Shutter Sisters

the heart of a collector

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Do you find yourself photographing a favorite spot in your home? {I’ve learned this space is like comfort food and it’s best just to go with it and not question the why of it.} Today I’m curious as to if you, too, are drawn to photographing collections. I love seeing a person’s favorites treasures out on display. Whether they belong to me or not I enjoy photographing these sacred spaces. When on display, they become more than just paintbrushes, buttons, or beatrix potter. This is the stuff that makes a house a home. Share with us today a bit of your most favorite things to photograph and let it tell a story of its own.

be present

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“Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” 
-King of Hearts, Alice in Wonderland

You and me, we are the same looking glass reflecting eyes, cameras, hearts. Seeing to remember, seeing to be seen, seeing to find the meaning.

Sometimes words flow from lips to ears at just the right speed. They hang in the air between us, little sparkles of loveliness. Sometimes the sunlight flares truth into our world, into our concept of self and space and time. These subtleties are gifts. What we do with them is up to us. But remember this: no one has your eyes, your mind, your dreams. Through our art we give of ourselves. Word by word, image by image. We lay these pieces down like cobblestones that later become the path we walk. It is only by moving forward that we find our way. It is only by doing, that we learn to see how far we’ve come.

You. Me. We.

Find it. Whatever it is. Find what makes you feel most alive and follow that path. It will lead you to where you most need to be. Your job is to simply begin. One word. One image. One dream. One foot in front of the other until your story unfolds.

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I’m excited to share with you an upcoming journey. Registration is now open for the upcoming Be Present Retreat. “Your Story” is taking place on the Oregon coast, this June 15-19. Join me with three other amazing women and mentors at the retreat. Liz Lamoreux, Ali Edwards, Kelly Barton, and I will be part of this studio gathering and we are very much looking forward to it! The only thing to make it complete is your presence and your story!

In Liz’s own words:
“During our time together, we will sink into what it means to share our stories through our writing, photographs, blogs, and artwork. We will play with color and words, let our cameras guide us, walk on the beach, and let the sun shine upon our heads as we listen to one another and share pieces of who we are. As with all Studio Gatherings, there will be several hours of free time each day for participants to continue the conversations, “work” on how they are sharing their own stories, explore the coast, or simply relax.”

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So, today in the spirit of your story, share with us your reflections. Literal or otherwise.

for the love of film

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January of course brought the New Year and for me, the end of my 365 project. The empty space that surrounded me was welcome. You see, what my mind has been craving is peace, stillness, and a sense of s.l.o.w.i.n.g down.

Digital photography often gives me space, but in comparison, film is a slow stroll in the park. I’ve not dabbled in film for many many years, yet something about this new {again} inspiration seemed just right for me. And so in January, I stepped into those waters again after so much time away. I got my hands on a nifty toy camera. The Blackbird, Fly. It’s a sweet little twin lens reflex {toy!} camera {this means plastic lens} that happily takes 35mm film. I was beyond giddy to get my hands on it to explore and play.

Do you remember the first time you got behind the steering wheel? My mom took me to the big church parking lot on the corner in our neighborhood.  The keys jingled, the clutch brake and accelerator got jumbled under my teenage feet, the road was too vast, the windshield too constricting … not to mention all the gears and knobs and spedometer! I crept along hurkey jurkey nauseating my mother and myself across the empty parking lot as I figured out how to control the machine I was driving.

Patience, grasshopper.
Getting back to film was kinda like that for me. 

It’s exactly the slowing down that I need. It’s quite the opposite of the gluttonous-continuous-shutter-release of my 4-frames-per-second-nikon-dslr that comes fully equipped with instant-gratification-kapow! And so … it’s exactly the learning curve I am desiring. To feel that newness again, that quiet unfamiliar sense of not.knowing.anything but going for it anyway simply for the pleasure of it, the intrigue, the curiosity, the love.

I dropped off three rolls of film at my local print shop. 

