Shutter Sisters

a lesson in seeing

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A note from Tracey: Last week I came across this image and post from photographer Bret Edge and was so taken by it and how well it expresses what we believe here at Shutter Sisters that I promptly asked Bret if I could share it with all of you.

Without further ado, here is the very first guest post shared by a shutter brother (be sure to give him a warm welcome in the comments): 

Today’s post is a short one, though I believe it imparts an important lesson.  Last week I embarked upon a 4 day, 3 night motorcycle trip to Crested Butte, Aspen and beyond.  I didn’t have a set itinerary although I knew I wanted to photograph an autumn sunrise of the Maroon Bells reflecting in the placid waters of Maroon Lake.  On the evening before the final day of my trip I arrived in Aspen and took the road leading to the Bells.  I found an idyllic campsite in the Silver Queen campground only a couple miles from the lake.  Once camp was set up I headed to the lake to scout compositions for sunrise the next morning.

Having heard stories from friends about dozens of photographers lining the lake with their tripods overlapping I knew I’d need to arrive early the next morning to stake my claim.  I awoke early, threw on layers of warm clothing to protect me from the chilly 34 degree ride and proceeded to the lake.  Arriving a full half hour before sunrise I was a bit surprised to find seven cars already in the parking lot.

I grabbed my gear and headed up to the lake.  I found a nice little spot away from a gaggle of photographers who had all set up right next to one another at the end of the lake.  In the pre-dawn light the peaks had a subtle glow about them and were reflected almost perfectly in the lake.  I made a single exposure of the peaceful scene.  And then, the waters rippled.  A breeze!  Not a strong one, but potent enough to destroy all reflections.  The sun came up, the peaks glowed that beautiful and well-known red and shutters whirred – except mine.  I made a couple exposures and was unimpressed with the results.

I turned around to enjoy the light on Sievers Mountain.  And then my eyes locked on to such a sweet little scene that it almost made me giddy.  I snapped up my tripod and ran over for a closer look.  The foliage and grass lining the lake was covered in a thin layer of frost.  Even better, some of the plants were displaying brilliant fall colors!  I quickly went about hunting for a compelling composition.  As I did, I couldn’t help but notice the other photographers.  Several of them looked at me, with my camera aimed straight down at the ground, and one of them even pointed and commented to his buddy.  One thing remained constant: every last one of them (by now there were over a dozen) still had their cameras trained on the mountains and lake.

I discovered this little arrangement and worked it for a while.  I knew I’d made an image I would be proud of as soon as I saw this on the LCD screen.  I fiddled around a bit more, packed up and then headed out as the light on the peaks transitioned from warm red to flat, boring and colorless.  As I passed the gaggle an older photographer looked at me and said, “Giving up already, huh?”  I didn’t even break stride.  I just looked at him, smiled and said, “Enjoy your day!”

Image and words courtesy of guest blogger Bret Edge; a professional nature and adventure photographer in Moab, Utah who leads private guided photo excursions and group workshops throughout the western U.S.  Visit http://www.moabphotoworkshops.com to learn more about his workshops and http://www.bretedge.com to view his online portfolio.

an invitation to integrate

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Just the thought of writing these lines to you makes me teary.  There’s a way in which this conversation is so close to my heart that it’s hard to offer up and to let go.  It’s so personal to me that I can only tell you these things if I imagine that you are here in this tea lounge, sitting next to me so I can lean in and look you deeply in the eyes.  So, if you were here with me, this is what I would say.

What we do is not easy.

With every image we shoot and each photo we share, we reveal something about the way we see the world, something about the eyes with which we are looking.  There’s an inherent vulnerability to it, and also something that compels us to pick up the camera anyway.  Something within that says that our vision matters, even in the midst of internal and external choruses that disagree.

This is why we are photographers–it’s not just because we like pretty pictures, it’s because our vision matters.  Even if we are only clinging to this truth by a thread.

How we are seeing is central to our work, and if we are not seeing with our whole selves, our vision is incomplete.  And here’s the obstacle: life has a fragmenting nature.  From early ages we experience hurt and disappointment, and vow to protect ourselves by playing it safe.  By sweeping parts of ourselves, our voice and our vision quietly under the rug.

