Shutter Sisters

beautiful bokeh

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Ever since I heard the term Bokeh I was intrigued. I am infatuated with light and how light works to create a good photograph. I had always thought of Bokeh as the translation of out of focus light in little (or big) circular or sometime octagon-like shapes. We’ve all seen lovely shots full of beautiful bokeh but there’s more to it that I thought. I didn’t realize until a few months back that out of focus elements of the image that are smooth and delicious are also called Bokeh. OK then, now I know.

 

But what really got my attention is the term “bad bokeh”. Bad? Ouch. I’m not a person who really likes that word so it makes me cringe a little.  To my delight, after all this talk about bad bokeh, it turns out that folks are finally letting on that what is good and bad about Bokeh is highly subjective. Indeed! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, er, photographer. My sentiments exactly.

 

When I look at a photograph (mine or someone elses) I am either drawn to it, or I am not. It’s personal. There are elements within the shot that I could examine and describe and break down in my own mind. Why I like it, what works for me, etc. but mostly I just go on feel. How does the image make me feel? That is usually the indication to me of whether or not an image works. I know there’s a science to Bokeh but it makes my head spin trying to crack the code. So, I continue to seek these whimsical and mysterious circles of light, treating them like compositional elements, honoring them, giving them space to dance and play with my subjects and through trail and error I discover what works for me. Of course then there’s the question of processing. I digress.

 

I know I’ve succeeded when a simple image whispers secrets of beauty to my bended ear. When my spirit is lifted by a single moment distilled. When I beleive that anything is possible. When I feel it.

 

Do you also share a love affair with light?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and see the images of with bokeh that whisper secrets to you.

The Art of the Vignette

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I think my very first digital darkroom infatuation was the ability to vignette my images. You know, the method of manipulating the edges of an image in order to really make your subjects pop? For me, it was darkening the edges and I couldn’t get enough of it. Although I was having fun with it, it got a tad predictable, I will admit. As I continued to experiment with processing techniques I found other fixations. Textures, tones, saturation, or whatever my processing flavor of the day happened to be. Even after a few of years in experiment mode, I still don’t know what all the potentials are in processing and am still having fun trying new things. I do know what I like when I see it and I know that I shoot in waves of my own personal preferences and trends of whim. Maybe we all do. It’s just a part of the creative process I suppose and part of the fun for sure!

 

Although my love of vignetting still remains, I am beginning to enjoy challenging myself to build those vignettes into the shooting process. Natural vignettes can be just as intoxicating as their fabricated cohorts but I find they can be a lot less predictable which for me is refreshing.

 

I’ve recently begun toying with using a shallow depth of field in the foreground of my images as opposed to using it only in the background. I am loving the results! I am addicted to using my trusty macro lens and getting down at ground level, right up to my subject makes it easier to get that soft and lovely blur in the foreground. As long as my focus is on my subject (in the case above, the flower) and there is enough information in front of the subject that will be thrown out of focus with a shallow depth of field you can achieve these results. In this case, the edges don’t go dark but the softness of the bottom edge does do the trick of pulling your eye right to the subject almost as if it were framed.

 

I would love to see your vignette success stories, whatever they may be. Show us an image of when it really worked just as you wanted it to.

 

One Sweet Shot – May 2009

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When I saw this shot in Jen Gray’s Flickr stream I was totally taken by it. Part hilarious, part totally brilliant, part whimsical, part telling, part curious, part tender, part perfectly beautiful in the most unexpected way. Such is the wise and wonderful Jen Gray who I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the last year and who I love, admire and treasure very much.

 

Thanks for sharing this shot with us today Jen. It may be a horse’s butt, but seen through the lens of a cowgirl, it’s remarkable!

 

And on to other remarkable shots; the Sweet Shots that you are honoring today:

 

Georgia is honoring this shot by Beth

Surprise Pally is honoring this shot by Stephanie Roberts

Kelly of This Life Photo is honoring this shot by Carly Taylor

Kristen of Hello Sweet World is honoring this shot by brklynphoto

Diane of Life’s Sweet Ordinary is honoring this shot from Survarna Mollerup and this one by Marci Scudder

Toni is honoring this shot by bohemiangirl

Katrina is honoring this shot by Melanie

Krista is honoring this shot from Smiles4Angels

Madelynsmum is honoring this shot from Tea & Brie

Cosi! is honoring this shot by MistyBliss

Sheri of Today is Pretty is honoring this shot by Hannah

Lilia is honoring this shot from Pink Orchid Too

Vanessa is honoring these shots that Amelia courageously shared and is sending thoughts for a speedy recovery. Indeed!

 

Thanks everyone for sharing these Sweet Shots. And for those of you who want to play today, feel free to leave links in the comments here. Every link in this post above and everyone who comments will be eligible to win our giveaway today!

 

YES! Another giveaway in the spirit of sharing from HP. Another All-In-One Wireless Printer. Can you imagine? So cool! You have until Thursday at Midnight to leave a comment for a chance to win.

