Shutter Sisters

One Sweet Shutter Suite

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Alas! It is the time to officially kick off our very special summer event, The Shutter Sister Shutter Suite presented by Aurora! BlogHer weekend is the perfect time and the Sheraton Chicago is the perfect place to gather and mingle together (in person!) sister to sister. You are all cordially invited to join in the festivities. We have amazing sponsors that are making it possible for us to create a sweet Suite experience you won’t want to miss.

We’re not announcing every little detail just yet (we’re sneaky that way) but rest assured we’ve got some pretty cool plans for the weekend. We will be rolling out the goods as the date approaches on The Shutter Suite Blog we’ve created right here at Shutter Sisters. Be sure to click over daily to get updates! We’ve got our first post up there today so check it out.  And like we always say, when it comes to this amazing community, the more the merrier. All are welcome. It’s gonna be sweet!

Speaking of sweet, don’t forget to send in the link to your One Sweet Shot honoree this month because next Sunday is OSS for June. And by the way, we are loving the sweet shots in our One Word Project Flickr Pool as well. Keep up the super work.

In honor of all that is sweet and good, feel free today to leave a comment celebrating anything in your life that is particularly sweet right now. With the start of summer, my guess is there’s plenty of goodness to share!

sweet

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First of all thanks so much for joining us in our impromptu Share Fest yesterday. We are so appreciative for all your kind words and encouragement. The more sisters the merrier so we are thrilled to welcome any new photographers to our blog!

And now onto what’s next. Our new word for our One Word Project. It’s a sweet one. And I really mean it. Our word is SWEET. And the featured photo above was inspired by T Wool’s image of these scrumptious cookies. She shared with us last month but, the shot fit the word sweet so well that it’s what we used to kick off the new month over on the OWP page. Thanks T Wool for the delicious inspiration!

 

So, why sweet? Because this summer during the BlogHer conference we will be hosting The Shutter Suite at the Sheraton Chicago (July 24, 25, 26) . It’ll be the perfect mix of fun, function and most of all sisterhood! The Shutter Suite will be the first official organized Shutter Sisters gathering place so we are pretty darn giddy about it. Our official invite with some more details (like some of our fab sponsors) will be posted right here this week so watch for it! We’ve got a lot of things in store for that weekend and will roll out the plans as we get closer to the date. Until then, you can check out the BlogHer conference info at the BlogHer website to get info, etc.

 

We’d love to hear if you’re planning on attending BlogHer so shout out in the comments today. We know, we know, BlogHer tickets are all sold out. But, if you would like to stop by The Shutter Suite that weekend, we will welcome you with open doors. So, let’s hear it. You coming to the Suite or what?

 

In the meantime, start shooting your sweet shots and add them to our OWP Flickr pool. We can’t wait to see what you’ll be dishing up!

Still So Much to Share

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Bebe's Bunny

When I saw this image in our OWP Pool for this months word Share, it melted my heart. Being a mama to a little girl who also held a stuffed bunny near and dear to her heart for years (she still sleeps with it at 11), I immediately associated Bebe’s Bunny by KrispyCrunch6 with security, warmth, unconditional love, and sharing. And those are words I often use to describe what we’ve got happening over here at Shutter Sisters. Thanks to all of us working together in a collective group of creativity, support and acceptance, we have created a unique safe haven for sharing ourselves and our work. I honestly can’t think of anything better.

Today is the last day of the month where we say good-bye to our last word and usher in a new one with the blank slate primed for our next challenge. Thanks to HP for being such terrific sponsors! But, I’ll tell you, I really hate to see the word share go anywhere. So…let’s make a pact. Let’s always hold onto sharing around here. As a matter of fact, let’s celebrate today, our last official day of the word share with a big huge sisterly Share Fest! Crowd goes wild.

Since we’ve launched this blog over 18 months ago we have gathered a stellar group of women photographers! And I am talking about all of you! Let’s keep growing this community. Today, I ask each and every one of you to SHARE SHUTTER SISTERS! Blog about what’s happening here, email your own personal Shutter Sisters, twitter, facebook, invite fellow Flickr friends and images you think are Shutter Sisters material into our pool, call people, talk about us…just share this community in any way that feels good to you!