But playing it safe has a cost all its own.

There’s a way to invite those banished parts back into the picture, and an expansiveness that follows.  There’s a kind of courageous stepping out beyond your constraints that is a coming home to yourself.

Your vision matters, and when you reach for that camera I want you take hold of it with your expansive, original, and utterly courageous self.

Come. We will find the way together.

And today we also invite you to share a photo that reveals something about the way you see the world.

Image and words courtesy of the lovely and talented Jen Lee. You can get to know Jen and learn more about her Integrate Retreats on her blog.

Pet Parade

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He needed rescuing and our family did too after the long illness and eventual goodbye to our other dog months before. Although Bailey could never be replaced in our hearts, we are a “pet family” and that summer without one was odd, out of step, a little too quiet. So by fall along came Sam, a six year old golden retriever who was rejected because of his intense fear of thunderstorms. Although a bit skittish, the pool brings him joy and with a sweet spirit he moved into our lives for good at just the right time.

Fast forward six years and we are rescued again as my youngest daughter prepares to go off to college. While the “empty nest” is a happy, logical new chapter for us, the transition will be made a bit easier by my older daughter’s red cat.  Casey is staying with us this year while my older daughter works and lives where she cannot have pets. The new cat and dog duo get along well and have provided much laughter.  Pets seem to sense when they are needed most, a wagging tail , easy walks with now elderly Sam, a cat’s purr, batting at favorite toys, while both loudly asking for daily treats. 

Summertime is a season of change, but also parades of many kinds.  Along with my blog friend Gayle, we have periodically organized a simple online

 “Pet Parade”, inviting everyone to post photos of their pets.

Today as it marches here at Shutter Sisters, I encourage you to post a photo of your pet, all types, shapes or sizes are welcome. Or perhaps you might post one that you dream of having or even a photo paying tribute to a pet no longer here but held close in your memory.

Let the parade begin…

Image and words courtesy of Honorary Sister/ Guest Blogger Elaine Kean (known affectionately as ELK) of Red or Gray.

snapping a slice of life

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Confession: The only thing I love more than eating food is photographing food.

Is it just me or does anyone else do this?

Sometimes I will plate a meal so that it looks pretty even though it’s going to be in my belly in two seconds. I’ve always cared about what my food looked like. If it doesn’t look good, I usually don’t want to eat it. As an artist, I’m always on a hunt for color, texture, and light. Food provides all three of these things on one plate!

This week, I’m inviting everyone over for a Slice of Life Tuesday Visual Potluck! Slice of Life Tuesday is a weekly photo challenge in which I provide a theme for inspiration and ask people to share photos from their everyday lives. For me, it has provided a way to stay creative and find the beauty in ordinary moments. And really, what could be more “everyday” than eating? It’s something we all have in common. We all have to eat. And those three square meals a day (or 6-12 in my case) provide ample opportunity for us to pull out our cameras.

So let’s feast! Cook up some of your most delectable, delicious, yum-tastic meals, and share a photo that will make our stomachs growl. If you don’t usually cook, try your hand at photographing your meal at a restaurant.

At one time, I thought about becoming a food photographer and spent a lot of time flipping through my fair share of food magazines, studying and ogling over the delicious photos. Through my studies, I discovered a few simple tricks that can help capture food at its best.

1. View your plate as art. Take your time plating the food. Think about composition and the rule of thirds. The same concepts that apply to art apply to plating your food.

2. Color. Color. Color. The camera loves color. Colorful food sets off triggers in our brains that say “Yum! I want what she’s having!” In addition, think about ways to bring color and texture into the background. Use napkins and tablecloths to contrast and enhance the food.

3. More is more. When it comes to photographing food, the more full the plate is, the more scrumptious it looks. Photograph the overflowing bowl of food before you serve it on plates. Or put more on your plate than you plan on eating. Sometimes, art wins out over practicality!

4. Find the light. If you cook in a kitchen with fluorescent lighting like I do, don’t be afraid to move the food to a different location. I photographed the couscous salad in the photo above outside on my deck. If you don’t have a deck, bring the food to a window that lets in lots of natural light or find a place in your home that is lit with warm light. You can sometimes find me in the living room with my camera and my breakfast because that was where the best light was at that moment.

