures and improvised tripods both challenging and magical. I love how deep blue the sky often looks in contrast to the white clouds. And the star-like flares from any points of light are simply irresistable. I just don’t get tired of wandering the streets, camera in hand, long after most sensible people in the city have gone to sleep.

What are some of the things that never get old for you to photograph? Please share your images with us today.

images of imperfection

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As we wrap up our October’s One Word Project, I am still basking in the glow of the beauty of imperfection. The ideas, images and affirmations that have been shared over the past month have been inspiring and motivating, to say the least. The integrity and authenticity of this community never ceases to amaze me.

What’s stays with me now is knowing that we have engaged in a collective energy that goes far beyond just a creative photography project. We are seeing ourselves and the world around us through a more compassionate lens; embracing who we are as beautifully imperfect. That’s a really big deal. Can you feel it?

As Brené Brown says in her book The Gifts of Imperfection, “choosing authenticity means cultivating the courage to be imperfect.”

Here’s to all of us for being brave as we have cultivated our courage together, declaring that being imperfect isn’t just acceptable, it’s beautiful. Keep those images of imperfection coming today as we flex our creative muscles of authenticity! If you would like Brene Brown to consider any of your images of imperfection from the month in the OWP for a video she is making in honor of the beauty of imperfection, please tag your images in our OWP Flickr pool “beauty of imperfection”. Remember when you are tagging your shots with a phrase like this, you must use the quoation marks in your tag to keep the words together in your tag.

And how about a giveaway today to celebrate all this awesomeness? Leave a comment here between now and Thursday 11/4 at  midnight EST for a chance to win the cutest little camera ever: the Fujifilm Instax Mini.YAY!

A special thanks to the amazing Brené Brown for inspiring us along this path of beautiful imperfection; for the last 30 days and beyond.

As for our new word for November? Come back tomorrow when we announce it! We promise you’ll have something wonderful to focus on.

The Daily Practice

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I’ve had a lot of cameras in my life but most of them were point-and-shoot. Right before my son was born, I decided I wanted the new Canon digital SLR.  It was really expensive and I had no photography training at all. I loved taking photos but I didn’t know anything about aperture, lenses, or even the settings on an SLR. After months of pondering, I decided I was going to get it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I knew that was a sign.

Right before I bought the camera, my husband and I went to Venice Beach with his 35mm and he taught me the basics: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. I am a computer programmer, so understanding the technical bits wasn’t too hard for me. What I needed to work on is what I call the magic of photography: seeing the light and developing my eye. Over the years, I realized that I was improving but I wasn’t consistent and I couldn’t tell if my better  photos were due to luck or because I was getting better at photography.

This is when I started the daily practice.

For the last three years, I’ve been taking photos every single day. Every day. Bar none. Some days it’s photos of my children or backyard and other days it’s more interesting things like views of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge or the redwood trees. I’ll admit that most days it’s flowers. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of flowers. And tens of thousands of photos of my kids. And while the subject matter might be boring to others (and sometimes even for me) it’s done much to improve my photography.

The daily practice means that I can notice subtle changes in light better. I take many of my photos in the same area: my house and its vicinity. So, I am quite familiar with it and I can now notice the slight changes in light due to weather, time of day, or other factors. This has helped me figure out how to pay attention to the light. What different types of light does to the photo. It’s also meant that I can experiment with different shots at the same light and see what happens.

The daily practice means I can focus on the photography more. I am not just grabbing my camera when I am trying to capture an important moment. When you’re trying to “catch” a moment, you don’t always have time to play with the settings in your camera. You are focusing on getting the picture, not optimizing the quality of the photo. Whereas, on many days, I am taking my photos during a perfectly ordinary moment. There’s no butterfly that’s about to fly away. I can slow down and adjust my settings. I can play with the aperture and see the effects of depth of field. I can focus on the photography and not on getting the shot.

