Shutter Sisters

Walk On

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Each and every day we take one step after the next in true and utter trust that the ground beneath our feet will be there. That gravity will never forsake us. Who knew we traveled through our daily lives with such certainty with such faith? Karen Maezen Miller has a real knack for reminded us of truths that are so simple, they’re profound.

 

Our heads are often in a million places at once, darting from task to task, with a fret here and a worry there but we continue to walk, feet to ground without even thinking about it. It is what it is. The ground is there, no matter what. And even though we do realize that nothing is certain but this very minute, we keep going with a blind trust. The ultimate kind.

 

So what about this walking we do every day? What about where we land? Do we even notice where we rest our weight? Where we lay it all down with that kind of Universal faith?

 

I walked and walked and walked all over NY city today without much of an agenda at all. I can’t really remember when I did that. Walked just because I could. Maybe it was because I had a dear friend to guide me and keep me company. Or because I had some time to spend doing whatever I wanted around this amazing and new (to me) environment. The why is no matter. It was glorious. It was empowering and I couldn’t help but notice all the wonders that lay before me; at my feet.

 

I encourage you to walk and wander and notice what’s beneath you. And if you choose to take a camera along, I’d love to see what you see.

Home is Where the Heart is

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There’s no place like home. – Dorothy

 

Home is where we hang our hats. It’s where we gather around the dinner with family and friends. Home is a warm cozy blanket in the winter and the breeze blowing through and open window in the summer. It’s is sun-ripened fruit in the fruit bowl and hot soup in the kettle. Home is popcorn and ice cream sundaes. Home is children, pets, and partners. Home is a good book and a vase of fresh flowers. And on a great day, home is nice natural light flooding in for the perfect portraits of the people we love and place we love to be.

 

Home is where we feel as ease; where we let down our guards, where we love without reservation, and hope without limits. Home is where we choose to live and perhaps even more, home is where we come from, where we’re rooted, where we grow.

 

Us Shutter Sisters as well as the fine folks of Aaron Brothers are eager to see your interpretations of this month’s One Word Project’s theme home. They are holding a photography and art contest that begs the question Show Us Your America which for many of us is home so it just seemed like a perfect fit. Although the contest is specifically about Your America*, we hope the word home will open your hearts and minds to infinite possibilities. The theme is up for interpretation. Enlighten us.

 

They say home is where the heart is. And I know it’s where my heart is. I’m sure the same goes for many of you too. It’s reflected in the many sincere and sacred images you have been willing to share with us in our Flickr Pool. Offering us a glimpse into your life says a lot about this community and I for one feel at home here, with all of you.

 

We’re looking so forward to celebrating August with a word as rich and meaningful as home. I can only imagine what kind of delights will await us over in the One Word Project Flickr Pool. And like months past, we have a special place here to feature some of the photos that are shared so be sure to visit to OWP blog daily to see some of them showcased.

 

*For US sisters, please read the rule of eligibility carefully to be sure you’re in one of the eligible states for the contest. For those of you international sisters, don’t fret, join us in the OWP and show us your home in our Flickr pool too, no matter the continent or the miles between us, home is home and we want you to share it.

 

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A special thanks to Aaron Bros and the Show Us Your America contest for sponsoring this months OWP. For more about what fantastic products and services Aaron Brothers’ stores provide, check out their website or better yet, pop into one of their many stores. You will LOVE it, I promise.

 

And for Show Us Your America Photography and Art Contest information, go visit the website and pick a shot from your arsenal that creatively shows them your America…your home.

Quiet and Calm

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Even in the lazy days of summer there seems to be moments where I definitely feel that there’s no rest for the weary. From staycations to vacations, kids to conferences, work to play, this July has been more jammed-packed than any December I’ve ever known. I know I’m not alone.

 

It’s right about now, about ½ way through summer when many moms especially are waiving their white flags. I surrender! When are things going to let up? What happened to ‘me-time’? 

 

Never fear. There is a way to calm the body and mind even when the heat is on. Grab your camera and use it for the greater good. After taking a few deep cleansing breaths (never underestimate the power of breathing) let your lens guide you to the quiet beauty that lies in wait for you to discover it. Shoot something, anything that sooths your soul and softens your body. Let the peace of the subject matter hold your attention and seep into your being as you enjoy a little change of perspective.