5. Take a bite. If you look at any food magazine, most of the photos show the food as it’s being cooked or mid-meal. This is where the “slice of life” philosophy really helps. Use your food to tell a story. Take food photos that look like real life. If you normally have a fork on your plate, put a fork on your plate. If you want to take a bite, take a bite!

Above all else, enjoy the food! Before your meal gets cold, put down the camera and pick up the fork!

Bon appétit!

Image and words courtesy of Honorary Sister / Guest Blogger Darrah Parker. You can find her on her blog where she hosts Slice of Life Tuesday. You are invited to share your Slice of Life with her at the Slice of Life Tuesday Flickr Group.

Tiny Treasures

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The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart. ~ Author Unknown

I have an affinity for tiny treasures.

I guess it all started with my grandparents. Every year on my birthday they would give me something that was picked out with great care, especially for me: a piece of jade jewelry… an intricate charm for my charm bracelet… a porcelain figurine… a leather, gold trimmed first edition of a classic novel… the diamond earrings that my grandmother first got her ears pierced with… stationary embossed with my name. Just two weeks ago they gave me my great grandfather’s camera. What make these things treasures had nothing to do with their monetary value. They are treasures to me because whenever I look at them sitting on my bookshelf or hold them in my hands, I feel loved. With each item I fall back in time, just for a little while, and smile at the memory. Others might not be able to look at these same things and see the value and preciousness that I feel in my heart, but I know they feel this way about something in their life.

You treasure the sweet smile that emerges across your daughter’s face every time you read that book she loves to her.

You treasure the fragrance of the herbs you keep on your windowsill.

You treasure the note your husband left on the dining room table for you before he left for work.

You treasure the sound of the rain as it hits your roof.

You treasure the set of salt and pepper shakers you and your sweetie acquired on your last trip together.

You treasure the fact that kissing salt and pepper shakers is something you now collect.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that even if you don’t treasure tiny objects, you treasure something in your life that others don’t always see the value in. In some ways, isn’t that why you are a photographer, so you can capture those special moments and be able to treasure them always?

Today let us into your world and share something you treasure…

Picture and words courtesy of honorary sister / guest blogger Jade Sheldon of Flickr fame.

Grandpa’s Letters

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Long before I knew what our One Word would be for this month, I wrote the prompts for Picture Summer (the class I am teaching over at Big Picture Scrapbooking this month). The prompt for Thursday had to do with capturing in a photo, a personal treasure. Sweet synchronicity!

When I saw the above image in our classroom gallery I was stopped in my tracks. When I read the brief caption under it from the photographer Julie, I got goose bumps.

I am honored that Julie agreed to share this story with us about this undeniable treasure:

Sixty-five years. 

These letters are sixty five years old, written by my grandfather in 1945 to his young bride as he served his country as a medic during World War II.  My grandfather was deeply in love with my grandmother.  He never stopped referring to her as his girlfriend throughout their long lives together, how sweet is that?  Their young love was even sweeter. 

I am very lucky, as the oldest grandchild, to have inherited this treasure. To make it even more special, these letters were written to my grandmother when she was pregnant with her first child, my mother.  I am so grateful that my grandmother kept these letters.  They were very dear to her then as they are to me now.  Each letter was carefully opened with a letter opener and after it was read it was returned to its envelope to be stored in her cedar chest.  Today these letters call my cedar chest their home. 

My treasure. 

Image and words courtesy of Honorary Sister/Guest Blogger Julie Allaway.

A Fragile World

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It’s a very fragile world, she told us

So we walk carefully everywhere we go

And we promised to remember as long as we could.

-Brian Andreas, Storypeople

The BP Gulf of Mexico oil disaster has been front and center on TV, newspapers and radio. The images are beyond heartbreaking – I know my heart breaks daily over this catastrophe. And it’s still happening. When will it stop?

