Shutter Sisters

flower therapy

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Outside the window of where I do most of my work there is a rose bush that I look upon everyday. Each year after prunning it slowly grows full of foliage. Green  buds begin to shoot up and slowly crack open revealing impossibly pink petals that eventually burst into amazingly robust roses.

It has become a great joy, watching that rose bush bloom every year. The morning light creeps over the wall behind the bush and delights me with the glow of the morning. And in the last light of the afternoon, sunset skies illuminate my roses with the softness that only evening light can offer.

The whole process is therapeutic for me as the roses grow and bloom, wither and eventually loose thier petals and make room for the next new blossom. I’ll never tire of experiencing this complex circle of beauty, color and hope. And I will always take pleasure in capturing it all in photos.

Share today flower therapy from your world. Whether it’s from a vase in your home, your yard or a nearby field, capture the wonder of one of Mother Nature’s most generous gifts; the flower.

introducing the capture collection by Bel Kai Designs

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-Manzanita, Oregon

There are some image we capture, a stolen moment in time when the image itself moves far beyond a mere photograph. Whether it be of a person or a place, these shots are etched in our minds and in our hearts in a way that transcends anything we can put into words.

This is exactly how I feel when I am surrounded by the sea, the sand and the sky. And it’s how I feel when I see images taken there. It’s like pure magic. I can think of no better way to announce a recent creative collaboration with Bel Kai Designs: The Shutter Sisters Capture Collection. 

We will be rolling out our entire collection over the next few months (featuring some beautiful images from some talented ladies) but we’re kicking it off today with the Sea Sand Sky necklace. Did I mention I was excited? The three images I chose for this necklace mean so much to me and each holds a little piece of my heart. I am delighted to be able to share them in this way.

What makes it that much better is that in the spirit of Giveaway May we’re giving away a Sea Sand Sky necklace here. I’m so so happy about this!

Leave a comment here between now and Sunday at midnight PST to be included in the random drawing and if you’re so inclined, share an image that stirs your soul the way these stir mine.

Congratualtions to GoLightly, the winner of the necklace! YAY!

Hooray for May

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Throughout my life I have had some wonderful things happen on May 1. Maybe that’s why I always feel a little giddy this time of year; excited about what May might bring.

One things for sure, May is bringing a brand new word for our One Word Project and lots of other good things too! First things first though…our word although may seem a bit ordinary at first glance, but it is anything but. Because if there is any creative community that can make magic out of the everyday its this community!

Yep! Our wonderful word for May is everyday. I can only imagine what kinds of beauty and inspiration you’re going to excavate through your lenses with a word like this one. You know the drill, upload your everyday images into our OWP flickr pool to play along. And check back here for featured photos.

And what makes this month even more special is that we’re loading it up with lots and lots of giveaways! We’re even calling it Giveaway May.

Let’s get our Giveaway May party started and giveaway a Shutter Sisters necklace. Leave a comment here (by Sunday night at midnight) to be entered into the random drawing and if you’re so inspired, share your everyday ideas with us.

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Congratulations to Deirdre (aka superdewa on Flickr) who one the Shutter Sisters flash bulb necklace! WOOT!

holding on

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Hold

The One Word Project Flickr pool is brimming with images translating our April word, hold. They are stirring and touching, poignant and playful. Things to hold. Things that hold. Holding on and holding out. Hanging, gripping, cupping, cradling, spooning; one as moving as the next. As always, I am inspired by what you’ve chosen to shoot and share for the project this month, like the stellar capture above taken by Maryeleach. Wow! And thank you.

And thanks to Epiphanie Bags for sparking our creative spirits with such a compelling and evocative word to interpret. Something about the word hold that makes me feel loved and cared for. How about you?

And yet, tomorrow is another day which starts a new month and a whole new word for our project. We must say good-bye to hold, but only after we properly send it off on it’s way. Show us a hand or heart or anything that says hold to you today as a symbol of letting go.

the many shades of black and white

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It’s not alwasy easy to decide how to process an image when the possibilities seem endless. Some images could go a million different ways and all feel ‘right’, making the decision on which one to share that much more difficult. Other times, a certain image only feels ‘right’ when it’s processed a particular way.

Click. Slide up. Slide down. Slide up again. Click. Click. EUREKA! Click. Save. Upload.

But even when you know, for example, that black and white might be exactly what your shot calls for, then comes the question, what kind of black and white? Sharp, contrasty, grainy, warm? Again, more choices.