We’ve got some great things brewing that we are eager to share with you all and the new friends you invite too so check back tomorrow when we announce the new word for next month’s One Word Project and our super-sweet plans for BlogHer this summer in Chicago. It’s going to be great, I promise.

And in appreciation of all of you jumping in with our Share Fest we will be giving one of you TWO Shutter Sisters Flash Bulb Necklaces. One for you and one for a friend. It just seems right. So, leave a comment here and tell us how you are sharing Shutter Sisters and you’ll be entered in the random drawing. You have until midnight Tuesday night to comment. YAY!

If you haven’t already, pop over to yesterday’s post and comment there too. You’ll be entered to win the National Geographic prize pack! You have until midnight tonight for that one. See?? It’s just a big Share Fest around here!

Put Yourself Out There

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When it comes to prestige and esteem in the world of photography I’m pretty sure that National Geographic is on the top of that list. To have images featured in a publication like that would be such an honor, it’s almost unfathomable. When I read about The Ultimate Photo Contest that they are hosting, along with Energizer and saw what the Grand Prize was, I was weak in the knees. A trip to the Galapagos Islands (for 2) with a National Geographic guide while the winning photo is featured in the magazine. Swooning on both accounts.

 

We all know what can happen when we put ourselves out there by sharing our passion and taking a chance on winning the jackpot. If anyone knows that trying can actually result in winning, it’s all of us here.

 

We often add contest links in our side notes here at Shutter Sisters to inform you of the photo contests we catch wind of. Like the Photography Book Now or the Images of the Year competitions. Consider our listings as gentle nudges to put yourself and your work out there! Many of you have enlightened us in our Flickr Pool discussionas well about contests, etc. Thank you for that. If there is ever anything that’s happening in the photo community that you want to bring to our attention you can email us too. We’re all ears.

 

And since I’ve still got National Geographic stars in my eyes I am thrilled to tell you that in light of The Ultimate Photo Contest they are giving away an adorable and cool USB Port Photo Print Scanner a subscription to National Geographic magazine and some Energizer Lithium Batteries to one lucky reader!

 

And don’t miss what the judge of the contest Jim Richards has to share. He’s got tips on photography and is even answering questions from the community. Something tells me, he knows what he’s talking about!

 

Leave your comment here for a chance to win today’s cool prize package (you have until midnight on Monday to do so) and if you want to share a contest or something else that’s going on, we’d love to hear about it!

in photo fashion

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We all have our own unique style and flair in the way we use our cameras; how we shoot, what we shoot…each of us a little different; distinctly us. And the longer we shoot the more into our own groove we get. But what about our photography accessories?

 

To be honest, I never really thought about it for the majority of my career. It was what it was. Black camera, black strap, black bag. Period. Style? What style? You mean there are choices?

 

Unlike 15 years ago, when there really weren’t many choices, today there all sorts of cool options. Companies are beginning to recognize us women more and more and –hallelujah—are even designing photo equipment and accessories with us in mind!

 

Spending time last summer with some pretty hip photo chicks, I noticed that I was one of the only ones without a nifty, personalize camera strap. Hey, wait a minute, what’s going on around here! You mean I can actually choose a strap of my very own? And don’t get me started on cool camera bags!

 

My search took me straight to Etsy which is loaded with amazing choices for girlie photo gear (and when I say girlie I am not just talking pink) most of which are hand made. And then there is the unprecedented PhotoJojo Store. Take their latest addition; the recycled seat belt camera strap (shown above). This baby is obviously not just for women but it does deliver that something funky I was looking for. And I am LOVING my teal beauty not only for its funk but for its function. It can be quickly adjusted so that my camera actually sits at my hip level (you can wear it like you would a messenger bag) which is ideal because I literally shoot from the hip as much as I do looking through my view finder.

 

What do you do/have/wear that gives your equipment a little pizzazz? Anything out of the ordinary? Do you have any discoveries to share? Leave a comment here and you could win one of these fine seatbelt straps courtesy of our friends at PhotoJojo.

catch the light

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In August of 2008 I felt a pull to buy a DSLR. I know my husband thought I was crazy since I had rarely picked up our little point and shoot but I felt this pull and had to follow through.  From the moment the camera was in my hands I have photographed everything I could think of. On Christmas Day 2008 I started a project called “my year of mornings”. It was around that time that I started to really become involved on flickr. I have been inspired by some fabulous photographers. I have been in awe of the gorgeous images I have come across. The beauty I find there inspires me every day!