My grandfather instilled in me a respect for nature. He was such a special and patient man – an organic farmer long before it was sexy and chic. We would take walks in the woods of Eastern Pennsylvania, and he would talk about how everything was interdependent and worked in cooperation. These were truly special lessons to be taught. I was so blessed to have this in my childhood. We are care takers of this world and of one another. Sometimes we forget that. But disasters like this remind us that we are all part of a larger, fragile whole.

I Googled “Gulf Coast aid” to try to find a way to help. Sadly, it was difficult to find much. Conversely there were all sorts of links for Haiti aid. One disaster was natural, the other was man made with lots of finger pointing.

As women, artists, and creative souls, we are heartbroken over this situation and its consequences. We are compassionate souls. We are nurturers. We take charge and take responsibility. What we are not is apathetic. We are architects of a better world. We find those small actions we can take toward the positive. We ask, “What can I do to help?”. Several days ago, I discovered a shop on Etsy that was donating all proceeds from sales to Gulf Coast relief efforts. I was elated that I found a way I could do something to help, and I donated a fine art photograph to the cause. The HELP THE GULF COAST shop unites Etsy sellers to bring help to the Gulf Coast. Through our art, and support of other artists, we can offer help. We can’t just sit and watch.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ” ~ John Burroughs

More ways to help:

Children can learn how to help.

Make a donation to Audubon to help relief efforts.

Volunteer with Audubon.

Support funding for restoration of the Louisiana coastline.

Buy a bottle of DAWN dish detergent & activate your $1 donation to help.

Make a donation to the Alabama Coastal Foundation.

Join the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Volunteers on FB.

Spread the word that Matters of Trustis collecting hair from salons and dog groomers, and nylons to absorb oil from the spill.

Make a donation to the National Wildlife Federation.

Send a form letter to the President in support of the Gulf Coast & Louisiana coastline. Make a political statement!

If you favor halting off shore oil drilling, you can send this letter from the Sierra Club.

Donate artand handmade to the Help the Gulf Coast Etsy shop.

Buy art from the Help the Gulf Etsy shop.

We are architects of a better world for our children and ourselves. Remember to walk carefully everywhere you go…

 Image and words courtesy of Honorary Sister / Guest Blogger Joy St. Claire of Oh Joy Photography.

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Congratulations to the winners of the Hello Daddy contest:

The Grand Hello goes Life in Eden’s Hello Daddy

And the 2 runners up are Jaye’s shot April Negotiation and Kate Settle’s shot Evening.

Bravo ladies for such stellar Daddy shots!

And thanks to everyone for playing this week. Your shots were all perfect tributes to all the Dads we love. And don’t forget you can still order today for Father’s Day delivery from Hello Canvas. And everything is 25% just for us with the code HELLOSISTERS. Yay!

Dreamer

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I am a DREAMER. 

Last August when I discovered the Mondo Beyondo eCourse, I knew it was for me.  Due to several circumstances, the timing wasn’t great. Financially for instance.  But I knew somehow, some way I would have to get in on the ‘Mondo Beyondo’ goodness.

Flash forward a few months later to December. I knew the next session of Mondo Beyondo was starting in January. I made up my mind that no matter what, I was going to take it.  It would be my Christmas gift to me.  One evening, while I was popping around online, I followed a link from twitter that mentioned a Mondo Beyondo give away at the amazing Design Mom blog only to discover Gabrielle had been hosting a whole week of giveaways. 

I posted my heartfelt comment on the giveaway post and said a little prayer.  I’m guessing you know the rest of the story; I WON!  I won a spot in the January session, out of hundreds of women!  Awesome!

January came and I took the course.  It was everything I imagined it would be, and more.  Part of the course asked you to write a ‘Mondo Beyondo’ dream list.  So I did.  I wrote it inside the journal pictured in  the image above.  I then tore out the page and tucked it away.  ‘sigh’

One of the items on my list was to be here. Right here on this blog. And here I am.

I have to say, many of my dreams are unfolding, right before my eyes.  I am truly blessed.  It’s amazing what happens when you put your biggest dreams out there…it really does work.

In honour of dreaming, I created a little Photoshop tutorial video to share. It’s over on my blog. I like to call it ‘dreamifying’. You can also click HERE to download a printable pdf of my ‘dreamer’ tags because we all need to be reminded to dream sometimes.

