Shutter Sisters

what was your aha moment?

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“An aha moment is a moment of clarity, a defining moment where you gain real wisdom, wisdom you can use to change your life.”

I believe we’ve all had aha moments in our lives. We fell in love, we said goodbye. We hold our child in our arms for the first time, relocated, dared, said no, said yes. And as trite as it might sound, those unmistakable moments enabled us to placate fear, learn our lessons, and enact a different life for ourselves.

I’ve been insanely lucky. I’ve had two aha moments this summer. The first one was delivered to me by my amazing fellow Shutter Sister Karen Walrond. The second one happened a couple of weeks ago, after I had been spending a week shuttling between my domestic life and a tiny little table in a café where I sat and wrote on my journal while my kids were at sports camp. If you’ve ever worked from home and ever found yourself folding laundry and longing to retreat to your room to write that one last chapter instead or grab your camera to catch the evening light wrapping the skyline, you know what I’m talking about. And the guilt, oh the guilt that follows your saying “not now” or “later” to another game of Connect Four. And eventually shatters your hopes as you put the journal away, sit down and smile, your kids beaming with satisfaction.

I remember thinking then “is it even possible? To be a mother, a writer and a photographer? How do others do it? Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m not suited for this life.” I emailed my wonderful writer/photographer friend and shared my discouragement and conflicted feelings with her. She wrote back: “Irene, I know this feels like a problem, but try on this interpretation: This is no problem. What you have is a routine and a set of expectations that you’ve created. And you can create new ones. No problem.”

That was my second aha moment.

Today I invite you to share your aha moments in the comment section below, with words and images. I firmly believe that one story can make a difference in someone else’s life, inspire, and kindle hope. And I want you to know, if you’re still wondering, if you keep asking yourself. Yes, it is possible for you to raise happy children and lead a creative and fulfilling life. It takes a lot of work and it’s not always easy, but it is possible.

(For more aha moments, visit www.ahamoment.com)

the way we were

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On one sunny afternoon in Chicago last month, I sat in Millennium Park with my fellow Shutter Sisters Andrea Scher and Karen Walrond. And while we were playing with our cameras and contentedly munching on hotdogs, Karen said something about my photography:

“When I look at your photos, I don’t feel like I’m looking at something that you actually saw, I feel like I’m looking at a memory of yours, and the emotions around it at that time.”

This was one of the most enlightening moments in my life. Karen had just answered the very question I’d been asking myself for so many years.

I paused for a while.

And then I couldn’t stop thinking, meditating and contemplating all the possibilities that were unfolding before my eyes.

Photography is a lot, lot of different things. It is an art form, a medium, the expression of one self, of a thought, an opinion, an emotion. It is about capturing beauty, and sharing it. What I realized though, with Karen, is that for me photography is about extending a moment beyond the limits of time, distance and memory. It is giving me, and all of us, the wonderful ability to hold onto that one moment, and how we felt at that moment. How amazing is that?

So today I invite you to share an image that reminds you, and is the reflection of how you were feeling the moment you shot it, an image that is truly the memory of a moment you greatly treasure. If you feel like it, please also share the story.

Note: blurry images are welcome.

that little special thing

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When I tell people that I have twins, they’re surprised. When I tell people that I’m a writer and a photographer, they’re intrigued. When I tell people that I tap dance, they look at me as if I were a totally different person.

I started taking tap dance lessons a few years ago and it’s been making me irrationally happy ever since. It is a place where I feel completely safe. A place where I retreat when words fail me and I haven’t taken out my camera for weeks. A place that puts me back together as an individual when too many people are depending on me. And reminds me of my own strength and ability to venture beyond my comfort zone.

Some call it a hobby. I like to call it my little special thing.

What about you? What is that little thing that no one suspects you to have or do and that makes you feel special? Whether you know how to cook, play an instrument, fly a plane, sketch, sing, speak different languages or moonwalk, please share in the comment section below.

movies and photography

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last scene from Great Expectations by Alfonso Cuaron

I graduated from film school 10 years ago, but it isn’t until recently that I realized how much my love for movies has been influencing my photography. The musicals from the early 30s and their vibrant black and white, the rich colors and subtle lighting of My Blueberry Nights, the beauty found in the most ordinary, unexpected places in Amelie, and many more.

One of the movies that I think has had the greatest impact and has shaped up much of my approach to photography is Great Expectations by Alfonso Cuaron. The thought he put in the composing and framing of each sequence has been a huge revelation to me.