In Lightroom I have about a dozen different monochromatic treatments I like to choose from; each a little different than the other. What about you? How do you choose between monochrome and monochrome? What are your favorite black and white like treatments? How do you choose what should go where? DO you make them up yourself or do you use an action or preset that was perfectly plotted out by another photographer? Today, share your favorite(s) with us and tell us all about it!

cute overload

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Sometimes I’m amazed at how amused I can be by some of my kids toys. It’s as if we have all these little personalities hanging around the house; googly eyes, goofy crooked grins and furry bed-head. It often feels like at the most mundane moment something catches my eye that just plain makes me laugh.

Today, I urge you to go on your own cute overload scavenger hunt if for no other reason that to bring a little levity to Monday. We can all use a good giggle now and again.

might as well jump!

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I don’t normally think  about prompting my subjects to jump for pictures. But I want to start. When you can capture moments like these there’s no reason not to!

After our boring self-timer ‘family photo shoot’, on the last evening of our Spring Break trip (say cheese, etc.) I wanted to let the girls have a little fun.

I shouted, Jump!

And they did. Right on cue. And we had a fantastically funny and playful moments out there on that beach. A perfect way to spend out last evening there.

Now, it’s your turn…go ahead and jump!

Looking forward to seeing some of your inspired aerial shots today.

unexpected charm

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 Charm is a product of the unexpected.  –Jose Marti

As I lay on the grass, lens toward the lone dandelion in our backyard my husband commented that my muse of the afternoon was in fact a nuisance and begged my to pick it before it’s seeds flew away (and reseeded in our yard). We had a good laugh at how we can look at the same thing so differently. After a few more choice shots I tenderly picked the weed. To guilty to toss it away I took it inside and honored it and all the wishes it boasted by placing it in tiny vintage vase.

That lone, proud lion of a weed carried more beauty than any boisterous bouquet ever could. Simple, unexpected, charming. The juxtaposition of something you’d never normally see in the house there on the coffee table brought me days of joy. And I would have never considered it had it not been for the urging of my husband. Of course he shook his head at my choice of centerpieces he was still amused at my childlike excitement.

We are the lucky ones ladies. We look at a weed and see wishes. And we can collect them up and take them with us wherever we choose.

Today, create something that will bring you joy, no matter what the world may say. Point your lens to something happy and hopeful for that sake alone. Coax the charm out of the ordinary. Share your very own happiness with us today.

look who’s come

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We’ve had this birdhouse for as long as I can remember. It was a wedding present, many moons ago and has hung amongst our peachtrees ever since.  Although it has caught the attention of my lens a number of times throughout the years, it’s rarely been used for anything other than an accessory for our yard.

And yet, alas! Look who’s come to visit this spring!

I cannot tell you how much this does my heart good. The fact that this little house might actually be used for what it was always inteneded for is such a delight. Year after year these birds come and find the most unlikely places to nest around our yard. It’s amazing that even though this vacant home has been here all along, no one had moved in. It reminds me that no matter how many times we might see something, it only takes one day, a new light, a different perspective to see it differently. Somehow, this little bird saw this house as the right place this year. The perfect home.

Such is what we’re going to do during the 30 days of Picture Spring; shed a new light on the same old things; capture fresh perspectives and picture the celebratory moments that occur in our everyday lives. Only a few more days left until we begin our class Picture Spring! We kick it all off on April 1st (this Thursday) so be sure to register if you haven’t already. And you can follow along in the journey on our own Picture Spring featured gallery right here at Shutter Sisters. We’re thrilled to be sharing a daily image from participants in the class.

I do hope to see you over there! It will be a picture perfect way to sing your creative song of spring right from the comfort of your own right place, lens poised and ready for spring’s splendor! For those of you doing a 365 project, Picture Spring will give you 30 days of photo prompts which can really help when you’re seeking inspiration every single day!

Anything out of the ordinary catch your eye lately? Do share you unexpected delights with us today.

sisters in wonderland

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Today’s the day we set aside to share our Alice in Wonderland inspired images. The invitation went out last week in conjunction with the Shoot Portobello photography project and today is the day they’ll be shooting the Alice In Wonderland theme.

Since many of us couldn’t make it to London (hey, Happy Birthday Xanthe!), we’re having our own celebration of the magic and wonder of the classic fairy tale right here. To take a peek at what the participants of Shoot Portobello are capturing, their images will be posted in the Shoot Experience gallery.

Show us what you came up with today! Let’s all get Mad (as in Hatter) with it!