I would love to see your dreamy images or perhaps you have a dream story you would like to share. 

Image and words courtesy of Honorary Sister/Guest Blogger/Dreamer Kim Klassen.

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Hello Giveaway! (no, you’re not dreaming)

It’s random giveaway time again from our friends at Hello Canvas.

Leave a comment here between now and Thursday at midnight and you could win a 20X24 canvas of your photo of choice from Hello Canvas. Hello!

Perfectly Imperfect Focus

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When I first started shooting photography, I wanted perfectly crisp shots that were so focused they made you want to reach out and touch them. This was my goal with every single picture. When I did not achieve this, I felt like I had failed. It is funny how my photography beginnings paralleled my daily life. I wasted so many years trying to live up to this standard of perfection that others had outlined for me. You want to talk about setting yourself up to fail, try living up to other people’s standards.

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the Lensbaby and shooting for me became a new adventure. With the lens being manual, I had to go back to my film shooting roots and set my shutter speed and aperture manually. I admit, I was not a fan of the lens the first day I used it. I could not get my images sharp to save my life and I had become so dependent on using the semi-automatic settings on my camera that I had forgotten how to manually change my settings. Around this same time, I noticed a shift in my life. I had lost my identity, I was not sleeping well, I hated my job and I was still trying to live up to an impossible standard of perfection. I went on a hunt for the perfect hobby, thinking I would “find” myself in one of the five or so I did all at once. It did not work. I was still unhappy.

When I stopped trying to shoot the perfect picture, I started to appreciate the perfect imperfection of the lens. I discovered I loved shooting macro images of flowers. When I stopped trying to be perfect and embraced the simple pleasure of making a photograph, I found myself looking for imperfections in everything around me. It was this letting go of perfection that helped me love myself. Loving myself changed everything for me. I cut myself some slack, stopped apologizing for the person I was and embraced every single imperfect thing about myself.

Over the past year, I have been discovering who I am growing into. I will not lie and say the process has been pain-free. It has been downright painful, but the easiest thing I have been able to do is let go of perfection completely. Only God is perfect. And, if He can love me for who I am, imperfections and all, who am I to not love myself? This simple fact is when everything came into focus for me. Loving yourself…it starts there.

Words and self-portrait (reflection in The Bean, Chicago, IL) courtesy of Honorary Sisters / Guest Blogger Lucrecer Braxton, the woman beyond Art Slam.

love and giving

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Several christmases ago, my daughter learned to give. I caught her one day, wrapping tiny found objects to give to all her school friends. Any little thing that caught her eye was snatched up and lovingly wrapped with scraps of tissue paper and dirty bits of scotch tape. This included the cracked half of a pink plastic bead she found on the floor at the thrift store, the arm of a barbie, half of a pencil eraser. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her classmates might not see the beauty in these things. And while I was thrilled to see her focus on giving, I was crazy nervous about the kind of reactions her school friends might have. What if they laughed? What if they totally rejected her gifts? I could not stand the thought.

I remember the morning she took them to school. How she stood in the doorway, little red packages cupped in her hands. She held them as if they were jewels, her eyes shone with pride. She couldn’t wait to get to school and give them out. I looked at the mess of packages just then, each one clumsily taped together and my heart broke a little. I prayed that her friends would somehow see the love behind each gift. I prayed really really hard.

On the way home from school that day, she told me she had given out all her presents. Then she looked out the window and said nothing else. Of course, this worried me but I did not pry. A few days later, we had lunch with her at school to celebrate the grand opening of the new cafeteria. As we sat eating macaroni and cheese and fruit cocktail, a little boy eyed me from across the table. He was working up the courage to say something, I could feel it. And then finally: “Ava gave ME a present.” The happy came pouring out of him then and he smiled. Ava smiled too– a smile as wide and as open as the whole of the sun.

Image and words by Andrea Jenkins or as she’s lovingly known in many circles, Hula.

We are thrilled that she is helping celebrate Giveaway May by giving one lucky reader a copy of her poloroid print Love Always Wins. Swoon. Just leave a comment here between now and Monday at midnight.

Congrats to Jen at Cabin Fever for winning the print. YAY!