What about you? Are there movies that inspire you, and influence your photography?

the world according to mom

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A few weeks ago Her Bad Mother launched The World According To Mom, a ’round the world in 80 clicks tour where mothers from all over the world write and share five things they love about being a mom. I was delighted to find out that some moms/bloggers decided to share photos instead of words and that, although our answers differ, we are all able to look beyond fusses and messes and see beauty in the smallest moments, in the most ordinary places.

So today I want you to share images of the things you love about being a mom (and if you are not a mom, share images of the things that you love about your own mother, or about motherhood).

the six questions featuring Erica Bartel

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I have been sitting here for a while now trying to put words together to describe Erica Bartel‘s photography work, but the only thing that I can think of is “this woman just blows me away. Everytime.” If you are a Polaroid fan you are probably already familiar with Erica’s beautiful images, but if you’re not, I can’t encourage you enough to grab a cup of tea and take some time to browse through her Flickr Pool. I promise you, every image will inspire you beyond words, stir a distant memory, sprinkle your day with simple beauty and bring a smile to your face.

I am thrilled that Erica kindly accepted to answer our 6 questions. Here they are:

1. What’s the story behind this photo?

The Polaroid, (edge of the miraculous) I think is my favorite of all of the Polaroid images I have shot. Abby and I were driving home and saw this incredible rainbow. The sky was amazing so we decided to stop and “do pictures”. My idea was to shoot the rainbow, not the dock, but she walked out on it and the moment happened. I came away, not with the wonderful rainbow images I had imagined but something entirely different. 

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?

When was the spark lit? I always seem to remember having cameras around. My dad is a photographer and has been teaching me for a long time. I can’t say exactly why everything “clicked” but all at once I was seeing differently and shooting differently. Being able to shoot digital really helped with growth because I was able to see results instantly.

3. What’s your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?

My photo philosophy would probably be “light and emotion”. Just go for it. Forget the camera settings or perfect posing and capture that emotion. Knowing the technical side of photography is crucial but so often we focus on that instead of really seeing.

4. Where do you look for inspiration?

For inspiration, I really do love flickr. I love being able to see so many styles of photography from all over the world. This is my favorite photo quote, it never ceases to encourage and inspire me:
”There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”– Ernst Haas



5. What would you say is one of your “signature” editing tricks, themes or style? What do you think makes an image recognizable and uniquely yours?

I think the use of light, specifically flare is something that sets me apart. People often comment that my images remind them of a memory. I like that. :)



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

I’m always doing something different. Trying new cameras, trying to see differently. I want a body of work that is varied and not stagnant.

Thank you so much Erica!

You can see more of Erica’s photos here, and read her blog here.

when the fog lifts

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Sometimes, instead of dwelling on the simple act of capturing beauty wherever I find it, I am constantly hunting for the next best shot. My photos are usually technically good – proper lighting, good composition, potentially interesting – but they are no longer the expression of the anticipation and the joy of the moment.

What I do then is put the camera down, go for a run and play Monopoly Junior with my boys. After a while, the fog eventually lifts as my obsession to take photos diminishes. And I am moved, excited and marveling again at the true beauty emerging from simple, ordinary things.

Today I ask you to share the moments that made you stop and stand still, those that moved you so deeply that whether you should capture it or not was never questioned, the beautiful images that emerged from your everyday life when you least expected it.

the six questions featuring Myla Kent

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Myla Kent has been a constant and abounding source of inspiration since the day I stumbled across her Flickr Pool about a year ago. She’s the one who introduced me to street photography and whose attention to detail always reminds me to embrace the simplicity of my daily life. Her beautiful photos – always coupled with thoughtful words – capture the truth of her subjects in the most subtle and gentle way. They exude the genuine spirit behind the lens and pour out warmth into the lives of many.

Myla kindly accepted to answer 7 of our 8 questions, and I am beyond thrilled to share them with you today.

1. What’s the story behind this photo?

One of my clients had bought a new camera and asked me if I’d show her a few pointers, so I met her and her brother, Z down at Pike Place Market. I took them to this funky alley down by the Market Theatre that has a wonderful cobblestone street (and a gum wall!) called Post Alley, and set up the shot. I had asked Z if he wouldn’t mind jumping for us, thinking it would look pretty fantastic having him jumping toward the light. The peace signs were all his idea.

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?