The daily practice means I can develop my personal style. I take a lot of photos of my kids. Every night I download these photos and go through them. I notice which shots are technically better than others. But I also notice which shots are more interesting to me. What photo stirs emotions and why. For example, through taking these shots I’ve discovered that I favor closeups. I like photos where my kids are looking down and there’s a hint of a smile or acknowledgment of the photographer but it’s not posed.  I favor the right over the left.  Small, subtle differences that make my photos mine. Seeing the pictures night after night helps me notice patterns. Notice changes. Improvements.

I know that the idea of taking photos every day might seem overwhelming and too time-consuming but, like most things, the biggest part is showing up. Just getting up and doing it. Starting the habit of carrying your camera around with you. Choosing a special time in the day to snap the photo. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. You can do more focused efforts like choosing a month to specifically address aperture and another month to do portraits only, etc. Or you can just snap something everyday and look and learn from what you get each night. The most important part is to just do it. Grab that camera and take photographs. Again and again and again.

Until it becomes a daily practice.

On a much more personal and practical note, the daily practice has also meant that I’ve captured thousands of our ordinary moments. What makes us who we are and the reality of our daily life. I know that regardless of how great I get at photography, I will cherish this more than all else.

Please share with us one of those ordinary day captures from your own life as we celebrate the daily practice. And if you have any tips, tricks, or insights on keeping up with your own photography practice, let’s hear them!

Image and words courtesy of Guest Blogger / Honorary Sister Karen Grunberg of Karenika.

the lighter side of vignetting

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Vignetting can be one of the most effective post processing tools there is. It can also be taken too far or used too much. At least that’s what I’ve heard some people say. Like with most things, I chalk it up to a matter of the photographers perspective and prerogative.

I feel that a subtle vignette often enhances my imagery and so in post-processing I’ll often try one on for size just to see whether it will be beneficial for the final image. And sometimes I slide it all the way to the opposite side of the spectrum to see what the lighter side of vignetting will offer.

Every once in a while it’s exactly what I think the shot needs. In the photograph featured above, the darker vignette revealed the true setting of the shot which was in the pumpkin patch (especially when it was left in color). Once I dialed out the color and added the lighter vignette, the entire image was transformed and the setting felt much more mysterious to me. The white glow that surrounds my subject now could even be construed as a snowy field. That for me is magic as we don’t get snow where I live! A few clicks of my mouse and my entire image was transformed. The story changed, mysteries deepened and I have an image I love more than the original SOOC.

Have you ever gone to the lighter side of vignetting. It’s not nearly as common or popular as the darker side but if you don’t try it, you’ll never know if it fits your shot!

Today share your favorite vignette, be it dark or light. We’d love to see (and hear) your take on the art of the vignette.

Lens Love

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October. The magical month. It has been a year since my photography took a huge lunge forward, last October. I will love this month forever! and it is all because of two marvelous creatures: the 50mm/f1.4 lens and the 50mm/f2.5 compact macro lens.

I knew I was missing something in my photographs. Something in the way I was able — or more precisely, not able — to translate what I was seeing into tangible results. I see details. Little pieces of light or shape or texture that catch my eye and draw me in. but I wasn’t able to convey what I saw.

I saw it in other photographs. In food photography, still life photography, in magazines, on blogs. A serene beauty in having all but the smallest piece of the image softly out of focus. Shapes. Colors. Hints of information. Dreaminess. 

If they can do it, why can’t I do it? What IS it?

You see, I used to be a photojournalist, and the pictures I made were all about spreading information. Not that photojournalists’ photos aren’t artistic, they certainly can be. But the widest aperture I used as a photojournalist was f2.8. 

Having put photography aside for many, many years, I returned with fresh perspective, less of a photojournalist’s hat on.

One day, it just clicked. Ohhhhhhhh, I need to use an even wider aperture for even shallower depth of field.

So last October, I bought the 50mm/f1.4. Then in June, I bought the 50mm/f2.5 compact macro. And my photography, and therefore my life, hasn’t been the same since.