 

Have a sweet day.

just be

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By sweet synchronicity, as I was reading the words that Lilia shared in her post yesterday, I was packing my camera bag for a little photo excursion with one of my dear Shutter Sisters Kristi of A Life Photographic. We still live in close proximity to one another and were dear friends long before either one of us got serious about photography but these days our mutual passion has only enriched our relationship. And even still our busy daily lives often keep us from spending time together.

But on this day, we spent our morning strolling and shooting, catching up and clicking and laughing about the laundry we should have been doing, shirking the emails we should have been returning, and delaying the work we should have been getting done. Instead we took the long way around the Nature Center and kept walking. And talking. And enjoying the sunshine, our love of photography and our friendship. I mentioned that I had been really making an effort to slow down and just let myself be for a change. To let magic unfold. It doesn’t mean my to-do list is getting smaller, it’s just taking me a little longer to get through. That’s OK, right? I urged of her.

She replied without hesitation, Tracey, I just lost a good friend to cancer. It can go so fast. Yes, it’s OK. In fact, simple moments like these are all that really matter.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that I allowed myself a day of reflection and wandering, and most of all connecting with a soul sister. It’s going to be part of my new routine of just being.

I ask of you today to take some time to yourself. Breath deep. Appreciate the vibrant miracle of life that you are and all the gifts that you are given unconditionally each day. Look around you and capture with your lens of few of the things that you are grateful for. The kind that remind you that you are allowed to just be. Delight us with your visual reminders.

Before, After and Beyond

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To date, we haven’t done a lot of editing reveals here at Shutter Sisters. We have discussed processing and presets but what about the simple steps we take to merely improve and intensify our images? I must admit I often look at the amazing shots in our Flickr pool and think not only how did they do that? but also, what did that image look like straight out of the camera? Editing our images to enhance them is a step that many of use take now in our own digital darkrooms and it seems like high-time time we show some before and afters!

 

In celebration of the release of Lightcrafts’ brand new intuitive and oh-so-easy to use photo editing software Aurora, we want to see your edits! Before, after, beyond or a combination of the above; it’s up to you! Just show us something before you edit it, then, work your magic and show us the end result. It doesn’t have to be fancy or some great departure from the original. Just something subtle that makes the image pop. Share your handiwork on your blog or at Flickr and then leave a comment with the link to your edit.

 

And don’t worry, your work will not be in vain because the fine folks at Lightcraft are generously giving away copies of the all-new lovely Aurora to 7 of our readers! That means that all of you that participant in our editing extravaganza will be eligible to win your own copy of the new Aurora photo-editing software. I have used it and it is smoooooth stuff ladies. Very nice! And super-easy and fun to use. You’ll love it. But, don’t take my word for it, you can try it out yourself for a week for freeeeeeee! And in case you wondered, Aurora is not just an editing tool. You can use it to organize, tag, name, view, share and publish your photos among other things. And there’s also an option to subscribe to an affordable online back-up plan. Hello brilliant.

 

OK, you’ve got until midnight on Sunday night to leave your comment and link here on this post to be in the running to win win win!

 

Ready, set, edit!

feeling nostalgic

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There are a number of reasons I choose to live in Southern California. This is one of them.

I will admit that we don’t usually get defined billowy clouds here which is exactly why I took my camera out with me the day I shot this from the pier. Although this landscape shot looked lovely straight out of the camera, it is the vintage postcard processing that makes me fall in love with my surroundings all over again.

I have noticed so many of you creating your own magic with nostalgic processing techniques. Swoon.

If you’ve got some photo editing handwork of the antique kind that you’d like to share please do. Let’s take a trip back in time.

Insights from photographer representative Ally Godfrey

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I recently had the pleasure of chatting with successful photographer’s representative Ally Godfrey who owns and runs her own rep agency named appropriately Ally Godfrey Reps. We spoke of all sorts of ways photographers can make money shooting their passion. I love conversations like that and I found what she shared with me very enlightening. Since Ally works as the liaison between photographers and the clients that hire them, she offered insights on how to present yourself and your work in a way that is attractive to the clients looking for photographers. Photographers like, ahem, YOU!

 

Many (um, most) of the photographers I know do not have any ‘formal training’ under their belts (myself included) and let me start by saying that Ally doesn’t think that matters one bit. Am I hearing a collective sigh of relief? “What matters is the photography and delivering to the client consistent, high quality imagery that they can use” Ally emphasized. “You have to know lighting and develop a style”. We all know this is easier said than done but Ally offers a few simple rules of thumb for photographers who are looking to parlay their passion to a commercial or editorial professional status. She begins by sharing, “I think that every photographer, no matter what they want to shoot, if their goal is to make money from their photography, needs to create a “brand” for themselves. Decide what it is that you want to shoot and move your portfolio, website and testing in that direction.”