 

Life is what we choose to make it. Let’s see the kind of images that remind you to you slow down a bit and stop to smell the roses (or daisies or magnolias).

 

Now, exhale.

thrill rides

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Shutter Sisters have long loved Lensbaby since foreverand we’re giddy that more of you talented ladies (and a few men) got to actually try them out with our walkabout guide Kirsten. Not only is she just a whole lot of fun to be around, she can wield her baby around like nobody’s business! We couldn’t resist featuring a few of the shots she captured on one of our Shutter Suite / Lensbaby outings. Wow, right?

I have been loving so many of the shots that other’s have posted from the walks as well. Each time a group would return from the walk they were bursting at the seams with excitement at the experience. Getting outside and getting creative was a true boost on so many levels. Thanks Kirsten and Lensbaby!

A few of the lucky walkabouters won some cool stuff from Lensbaby too. Allow me to announce the winners today-

2 $50 gift cards are going to Kathleen Steele and Lisa Wahrmund

2- $100 LB Gift Certificates are going to Lucrercer Braxton and Gudrun

And a Lensbaby Composer is going to Melissa Esplin

Yay girls!! So excited for you. Thanks for joining us in the Suite!

But that’s not the only thrill we’ve got today…

Jen and Stephanie are Rwanda-bound and are taking the ride of a lifetime by kicking off the Picture Hope Project today! OMG! We are beside ourselves! Between a Shutter Suite reception for them and our Picture Hope book, we are sending them well on their way with all love and support we’ve got.

Light a candle, do a cartwheel, take a picture…do anything today with this amazing duo in mind. They are incredible partners and dear dear sister-friends. I love them both so much. We all do, I know.

Follow the trip on the Picture Hope blog (right here at Shutter Sisters) for all the latest news and updates from the road. And be sure to mark on your calendars their LIVE CHAT from Rwanda hosted by The Motherhood on Monday, Aug 3rd at 12pm Eastern Time. I know, I know…can you stand it??? Pop over now and sign up for the chat and put it on your calendar today!

And on the subject of both Hope and big thrills…the winners of the Picture Hope book giveaway are

Ryann, Faith, Chris, Claudia and BusyMomma66

And the winners of the Picture Hope 8X10 prints (printed courtesy of ColorInc Pro Lab) are

Jody, June, Alyssa, Kari and Melinda

 Congrats to you! And to those who would like to help us get money into the hands of the incredible women that Jen and Stephanie will come across on their travels, please go buy the book from our Blurb store. All the proceeds will go to those who’s stories will be shared during the Picture Hope Project. Good stuff.

OK sisters, let’s gather our forces and send Jen and Stephanie off today with kind words and images to remind them that anything is possible and that Hope is waiting for them around every corner. Click!

the magic wand

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You don’t have to look far to find the joy of simple pleasures during the summer. This is the season where everything feels a little easier and breezier somehow. Whether it’s the sprinklers, jump rope or bubbles, the simplicity of summer elements can make for the most delicious photography. Just take a look in the One Word Project Flickr group for summer. Awesome.

Today, get out your wands and show us some bubble magic. It’s not as easy as it looks to catch these little round wonders as my daughter can attest. It took lots of bubble blowing for me to even get something in focus! This was my favorite shot of the day because it caught a perfect reflection of my house. No, I don’t live in an Italian Villa although the reflection kind of looks like one.

Can’t wait to see what fun you capture…up, up and away.

splashy

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Happy Summer everyone! I know it’s been summer for a while now but around here it never really feels like summer until July. Even though southern California has good weather almost always, here on the coast we get faked out in June. They call it June gloom and it doesn’t lift until, well, July. So, here we are…enjoying sun and summer and all that goes with it. The beach, the pool, bike riding, dog walking, you name it.

So with this month also comes a new word for our One Word Project. What better word to mark all things warm and wonderful than the word summer? We’ve got so much to look forward to in the coming months, why not celebrate it? We’re featuring a ton of your pictures and posts in the Your Local Picks feature, The Shutter Suite at BlogHer and soon after Picture Hope officially kicks off with trip #1.