Now I use these two lenses almost exclusively. I’m still learning what aperture works well depending on the subject, angle, distance from subject, all that. Sometimes I don’t get the focus point where I want, or don’t have enough depth of field. Sometimes I even remember to bracket. But often, I’m able to show what I see in a way that feels right. Finally! And I love that with both of these lenses, there are often stunningly beautiful surprises in the image that I wasn’t able to see through the viewfinder.

It’s true what they say, that it’s not the equipment, it’s the photographer. But having the right gear can help a photographer express herself and show the world her unique viewpoint, what and how she sees. And we all know how it feels when we express ourselves just as we intended. Magic.

Image and words courtesy of guest blogger/honorary sister Hillary Sloss of Eyechai.

totally random

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The more you seek out photo ops, the more you find them. Once you open your eyes to really seeing the world around you, everything you come accross represents inspiration and possibility.

And, chances are, you’ll also find a million more random things than you’d ever thought were possible.

Case in point: Exhibit A.

My daughter and I discovered this on our walk. There are no better words perhaps than “so random”.

Today, let’s see what totally random shots you’ve captured! You know, the ones that defy any sense or meaning. Humor us!

daring

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Sometimes you have to take risks, be bold, do daring. Because…because…it challenges you. It surprises and delights you. It makes you feel alive. Isn’t that reason enough?

When you find yourself in a mode of doing all the right things, all the things you are supposed to be doing to go with the status quo, try taking a chance or two. Attempt to push the boundaries. Be assertive. Audacious. Over the top. Express yourself! What have you got to lose? A little excitement never hurt anyone.

In the name of all things bold and beautiful, we are thrilled to be featuring the splashy camera strap covers by Swanky Stitch. And because they know that making a statement is all part of what makes life interesting, they are going to be giving away 3 Swanky Stitch camera straps to 3 lucky shutter sisters. All you have to do is be bold enough to comment here between now and Sunday at midnight EST for your chance to be in the random drawing to win one.

Today, let’s celebrate the wow factor! Reveal your daring! Show us what you’ve got in the name of expressing your wild side!

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Congrats to Angie Willis, Stephanie and Diane Schuller for winning Swanky Stich camera staps!

the creative path

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Do you ever just get preoccupied in the day to day, the week to week, the month to month that you forget to stop and take a look back just for the sake of recognizing how far you’ve traveled?

We keep walking our creative paths; striving, sharing, expressing, working, playing, moving, and creating. There are days we skip along like children, effortless in joy and other we labor just to take one more step. But, we keep walking because as creative women, it’s just what we do. We wouldn’t have it any other way. But what about really taking stock of all that we’ve done? It’s high time we do that for ourselves. Because we’ve all come pretty far. Wouldn’t you agree?

I was fortunate enough to talk about the creative path with the inspiring Jamie Ridler for a podcast at the Creative Living Series.  Just talking with Jamie helped me reflect on my own creative journey and got me to slow down long enough to look back and acknowledge how far I’ve come and how my once-upon-a-time dream of gathering like-minded, like-hearted creative, photography loving women together has grown and is thriving. It left me so humbled and full of gratitude that my path has led me to all of you. 

You can listen in on the podcast at Jamie’s site (CLICK HERE TO LISTEN).

And in celebration of each of us and this amazing place where we gather to share our passions, how about another Expressive Photography book giveaway? Consider it an expression of my love and gratitude. And I mean it with everything I am!

Share with us something from your own creative path today. Anything at all that celebrates how far you’ve come! Go you!

To be entered to win a copy of Expressive Photography just leave your comment here between now and Friday at midnight EST.

Congrats to Laura Gillmore/GenBug for winning a copy of Expressive Photography! Woot!

Express Yourself

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Tap tap tap…may I have your attention please…the word on Amazon Street is that our new book, Expressive Photography: a Shutter Sisters Guide to Shooting from the Heart is just about ready to be shipped!

And yes, we are beside ourselves! What better way to kick off September’s One Word Project than to do it with lots and lots of heart? How? By using the word express as your inspiration for the month.

Express youself! Your love, your joy, your passion, your point of view, whatever it may be. We want it all.  All you, expressing yourself in your images. Heart and soul.