I really had no idea what to expect. I had never before in my life shot with a toy camera. And certainly not a dizzying twin lens reflex camera. {It makes me laugh outloud, to be so dizzy. It makes me feel like a kid again. And I take that as a very good sign.}

What I got with a hand full of contact sheets was a face full of smiles.
And a new {again} obsession.
Tell me, when was the last time you dabbled in film?
Share with me your favorite film camera, toy or otherwise.
And leave some photo love in the comments!

a day in the life of 365

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January is a time of reflection, yes. In the days leading up to the New Year, as I wrapped up my 365 project, I heard the sounds of creativity bubbling from those around me as they dipped their toes (maybe for the first time, or maybe again after time away)  into the deep waters of a year long project.

A year long project! eek!

Don’t let that freak you out. There is power in this! Strength in beginning something. Trust in going forward into something slightly unknown. Will I finish? Will it fade? Will I find daily inspiration? Will I like what I see? These are all big thoughts that swirl as you click 1/365.

Last year I had all those same thoughts. So I asked myself why I was doing a 365 project. I had never succeeded at such a big project before, in fact, I had fallen off the wagon of a simple 30 days project a year earlier. I thought long and hard about my intentions. What was different? What did I want to see of my life through this project and my lens? What I came up with only made sense to me: if I were able to pick up the phone and call my mother each day to share one thing that happened that day I would. But I can’t. So, I did my 365 to celebrate the memory. I know now that this intention is what carried me through.

There is something important and beautiful to remember and be grateful for every. single. day.  
Needless to say, this quickly became my project :: life.

My project kept me grounded on bad days and gave me wings on good days. This was all about moment, right? Staying in the moment has a way of dissipating negativities even though we catch them in freeze frame with our cameras. When you sit with sadness or anger you are in control of ushering it out. When you sit with joy and love you are empowered and radiate it back to others. Photography has this magic to it as well. No one else has your eyes. No one sees the world exactly as you do. That is a beautiful thing!

Now, today, I can think back over my 365 project and find moments where I felt truly alive. And I can use that as my guide for the new adventures I’ll begin in 2011. I can look back and also find moments of overwhelm, where I pushed through it anyway. And I will carry that perseverance with me always.

So, good luck and bon voyage to those of you who begin this adventure! Let’s all be human today, shall we? Share in the comments your wishes or hopes or fears. Share with us your thoughts from day 1, your insight from past projects, and any words of wisdom you discovered along the way. If you are embarking on a 365 project, please remember that through this journey, you can lean on the sisterhood for support!

If you’d like to get a glimpse into my 365 project, you can view a slideshow of my favorite days here.

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There was a moment in the middle of Penn Station; after airports and planes, taxis and luggage, subways and trains… when the cluster overwhelmed me. There were too many directions. All of them unknown yet vaguely familiar. I spun for a minute balancing my tears on the edge of a subway platform. I don’t want to forget that. That sheer second right before I found strength, walked directly into the center of the overwhelm and came out the other side.

The only way around it
is through it.

midwinter

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“So the shortest day came, and the year died,
and everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
came people singing, dancing to drive the dark away.”
~ Susan Cooper The Shortest Day

We tilt today. We feel a shift, depending on hemispheric location.  Where I sit, we spin farthest from the sun.  Shortest day. Longest night. To me, solstice is standing still sun. A quiet and cold reminder to embrace the darkness. A joyful and beckoning call to rejoice the light. 

What is solstice to you? Feel free to show us how you celebrate midwinter in the comments today.


love lights

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I set up my tripod on the loose gravel at the base of the trail. I take a few shots to start with, I’m just so curious these days about experimenting with photography that I almost can’t wait to get started. {counting breaths counting seconds counting minutes… through this new obsession, I learn the zen of long exposure photography} It’s cold but not too cold, so I take my time and think about the view from the top of the trail. It’s pitch black when I make that steep rocky climb with my tripod and my gear.

I feel giddy, like a kid again.
Photography, I love you.

This is the part of city life I am often drawn to: the edge of it, the cliffs, the overlook. Being above and removed from it gives me permission to view it’s wonderment with space and silence. It’s just what I needed. I hiked slowly back down, sure of my footing, bringing home with me exactly what I had come looking for.

Light.

‘Tis the season, right? I seek it in many forms. Fairy lights, city lights, holiday and festive lights, reflections, or firelight. They are all equally beautiful and warming. Today, please share with us your favorites, and enlighten us all.

ready set go!