So many good things coming it’s true but for now, let’s bask in the glow of the summer sun and appreciate today. Share with us all the things that speak of summer. Leave links in the comments and submit them into our One Word Project Flickr pool. Let’s enjoy the season with a splash.

a pageant right here at home

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I was recently invited to a media showcaase for a local event that I had never experienced before. I had heard about the well-known, highly-respected Pageant of the Masters for many years but had never gone to a single performance to see what all the fuss was about. I figured it would be neat …but I had no idea.

After an enchanted evening and intimate introduction to this Laguna Beach treasure, I am amazed and smitten with this real live masterpiece. Although I have yet to see the show in it’s entirety (that will change this summer I promise you) the glimpse I did get into the magic of it all was all it took to intoxicate me.

Considering this event has taken place since long before I was born and it’s a So. Cal. stone’s throw from where I live,  I thought what a great thing to share for our first Local Pix feature. Staycations are all about finding the gems of your own neighborhoods and taking the time to experience and enjoy them. This is one of those kinds of things. If you live here is Southern California or you will be visiting during between July 8th and August 31st, The Pageant of the Masters is a must see. It will totally amaze and inspire you. I promise. Just take a look at some of the surreal scenes I captured at the media event.

I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look, up close and personal and what they accomplish remarkable. A perfect example of where art and life collide. Literally. These paintings are larger than life but are only part painting. The subjects, as seen in the shots above are women. For real. And some pieces have groups of people; men, women and children alike. I know. It’s crazy and it’s brilliant.

Got any shots that challenge you perspective? Something that makes you question what is real and what is an illusion? Share with us a beautiful mystery today.

Thank you to everyone who has submitted Your Local Pix ideas. Wow! What a great response we got. You will be notified soon and we’ll start featuring some your favorite places.

family framed

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Years ago I stopped giving photos to my husband for his Father’s Day gift. I know he appreciates the pictures I capture of our girls but the truth is, it’s me that wants one good reason to frame a recent shot of my kids. I learned to stop waiting for Father’s Day to get those timeless moments framed and just did it. For myself. For our family. That’s not to say I don’t make my husband photo cards for every occasion because you know I do! But, that’s another story.

When this Father’s Day approached however, there was a project I had been wanting to do with our Fair Photo booth archives. When I got the One Cent Sale email from Aaron Brothers a few days before Father’s Day I jumped at the chance. It is my most favorite sale of the year I must admit.

Above are the final results; two of the four years of Photo booth fun, scanned, enlarged a bit, matted in museum board mattes and framed in a simple black frame. A treasured Clark family series of playful photo booth portraits. I can’t wait to hang them up! And yes, my husband loves them.

Sometimes a project will inspire you, sometimes it’s the photo itself, or a holiday or a frame sale that does it. Other time you find a fantastic frame and then search for the perfect  photo to go in it.

Case in point the new Photoshop Photo Framefrom our friends at PhotoJojo. This is one of those frames that anyone who has a passion for photography in the digital age will love. Don’t you agree?

Leave a comment today about a project, photo or frame that motivated you to get your work off of the computer and into your life Your comment will make you eligible to win the Photoshop Photo Frame (a la PhotoJojo). Yay!

confessions of a 365 dropout

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141/365 141 – SOOC

I hate to even have to say it outloud, or in writing, but it dawned on me the other day;

I have failed in my efforts to keep up with the 365 project.  Heavy sigh.

It’s certainly not the biggest deal in the world. I can begin again at any time and kind of pick up where I left off (I guess) but there was just something magical about starting on Jan 1 and actually thinking I would/could stick with something every single day for an entire year. I did manage to make it for something like 141 days. I think that’s fairly impressive.

Regardless of the fact that I’m officially throwing in the towel on the project this year, I learned a few things along the way that might help those of you who are still committed and diligent in your photographic efforts (I wholeheartedly applaud you btw).

Here’s my follow up to Stephanie’s original post offering her tips on sticking with it.