I could not figure out what is was about my photo’s that wasn’t quite clicking. I knew what I liked in others photo’s and I wasn’t seeing it in my own. I can’t tell you exactly when it clicked but when it did my photography changed. What clicked was I was able to find the light, to capture it, to use it and play with it. I have people message me all the time asking me what I am doing to get such great pictures and I am never sure how to explain it. It’s hard to tell someone how to see something that is subtle yet grand! Soft yet powerful! Quiet yet expressive! I can tell you that once you find it you will wonder how you didn’t see it before and you will see your photo’s become magical.

One of my favourite types of light is reflective catchlights in portraits. If I don’t get catchlights in my portraits I am extremely frustrated! Catchlights make the person you are photographing so alive and vibrant! The best way to get them indoors is to position your subject so they are facing a large bright window. What you will get is a gorgeous reflection of that window. I find it harder to get catchlights outside. The best way is get them outside is to get your subject into open shade and have them facing the lightsource. A covered porch works beautifully for catchlights. If you can’t find open shade then you will want to use a reflector. What I have done to improve this skill is when I am out with my children, even when I don’t have my camera, I watch their eyes. When I see the catchlights I pay careful attention to where the light is coming from. Very soon you will know exactly how to capture them on camera!

“Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished”. ~Michael Strassfeld

Please share with us today how you capture light in your pictures.

Photo and words courtesy of Guest Blogger / Honorary Sister Sebrina Wilson.

Love on Mother’s Day

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1. i’ll stop the world and melt with you, 2. a mother’s joy…, 3. Happy Mother’s Day!, 4. happy mother’s day, 5. birth day, 6. Day 33/365 Mother’s Watchful Eye, 7. Untitled, 8. ladies, 9. Mother Natures Heart, 10. I Heart U MOM, 11. <3, 12. Well deserved!!, 13. ..love creates beauty.., 14. motherly love 3, 15. mother daughter Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

No matter where you are or who you are spending your day with, we wish you a wonderful day full of love.

Thank you for all of your lovely tributes of Motherhood in our flickr pool. We encourage you to leave a special sentiment here today as well. You can never have too much mother-love.

what you’re creating

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the lovely and talented Kristi of A Life Photographic

We know more than anyone that you’ve been behind us 100% in all of our endeavors these days, it’s high time we return the favor.

Now it’s YOUR turn. We are eager to hear what you’ve been creating, sharing, putting out there, risking, expressing, capturing, celebrating…

Maybe you’re creating a book to enter for the Photography Book Now Competition. Or maybe we’re behind the eight ball and you’ve already submitted one (go girls go! enter one, enter one!). Maybe you’ve set your sites on a gallery show or a feature in a magazine or a gig as a guest blogger somewhere? Have you entered a contest? Have you won a contest? Have you been nominated for something and need our votes? Did you capture the best photograph you have ever captured to date and are bursting at the seams to share it?

Come on, don’t be shy. We are all here to encourage and honor one another. So, spill the beans. Toot your own horn. Feel good about what you are creating. We see it everyday in our Flickr pools and it is most defininely something to share!

And to celebrate YOU today, we’re giddy to throw a giveaway on the table. HP is giving one of you fine photographers an HP Photosmart All-in-One Printer with thier lovely matte Brochure and Flier Paper (love it!!!) for printing your creations. Just leave a comment here sometime between now and Friday night at midnight to get in the running. 

So, let’s hear it, we’re all ears and open hearts.

Thanks everyone! A big congrats to Puna for winning the printer! Yay!

Because All the Little Things You Do Matter

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Congrats to Hope

It’s Saturday morning, and if you’re like every other woman in America, your to-do list has already been set for days.  Here’s a friendly reminder from your Shutter Sisters community to make sure you make the list–because all the little things you do to bring hope and light to the people you love, make the world a much better place.

Today we want to see your photos of what you did for you.  Have a great day, sisters!