Shutter Sisters

Wrapping Up #GiftingGrace Beautifully

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We are beyond grateful for all of you and the incredibly heartfelt and gorgeous images and lovely #giftinggrace dedications that came through during the past month. Needless to say, we’re wrapping up feeling truly touched and deeply inspired! Thank you so much to Stampington and Company for generously being a part of this outpouring of grace and for supporting Shutter Sisters in this way. Sharing the beauty of Bella Grace Magazine means so much!

As for the winners of this final week of #GiftingGrace, here they are:

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giftinggrace by @kjhp

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gifting grace by @paulateach

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gifting grace by @almadr

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gifting grace by @debram56

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gifting grace by @angiewarrenwrites

Thank you ALL for being a part of this. We appreciate you!

The Thread that Connects Us

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heart shaped thread

What can I possibly say to express what’s in my head and on my heart? It seems the words that keep repeating in my head are here we are, again. Again, yes. Only this time, the entire world is different.

Beginning again here with Shutter Sisters—in a rebirth of sorts—has had me reflecting on the very start of it, 6 years ago. I feel as excited now as I did then, but in an entirely new way. Over the past years, the breadth of the internet has widened and deepened and it’s exploded with beautiful content, inspiring communities, and creative collaborations. And photography? Photography’s place in our everyday lives has transcended anything I could have ever imagined!  Whether it’s our creative outlet, our happy place or our saving grace,  our photography is an integral part of who we are now. And that is awesome.

But through all the growth, all the change, all the evolution—there are still things that remain unchanged. Sisterhood, ah sisterhood, that’s the constant; the universal thread that continues to connect us. It’s not just that we’re women. It’s that we’re creative, passionate, brave, and adventurous. We’re seekers, dreamers and storytellers. We shoot from the heart. And we want, more than anything, to share it with one another. I believe it’s not just the shooting, but it’s the sharing that’s the crux of it all. It’s what motivates us, energizes us and inspires us. It’s why we value our shutter sisters so very much. And that’s not changing.

I’m humbled and deeply grateful that there’s a sisterhood here, and there, and everywhere. I know my life wouldn’t be the same without it, back then, or right now. So, thank you. For being a part of it.

the last of 2012

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What does your last weekend of 2012 look like?

Today’s prompt : warmth

Sunday’s prompt : peace

A Wish for my Daughters

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As my girls grow up right before my eyes, I often wonder what it is that they will remember from these days of our togetherness. Will they recall the silly moments, the laughter, the fun? Will they remember the chaotic moments, the impatience, the bickering?  Will it be big trips and special events or the daily routines that stand in their memory? Will they look back at the many wonderful experiences they’ve had or better their childhood disappointments? Will they roll their eyes and commiserate together about all the things I did and said that made them crazy? Likely, the memories will be a little of all of it.

I’m fairly certain that there will be plenty of things that I have said along the way that they will dismiss (both unknowingly and deliberately) as they move into adulthood but I can only hope that they embrace and internalize all the messages I have sent them, both in words and in actions, that are the most important to me; the ones that I hope that they carry with them guide them throughout their lives. About how amazing they are, about how beautiful, strong, capable they are. And that’s just the beginning. There are so many things I want them to grow up knowing.

Every once in a while I see, read or hear something that expresses exactly what I want to say to my girls. When you set a simple, sweet sentiment it to music, like in the case of this song by Lee Ann Womack, it really sings (pun intended). As cheesy as it may seem, I don’t mind admitting, I cry every single time I hear this song.

“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance.”

What messages make you weepy? Tell me I’m not alone.

 

Upping Our Game

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On a recent trip to the beach, I purposely left my DSLR behind. I do it more and more these days as I fall back on knowing that I’ve always got my iPhone. In this instance I was doing a photo shoot, but instead of doing the shooting, I was being shot. I figured taking the camera wasn’t necessary since it wasn’t really the plan for me to shoot.

Did I mention it was right after a storm and it was golden hour?

We get to the beach and it’s gorgeous. Not just any gorgeous. The gorgeous that doesn’t come along every day. And there I was, without my camera. But, I chose not to dwell on that little detail. Instead I was heightened to the experience. To the way the sky was perfectly covered with clouds, like paint on a canvas; each stroke, highlight and shadow placed by the artist’s brush. To the reflection of light and color on the water’s surface. To the cool, moist air blowing in my hair and across my skin. I didn’t want to forget everything I was seeing and feeling. I was photographing it in my mind.

And then I reached for my iPhone. How could I ever do this landscape justice with a mobile phone? Although I love what my iPhone does, I do know that there are limitations. For some reason I doubted that anything I captured in those few minutes could ever rival that of my DSLR or better yet, of my own eyes. But, I was determined to try my best. To capture the light and texture and water and sand. To paint the scene with my camera, as simple and small as it seemed, I took the time, and made the effort to up my game.