And since it might be a little tricky to have a Karaoke sing-along to celebrate our book’s release, we thought we’d just give away a few books this month, starting today!

Express yourself in the comments today (between now and Saturday at midnight EST) for your chance to win a copy of Expressive Photography, hot off the presses.

And while we’ve still got the mic, we’d like to express our thanks to our US publisher Focal Press and our UK publisher Ilex AND we’d like to express our gratitude to all of you for your support and participation over the years. You are truly the best ever!

Edited to add:

CONGRATULATIONS to Rachel at A Southern Fairytale for winning a copy of our book! YAY!

Happy Faces

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Image courtesy of Angie Arthur

As we wrap up a month full of fresh faces, we are pleased to share some words from the two lovely ladies behind the I Heart Faces community, Angie Arthur and Amy Locurto about how it all began and what inspires them:

I Heart Faces was started by a random connection we made with each other through our love of blogging and photography. We “met” each other through the comments section on another photographer’s blog, made an instant connection and had that wonderful circumstance happen when you immediately become friends with someone else. A few months after we first met, Angie sent Amy an email asking her what she thought about starting a blog that revolved around photographing people. The idea completely mushroomed into something much bigger (and better!) than we ever imagined. The entire concept of I Heart Faces was created, designed and implemented before we had ever met one another in person or even spoken on the phone together! When we finally were able to meet at a conference months later it was like we had known each other our entire lives. Our husbands thought the entire situation was a bit bizarre, but for us it was just meant to be.

All along we knew that we wanted I Heart Faces to be something that would be fun and inspiring for other photographers no matter what their level of photography experience was. Through I Heart Faces we have not only learned a ton ourselves about photography, but have gained an amazing community of friends and support. It just proves that taking the time to do something you’re passionate about can really pay off in the end and bring you more joy than you ever imagined.

 

 Image courtesy of Amy Luturo

Angie & Amy answer our six questions:

Where do you look for inspiration?

We’ve found that we are surrounded by inspiration right in our community through the photographers that enter photos into our weekly challenges, the Guest Judges that we interview and feature on our site and the thriving community that we interact with daily. We have a few men in our community (we heart them a bunch!) but we mainly seem to attract women as an audience. It is a thrill to see these women encourage, support and love one another through their personal photography journey.

What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?

Being creative with our work. Both of us are very creative people and hate it when we feel like we’re stuck in a rut. We’ve found that the weekly photo challenge themes spur us forward to continually come up with new ideas and unique ways of shooting so that we will have an interesting photo to enter into the challenge that week.

If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self – regardless of money, time or childcare issues – where would you go and why?

We have both talked about taking a group of our fans on a trip to Italy someday (how fun would that be?!) Deep down though, our greatest wish would be to go along on a missions trip as the official photographer or to go on a Bloggers Trip for Compassion International. Making a difference with our photography would be a dream come true!

What is your photo philosophy?

We both respond strongly to a photojournalistic style of photography. We think it’s extremely important to learn to have your camera with you at all times so that you can be ready to capture the little moments that truly matter. While we enjoy photographing nature and buildings, our true passion is (obviously!) photographing faces.

Are there women out there you consider to be your “shutter sisters”?

Oh wow, are there! We have an entire community of women now that have surrounded us with love and who lift us up in encouragement daily. By far, one of the best parts of I Heart Faces are the emails we receive when women pour out their heart and describe how much the encouragement and love they have received from our community has completely changed their lives and allowed them to pursue dreams that they never imagined being able to follow. It gives us chills to know that we might have made a beautiful difference in the life of someone else. That’s why we’re extra excited about our upcoming I Heart Faces Photography Workshop! We hope to encourage women to “Dream Big” and purse their passion to the fullest! We’ll be opening up for registration in September and can’t wait!

A special thanks to Angie and Amy for joining us at Shutter Sisters this month for an awesome One Word Project. Since September’s word will be announced tomorrow, let’s squeeze in a few more shiny happy faces today! Say Cheese!