1. Keep a 365 idea notebook handy. Anytime you drive by something that catches your eye, jot down the location so you can’t revisit on a day when you have time to snap off a few pictures. Anytime you have a fleeting thought about something you’ve been wanting to capture in a photograph, write that down. When you’re feeling uninspired and out of ideas, use the lists in your notebook as guides.

2. Keep an eye on your battery. Make sure it’s charged (plug it in before bed) and have back-ups handy.

3. Take your camera to social functions. It’s fun to round out a collection of still-lifes with some pix of friends and family.

4. Try to shoot at least one shot each morning. I know this was on Steph’s list but for 141 days, it was my mantra.

5. Don’t wait for perfection. As Kate recently urged, ‘do not wait for perfect light’. Just shoot!

6. Plan regular photo walks or field trips for yourself. Go alone or with friends.

6. Shoot from the hip. Literally. Sometimes the less invested we are in getting the shot, the more likely we are to capture delightful surprises.

7. Pick up a few extra memory cards to carry with you so you never end up with a full card when you’re out and about.

8. Give yourself permission to shoot the same subject over and over again. If there is something your are drawn to shoot, then try capturing it differently on different days. Be inventive and the repetition of subject matter becomes interesting, not boring.

9.Get involved in shooting for regular photo features around the internet, like the One Word Project, Best Shot Monday and Love Thursday.

10. Never underestimate the power and beauty of your SOOC shots. Why spend time editing the shots that don’t need to be edited. Use the 365 project as the practice to get your shots right the first time! Less editing time means the less time the 365 project takes each day and it leaves more time to shoot.

One thing I was reminded of as I played along this year was that paying attention to the details of my daily life, camera in hand, was totally therapeutic for me. I had no agenda but to shoot and there were many times I was blissfully lost in shooting. It was amazing and enlightening.

If you started on Jan 1 this year then today is day 167 for you. Almost half way home. Surely you have some ideas for us on how you keep it up. Anything that keeps you shooting like the prolific shutter sisters that you are would be helpful. Links to your favorite captures always welcome.

Wish Lists (let’s talk photo equipment)

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23/365

-me with my Rebel XT before I got my wish and upgraded to a divine Canon 5D (pre Mark II).

 

We so rarely talk photo equipment here—there are so many other more delightful things to talk about—but let’s face it; we ALL use this stuff every single day. We thought it might be fun to dream a little and share some of the goods we’d eventually like to add to our photo arsenals.

 

Andrea, Maile and I all have our sights set on the Canon 5D Mark II. Purrr.

If you’re looking to purchase your first digital SLR we think the new Canon Rebel T1i kit is a great way to go (comes with the body and a lens).

 

On the other hand, Sarah and Karen think the Nikon D700 would be the bee’s knees. And Nikon has the entry level SLR kits too which are a great way to start.

 

Sarah’s also coveting a few new lenses; the Nikkor 135mm 2.5 and the

Nikkor 70-200 2.8.

 

Kate longs for a wide angle like this one and at the same time would adore getting up close and personal with a macro like the 50mm 2.5 Compact Macro. Let me recommend this sweet sweet little baby from personal experience. It’s the lens that rarely leaves my camera. I would never forsake it…except maybe for this Canon 100mm Macro. I borrowed one the other day and was in heaven. And yes, it’s on my wish list.

 

Paige is looking to get flashy with this Canon Speedlite Flash (great flash, I use one and highly recommend it for Canon users).

 

Karen would like to try her hand at Aperture. 

 

Stephanie’s getting ready for the Picture Hope trip with Jen and they are interested in this Lowepro Dryzone Waterproof Camera Backpack for the road!

 

Did I mention that Kate was looking to spruce things up with a new funky camera strap? Remember we mused on straps in a recent post? Well, Jessie of Designs my Jessie has offered up two of her awesome camera straps for a couple of lucky readers today! Check out her smart and sassy designs at her Etsy shop. The built in lens pocket is so clever!

 

So, let’s have it…what do you have your photo sights set on. Maybe if we put our collective wishes together we can make things happen. Afterall, it is our passion. Why not wish big?

 

For a look into our camera bags to see what we are using right now to capture the images featured at Shutter Sisters, check out the Equipment List page.

 

And if you want to win the camera strap, you must comment here before Sat at midnight. Good luck!