 

So, where to start? Well, if you think you’re ready to make money with your photography then chances are you’ve been shooting A LOT. So…now you’ve got the work to start building your portfolio. Ally reminds us that “Less is always more. Put together all of your BEST photos and then cut by 25%! Get someone in the business that you trust to go over your portfolio with a critical eye. You can also hire someone to do this professionally. Note: Ally offers this service to photographers so keep her URL handy when the time comes. In the end Ally says, “Make sure that the presentation is professional.” If you are looking to shoot commercially, “the industry has moved away from photos in sleeves to images that the clients can actually touch in a bound portfolio…less of a barrier between them and your work.” Good to know.

 

 

Next is creating an effective, eye-catching website that sells your work; your brand. This is where you showcase the portfolio you’ve worked so hard on. Ally suggests the most important element in a website is that the photos are featured “big and beautiful”. The site needs to be easy to navigate (which includes making sure the images load quickly, the intro is short and sweet and your bio is quick and entertaining to read). Ally adds, “If you are a creative person, some of your creative flair needs to come through in the design as well. Also (and this is important), the site needs to be easily updated.” Ally and the photographers that she represents all use and tout LiveBooks as their website developer of choice. She also mentions not to have too many portfolios to browse and if you have a blog associated with the site to keep the content relevant to your site and the work you are doing and trying to get more of. She adds that if you are also shooting weddings and portraits you might have trouble attracting commercial work so be sure to decide on what types of jobs you are looking to get and separate them if you are doing a little of both.

 

For those of you just starting out, slowly building a portrait business (or those who have booming businesses already), you still can follow these same guidelines. They translate just as well as you build your portfolio and website for clients that want to hire portrait or event photographers.

 

Above all else Ally emphasizes that photographers need to shoot what they love. That’s good enough for me.

 

LiveBooks is offering the Shutter Sisters’ community 10% off their services. Woot! Pop over and see what they’ve got to offer (pretty great stuff I must admit). For inquiries contact J. Sandifer at LiveBooks and tell them Shutter Sisters sent you!

 

 

A special thanks to Ally Godfrey for sharing her wisdom, Stacey Allaire for making the interview possible and the fine folks of LiveBooks.

the black and white of it

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I have recently been lamenting about the undeniable quality of black and white images. Whatever it is, whatever they do to us, black and white photographs can be so…so….you know what I mean.  I don’t know about you but there are some images I capture that I know are meant to be black and white. There’s just no question in my mind.

I do shoot digitally (color) and I’ll admit that I often play with images, process them a number of ways, try different presets on for size and equally enjoy them all. But there are times when nothing but black and white will do.

Do your images ever beckon to you for a black and white treatment? Or perhaps you have been seduced into going back in time and shooting with black and white film again. Oh, the idea does tempt me. I’m sure the time will come when I load up my old film SLR and have a field day but for now, my new Canon 5D (the older version of this amazing thing) rarely leaves my clutches. Which means I shoot in color but I will continue to treat my images as they warrant being treated. When they call for black and white, so be it.

Have you captured a moment in time that was destined for black and white? Do share your marvelous monochromatic shots with us today.

as fate would have it

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Let us, then, be up and doing

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

++++++++++++

 

Life’s labors have always come fairly easy to me. I’ve never minded working really hard. The waiting on the other hand,  has not been so easy. But these days, I am now recognizing the wait is an opportunity to slow my pace, to quiet my mind, to live more deliberately.

In the wait, words jump off the page as if they were written for me. Gifts of everyday life appear at every corner.  It’s exactly the Universal nod I have needed. The more still I become, the more is revealed to me. Wonder, truth, authenticity, a heart for any fate.

What is the Universe revealing to you? Words? Pictures? Dreams? Share your work and your wait.

One of Those Days

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I’m a jeans and t-shirt girl usually. But sometimes I’m a classic pant, timeless top kind of lady. A Gap ad of the no-nonsense kind, for lack of a better description. But today, even with interrupted sleep, and uncontrollable raging hormones, I made myself put on my favorite skirt and heels.

 

Encouraged by a number of amazingly inspired and seemingly impossible self-portraits and all sorts of cool vintage, antique and/or toy camera images I decided to attempt to take the edge off of feeling low by trying to push through the doldrums with creativity.

 

I recently splurged on a well-deserved new camera (well, it’s gently used but new to me and I love love love it) and wanted to try it out with my Lensbaby’s Optic Kit. I know I have a Diana camera somewhere in this house but I can’t find it (don’t get me started) and since I longed for something that would help me create something nostalgic and moody (since I was in quite a mood after all) I knew ‘plastic camera’ simulator would do the trick. Did you even know they offered that? So cool! Sometimes clearing the cobwebs by trying something out of the normal routine can work wonders. If nothing else, it’s a distraction.

 

What tricks do you save for rainy days, mood swings and lack of motivation? Throw us a creative bone today. Something we can sink our teeth into when nothing but chocolate will do.

 

Edited to add- I ran across a perfect quote for days like these! It’s nice to get a little perspective sometimes. Thanks everyone for your comments and ideas. I’m feeling better already.