I am in love with the dozen or so images I captured that evening. Each one represents a shot I had etched in my mind. Because I could only rely on what I had with me, I used it to the best of its ability. It was intentional and I pushed myself not only to see things more clearly but to document them like that as well.

Are there times when you feel you’ve had to up your game? What was that like for you?

And speaking of upping your game; today we are giving away a spot in my soon-coming class The Art of Composition. All you need to do is leave a comment here on this post before Thursday at midnight EST for your chance to win a complementary registration to the Standard Version of the class, which begins on Jan 3rd. YAY! Winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck!

CONGRATS TO ALISON! SHE WON! Thanks everyone for your comments.

Todays prompt: sky

Sending a Message for Giving Tuesday

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Over the past week many of us have been through a full gamut of experiences. From travel to family to food to shopping, it’s been a packed past few days. We’ve been grateful, we’ve been satisfied and we’ve been gearing up for the momentum of the season as we transition from one holiday to the next. I can think of no better time than right now to focus on moving forward in a spirit of giving, especially on the heels of the many wonderful things we have been getting (nurturing, nourishment, sale prices to name just a few).

Today marks the first annual Giving Tuesday, a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. What a grand way to kick off the next leg of this season! 

When we give, we are quite simply sending the message that we care. To be on the receiving end of that kind of caring, means that the love that is being sent, is being received, felt and appreciated. That’s the way giving works. And it’s what makes the world a better place. Whether you choose to give money, items, your time, or any combination of these things, today, we encourage you to mindfully send a message of love, caring and compassion.

Today as we celebrate Giving Tuesday, share with us where/what/how you have given this season, what you will give today, and/or how will continue to give during this ongoing season of love. Please be sure to tag your images, posts, updates with the official Giving Tuesday tag #givingtuesday so we can all work together and help to put this national day of giving on the map for it’s very first year!

Coming home to my camera

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Over the past year or so, my DSLR has been gathering dust. It hasn’t been intentional. I have just gotten more and more accustomed to using my iPhone for all of my daily photography. Easy, efficient, and synched to Instagram, I have found the convenience of my phone camera beyond sufficient to satisfy my creative cravings. That was until the past week or so. I can’t really explain it but I have been feeling a little photographically parched. To try to quench my thirst I decided to pull out the DSLR and play over the weekend.

I totally forgot what I had been missing.

Minutes turned into hours as I lost myself in my photography process. Light—click—aperture—click lenses, focus, the feel of the big camera in my hand—click click click. It felt so good. The featured shot above came straight out of the camera. It was the first of that day and it’s my favorite. I felt so at home and so happy. This doesn’t surprise me. I know my artistic rhythm calls for a new muse time and again. Who knew that the muse I needed next was in my camera bag, just waiting for me to return?

What’s your muse these days? What’s beckoning you?

safety nets

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Taking risks is not easy for everyone. Who am I kidding? Taking risks is not really easy for anyone. Because taking risks usually means doing something that makes us feel unsure, uncomfortable, unsafe, or uneasy. And that is hard.  Yet, people  take risks every day. Some big and some small. But, no matter the size, or the significance (or even insignificance) of the risk, what does matter is that we stepped out of comfort zone for a while. We pushed ourselves, put ourselves out there, leaped, took the plunge, dove in.

One of the best part of a community like this one here at Shutter Sisters is that in each other, we have a support system, a cheering section, a life ring. It doesn’t always make taking risks less scary but knowing that there is a safety net of sisters here for you can really help remind us that we’re all in this together.

Are there risks you’ve taken that you’d like to share? How about risks you want to take but are afraid to? The more we share our fears, the less power they have over us. Remember, you are not alone. We’re here for each other.

Stumbling Upon Kindness

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What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the kind. ~Cleveland Amory

I recently shared an Instagram image of my husband and I standing on a street corner in NYC near a chalk-drawn heart at our feet.  A friend asked on the feed, “Did you bring your own chalk?” The comment made me laugh. It sounds like me actually, to do something like that but in this instance, it was someone else who brought the chalk. In fact, it was what I would consider a random act of kindness. We found a number of these chalk hearts along our walk around the city that evening.

Sometimes when we engage ourselves in activities like leaving hope notes, or sidewalk messages, we forget that others might be doing the same. To stumble across gestures of kindness from strangers is nothing short of wonderful. It reminds me that we are all called to be a part of “the army of the kind”.

Today, share a story that expresses the power (and beauty) of kindness.

taste

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“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.” -Henry David Thoreau

This is the time of year when the weather begins to turn and with that, the food and drink we serve up follows suit. Is it me, or does this time of year beg for soups, stews, pastas, and bread? Everything warm, rustic, and deeply satisfying. Autumn is officially upon us. Today, tell the story of what you taste this time of year and share it with us. In other words, make our mouth’s water!