My Dad lit the spark. He always had his camera with him, he loved to shoot. The first shot I ever remember taking was with my Polaroid One Step, which I’d saved up for with babysitting money when I was 12. We were on family vacation, driving up the coast of California. I remember seeing this seagull sitting on a boulder looking straight at me. I walked slowly and gingerly toward him until I felt like I was close enough. I can still remember the anticipation of putting the camera up to my face, holding my breath, and pushing the shutter. Watching that photo develop before my eyes was definitely a life-changing moment for me.

3. Where do you look for inspiration?

Inspiration is everywhere. I find I’m constantly framing. When I feel ‘stuck’ I go stand under a tree (flowering trees are best if you can find one) and shoot upward. Or I go down to the beach and doodle in the sand with a stick. If anything will clear out your brain and rejuvenate you, those two things will do it.

4. What would you say is one of your ‘signature’ editing tricks, themes or style? 

In an interview, Henri Cartier-Bresson once said that photography is “geometry and sensitivity.” When I heard him say that, it was as though the proverbial lightbulb went on for me, I think about that every single time I get behind the lens. Since then I have found that my best editing comes when I’m behind the lens (vs. in the digital darkroom): I also try to shoot during magic hour whenever possible. That’s not to say I don’t shoot at other times of the day because I do, but when I have the option to schedule a shoot, I try to take advantage of that last hour of light when everything just looks more beautiful.

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

Making time for it. Ever since I turned 40 it seems the older I get the faster the clock ticks.

6. 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?

New York City. I would just love to do that!. I dream about doing that! It was 1992 or so when I first fell in love with Doisneau’s Kiss by the Hotel de Ville – 1950 (which was taken in Paris), since then I’ve been in love with the art of street photography. I know I could spend 9 hours a day shooting all 7 days and still not have seen an nth of what there is to see. Someday I will do that, absolutely.

7. Are there women out there that you consider your shutter sisters? Who, and why?

Definitely. Heather Champ (hchamp.com), who is the reason I picked up a camera (again) back in 2003. She is a dear friend, one of the loveliest, most talented and innovative artists I’ve ever known, and a constant inspiration; Deborah Lattimore (deborahlattimore.com) is another dear friend. Her work is sublime, she’s another amazing artist who never ceases to inspire me and as a friend pushes me in all the ways a good friend does. And ever since photoblogging (and flickr), I’ve met some of the most amazingly talented women: Gayla, Alison, Kathleen, Annie, Barb, Amanda, and Martha, to name a few, and have been blessed with many wonderful friendships.

Be sure to visit Myla’s Flickr Pool and beautiful website for more inspiration.

your favorite shot for 2008

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This is my favorite photo for 2008. It’s not the best shot I’ve taken this year, yet it embodies all my aspirations and fears, and the valuable lessons I’ve learned about love, and about myself. Crouching on the beach, sand between my toes. Breathing in and out as slowly as I can to make this moment last. The simple expression of everything that is meaningful in my life.

I spent the last couple of days browsing through my personal photo folders and reflecting on this past year. And I thought it would be great if you could share your favorite photo for 2008 with a short comment about what this past year has brought into your life, as well as your hopes and your dreams for 2009.

 

Today’s giveaway is a signed copy of Irene’s Blurb book “Polaroid Stories” as well as a special set of 8 Polaroid postcards. Simply leave a comment in the section below to be entered for a chance to win. Good luck!

finding beauty in your home

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“I adore her (Sally Mann) work, and I subscribe to her basic notions of photography – shoot what you know, and – you can find great images right in your own backyard. One of my best friends and I have an ongoing discussion surrounding this topic – he thinks he needs to pack up the car and get away somewhere for a few weeks in order for the photography muses to show him the way.

I have to admit, I waffle during our discussions — there are times when I’m convinced I need to pack up a few cameras and a bag full of film and head back to Havana – or to some faraway place — but then I realize that some of my most favorite images were taken within a 10 mile radius of home.”

– Bob, the brilliant photographer behind No Traces.

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I love this.

Because sometimes I do forget. The simple joy of a piece of chocolate cake and a glass of milk. My children playing lying on the living-room rug, the gentle evening light. The delightful sound of someone laughing, or falling rain. Sometimes I forget that simple, truthful beauty can be found in every little corner of my home.

Gather up the joys and the love, capture the beauty of your life in your home and share the links to your images in the comment section below.

And don’t forget to leave a comment here today for a chance to win your own copy of America at Home with your own custom cover. It’s the fourth post of our Sundays at Home series for November.