As the days get darker I’ve been trying to find comfort and inspiration in the little things of the world: homemade granola, stripes, books from the local library, beautiful scarves, lighbulbs and scented candles, craft ideas, a favorite talk, a great cause.
What has been inspiring you these days?
“I often think of that rare fulfilling joy, when I am in the presence of some wonderful alignment of events. Where the light, the colour, the shapes and the balance all interlock so beautifully that I feel truly overwhelmed by the wonder of it.” – Charlie Waite
It may not be your best shot, nor a technically perfect one. But you knew when you saw it. The wonderful alignment of events.
Today share it with us.
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We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU! All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day’s random drawing. And be sure to keep shooting your own stories and adding them to the OWP Pool on Flickr where you have a second chance at winning one of those $100 Paper Coterie giveaways.
Whether they just turned 4 and are starting preschool, or are young adolescents about to experience emotional and physical transitions, the first day of school is always a special moment for children and parents. Documenting this day every year helps me let go of all feelings of anxiety and fear, and just bask in gratitude, hope and pride.
How about you? Do you capture the first day of school of your kids? If yes, share your image with us today. And if you’re not a parent, please share a story of one of your first days of school in the comment section below. (On my first day of school, I forgot my bag at home. Almost 30 years later, I still wake up in sheer panic in the middle of the night the day before school starts!)
We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September! Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day’s random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.
I was two months pregnant with my twin sons and getting some rest at home. I turned the television on and stared in utter shock and fear like millions of other people in the rest of the world. I called my husband who was working at his office and begged him to come home as soon as he could. “Why? What’s going on?” he asked. “Something terrible has just happened. I’m scared. Please come home” was all I could tell him.
When he finally opened the door 30 minutes later I ran to him in tears. We hold each other and our unborn children for a long moment, praying that they grow up in a safer world.
As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy today, please share with us an image that celebrates life, and your stories and memories from ten years ago.
We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September. Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day’s random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.
“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing time… The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
As a photographer I’ve found out that it’s essential to fully embrace what defines me and makes me unique, and work hard towards the direction of my own goals and personal dreams instead of someone else’s. But what I also realized is that dreams change. All the time. And with new dreams comes the necessity to challenge what I know, step outside my comfort zone and learn new things.
When I started taking Polaroid photos I had to learn about the different cameras and films, how to slow down and mindfully craft the composition of each shot. When I started my own business as a child/family photographer I had to pull out my digital camera’s manual more often than I’d like to admit and understand and establish sound business practices. Lately I’ve been working with non-profit organizations and learning about poverty, exclusion and how best to use my skills to help promote social change and make a difference. And most recently, as I am crawling all over the city to photograph homes for a travel website, I am learning how to shoot with a flash.
It’s not always easy. Learning often comes with uncertainty, fear, frustration, and yes, mistakes. But when we cling to what we know, to our comfort zone, never addressing the things that we are afraid of or curious about, we cut ourselves off from the opportunity to find and develop new creative strengths, to discover what we can do and become who we really are.
Today tell us: what are some the big and small challenges that you’ve overcome lately and that have helped you become a better photographer? When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone? Is there something that you’ve always wanted to learn but were too afraid to tackle? If yes, how about taking the plunge today?
“People who work creatively usually have something in common: they love the media they work with. Finding the medium that excites your imagination, that you love to play with and work in, is an important step to freeing your creative energies.”- Sir Ken Robinson, The Element
Although the Polaroid sx-70 is my camera of choice (and used to take the photo above), I also shoot with a digital camera (Canon 5D), Holga, Holgaroid (Holga + Polaroid back), Polaroid Land 250 camera and most recently with a Leica minilux. Exploring different formats and mediums not only allows me to widen my perspective on life and gives me access to all of the ways in which I experience the world, it also helps me discover what I like, what I don’t like, where my own true strengths lie, and eventually expand my understanding of my own creativity.
Have you found your medium? If yes, please share images with us today. If not, tell us: What are you experimenting with?
My favorite antidote to months of racing through the demands and commitments of daily living. An irresistible invitation to slow down, let in a little joy and savor a better pace of life. And probably my favorite thing about summer. I can’t really explain what it is about that vast expanse of sand, sea and sky that helps me re-discover that feeling of inner abundance and brings me back to a place of peace and calm. I can let my cameras sit on a shelf and forget about them for weeks, when presented with the opportunity to spend time at the beach I will always pack as many as I can, giddy with anticipation and excitement.
Today share your love for the beach. Let’s celebrate the sense of freedom, connection, the pure and unbridled joy, and the beauty of the ocean.
1. Picture Summer | Day Eight, 2. Coca-Cola from the 1980s, 3. got a thing for red shoes, 4. Untitled, 5. boom!, 6. My number one copilot.
I’ve got to admit, few things make me giddier than little splashes of summer red.
How about you? What is your summer color? Today show us the vibrant hues and soulful shades that are defining your summer life.
Photos from our Shutter Sisters Flickr Group
1. shadow love, 2. shadow me, 3. Shadows, 4. Shadow People, 5. sister shadows, 6. soothing shadows
“In photography, there are no shadows that cannot be illuminated” – August Sander
Enjoy the longer days, soak in the light, grab your cameras, capture shadows.
Photos from our Shutter Sisters Flickr Group
“my lack of knowledge in the beginning really helped, and really just made me refine what little I knew to make it work. I think if you ask any person that does a creative thing, they probably go to school and learn all these different things and as they get better it just narrows and narrows. you could ask most chefs, they just need five ingredients, one pan and a stick of butter and they can make the best meal you’ve ever had. and I think that’s really where most photographers would like to get to, as not to have all that other stuff, be able to create the most beautiful image they can in the most simple way that they can.”
– Scott Schumann aka The Satorialist, Intel Visual Life
Today create (and show us), the most beautiful image you can in the most simple way you can.