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Laughter bounces in the darkness.
Freeze tag. Karate tag. Skip tag. Jump tag.
Giggles are bouyant bubbles rising up up up then popping in mid-air.
“Tag! You’re it!”
This is more than just time well spent in the backyard while dinner simmers.

A guaranteed way I can get this almost six year old infront of the camera is to catch him doing a stunt, then showing him the instant replay and how cool it looks. It’s fun to jump, it’s fun to catch someone at play, and nighttime can even spark creativity with a seldom used flash. For this shot I used my speedlight SB400. How do you catch action? Share your thoughts on flash photography today in the comments and enjoy the playful side of photography …. light or dark!

whimsy

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whim·sy  {hwim-zee}
n. a light or fanciful humour; something quaint or unusual.

Lately I’ve been approaching photography in a way that feels anything but carefree. I’m realizing part of this is due to my 365 project. You see, I began that project with the intent of documenting how 2010 felt in daily increments. So I came to think of each photo as “What do I want to remember from today? What was beautiful/real/truthful/honest from today that makes it different from yesterday and tomorrow?” 

Real, truthful, and honest sometimes ends up heavy like a sack full of rocks…
and here I am trying to cross a stream.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my 365 project. It’s kept me afloat this year, making me accountable for showing up and doing something creative each and every day. I see it as a beautiful way to find gratitude in our daily lives. And yes, gratitude for what is real. There is importance in seeing what we do with each day we’re given, even if it feels mundane. Through this project I’ve found that sometimes the most ordinary things can be beautiful, like the simple act of driving home with the radio on.

But today? Let’s get lighthearted. Capture something just for the sheer amusement of it. Like pink flamingos on a turquoise car. Today, share with me your whimsy.

try something new

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I learn by doing. 

If I let the world guide me, I find it leads my eyes to different photographic styles and new-to-me techniques. (This is what I love about flickr, it is a vast pool of inspiration!) Lately I’ve been intrigued with nighttime. Possibly it’s the season change that brings night on early, or just a truth that as a single mother to a little one, I am seldom out after dark. This life fact bleeds over into my creativity (this sometimes self perceived lack of freedom.) Regardless of why, I find myself curious about long exposures and playing at night. There is a taste of exhilaration of being out in the world while most people are asleep.

This photo is the result of this nighttime curiosity. (Taken in my backyard at 5am on 10.10.10 while my son slept inside.) This is certainly not the first time painting with light has ever been done, but that’s not what matters, it’s the first time it was done by me. A 30 second exposure, low ISO, and fun with invisible penmanship performed with a flashlight.

Stretch your art.
Stretch your mind.

Through the process of trying something new. I learn more about photography in bits and pieces that are easy for me to digest and process. I don’t have the desire to compete with those more technically savvy than me, I let curiosity be my guide. I have given myself the permission to not know everything, and to not have the superhuman ability to learn it all at once either. With that permission slip in hand, I have given myself the freedom to open up to new experiences and explore art through trial and error.

Learning just for the sake of learning.
Creating just for the sake of creating.

This week pay attention to your curiosities. For me it’s catching the night. What styles are you gravitating towards right now? Is there anything you want to try? When I’m feeling this pull towards newness I do the research: notice similarities/themes/patterns in my favorited photos, explore EXIF data on photographs I love, read “behind the image” stories, google “how-to” techniques, and feel the excitement of trying something new.

Share with us in the comments, an experiment you’ve tried or simply a technique you’d like to try. And this week, give yourself permission to try something new with your camera … just for the fun of it.

light and dark

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A photograph has the power to pull a story from the nothingness that is light and dark. Certain images can blend well with an overactive imagination, leaving the mind to embellish the details of a story untold. I find this intriguing, and especially true of silhouetted photographs.

There are words out there on how to acheive an interesting silhouette and striking examples of silhouettes, but what I find most curious is how the image makes me feel. What it stirs in my mind. Due to the facelessness, my mind is left a blank canvas on which to dream up a storyline equally as captivating.

What about you? What do you see or feel when you capture a silhouette? Today, try putting your subject between the lens and the light to see what story unfolds.