I did not use to notice and play with texture in my photography until very recently.

When I first picked up the camera, I was interested in color. Color juxtaposition, colorful walls, details, etc. Color, color and more color! Later I discovered portrait and became completely enamored with capturing expression. People, styles, the beauty within, emotion, etc. Then I began to learn more about photo technique, and lighting naturally emerged as my next big interest. Morning light, golden hour, back light, and flares. 

But texture has been making an appearance in my photos lately. I often catch myself looking for the right table to set my latte on (just so I can shoot it). I look for the right rug to step on, the right background to blur, etc. Texture can add a lot of spice to an otherwise seemingly uninteresting subject matter, and in some cases, it can also completely ruin a picture if it creates clutter. Our eyes like the effortless mix and harmony we find in nature. The smooth against the rugged. The lacey, sparkly, and furry, against the luciious soft skin. 

But my point is… The more we shoot the more we learn how to see, and the more we see, the better we can capture and express our feelings. Texture is just one more of these things we can incorporate in our photos to help us get our point across.

How about you? Do you notice texture? How much do you play with it in your photos? Are you are up for some texture play? Share with us some texture candy today?

I am taking away one big lesson in life and photography from SS Oasis this year:

“We each have a very unique way of being, seeing, and shooting.”

I know it has been said before… But I’m so moved by the fact that we each have a very unique point of view. If you look at the photos tagged with #ssoasis on Instagram, you will see what I am talking about. Several times sisters gathered around the same subject, under the same light. And yet, every picture turned out completely different. 

Do you know what makes you the awesome photographer YOU are? 

Today, show us a picture that shows your very own personal style and visual voice.

Shot with PX600 Silver Shade

I just spent a couple of weeks in England, and the gloomy, short days, really got me in the mood for shooting black and white. After some practice, I decided to put together a list of the five top things I learned while shooting b&w:

1.When shooting black and white, the shapes in your scene are very important, because in high contrast, they will tend to stand out. Watch for diagonal lines (and/or other opportunities) to build drama and guide the viewer’s eye. Keep an eye on textures, shadows and highlights ~ use them to your advantage whenever possible, and avoid them when they might be too distracting.

2.Watch also for the negative space (white) and try to create a nice balance between shape x negative space, foreground x background, black x white.

3.Grays can be pure magic. Achieving beautiful grays is part of working out a good exposure setting. If you overexpose your shot, for example, you will get more whites and loose a lot of the detail in your grays. Try also to find a good balance of blacks, whites and grays, to avoid creating a flat image (with too much gray and no high points).

4.Gloomy days are great for dreamy, soft, B&W images, because they are low in contrast and allow you to get a better range of tones.

5.Nostalgia, sadness, loneliness and all sort of deep emotions are really emphasized in b&w. Use that to your advantage in the creative process. Push the mood with your medium.

How about you? Any b&w tips you would like to share today? How about some b&w images? We’d love to see.

For love, family, good health, friends and abundance.

For all those precious (extra)ordinary moments we create and capture everyday.

For all the little things that make it worth it in the long run.

For sharing the creative path and this online space with you.

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Wishing you a Thanksgiving holiday full of goodness!

Whether you are in the US or not, feel free to share images of what you are grateful for today.

This is a polaroid I shot at Shutter Sisters Camp, and one of my favorites, because it is not only extremely weird looking, but it is a photo of a photo of a photo! In the background you see a row of sisters jumping and shooting Kristin and Xanthe, who are in the foreground, shooting the sisters in action in return. Then, of course, there was me, shooting them all, as they faded back into the thick beach fog.

I’m seriously grateful for group photos, aren’t you? I think they each carry a story and fun energy of their own, almost always making us smile.

So today share your group shots with us, so that we may have a window into light, silly moments you witnessed. Make us smile and make us feel thankful for these special moments of gathering and laughter in our lives.

You, you only, exist.We pass away, till at last,
our passing is so immense
that you arise: beautiful moment,
in all your suddenness,
arising in love, or enchanted
in the contraction of work.

To you I belong, however time may
wear me away. From you to you
I go commanded. In between
the garland is hanging in chance; but if you
take it up and up and up: look:
all becomes festival

Rainer Maria Rilke

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Dear Rilke,

We totally get it! A moment is indeed such a precious thing!

Thank you for praising it with your words.

Now, we will do so with pictures. 🙂

Warmly,

Shutter Sisters

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Go ahead, sisters, it’s all you, now!

Please share that special moment, a”festival” of color, love and magic you captured in one single click!