Shutter Sisters

the burning house & London Street photography

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I’ve always been fascinated by what possessions people gather and hold dear to their hearts. I love those “what’s in your handbag?” photos, so when I discovered The Burning House site, it got my head spinning. Such a simple idea, such an interesting photographic project and so enjoyable & interesting to view.
 
The idea is to photograph the things you would take with you, if your house was burning down. As Foster Hunting, the creator says “It’s a conflict between what’s practical, valuable and sentimental. What you would take reflects your interests, background and priorities. Think of it as an interview condensed into one question.”

I found curating my selection more challenging than I thought it would be, and interestingly my items were mainly sentimental, hoping to preserve all the memories I have collected.

Perhaps you could to take some time today, to consider what you would save and you could share it here or send a submission over to The Burning House.

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I’ve been counting the days and finally the London Street Photography Festival starts today. For those of you near or in London, you should check out all the incredible events organised. I’m so excited the work of Vivian Maier will be here in my city, I’ll let you know next time what I thought about this photography phenomenon, as I’ll be heading there next week.

finding light

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Recently I posted this still life of ginger lemonade on my blog, along with the delicious recipe.

I wanted to share it here as there are few reasons I like this photo: one is the memory it’s created of the weekend involving many glasses of this drink. Second, is the possibly “rule breaking” spontaneous composition, which has the main subject centred and the symmetry of 3 glasses and 3 pieces of lime, but mostly it’s the natural light flooding in from behind that excites me. The natural light is the main reason I took the photo, it’s the light that stopped me from cutting the limes, to go get my camera and take this single shot.

As photographers we seek out the details of natural light intentionally, instinctively and sometimes accidentally.

Let’s bask in the light you’ve found or seeked out recently, share your images here today.

explore your senses

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As I look up through the tress, and be in the moment….

I hear delightful birdsong,

I feel the soft breeze on my face,

I see the dappled light through the leaves,

I smell the intoxicating lavender at my feet.

My senses are alive.

Where have you been lately that brought your senses alive? Share your moments here today.

365-grateful

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Photos by Hailey Bartholomew from her 365: grateful project

Have you ever discovered work from another photographer that touched your heart, in terms of what and how they shoot?, that you almost felt like you would be friends, if it wasn’t for the fact they lived on opposite sides of the world.

I felt exactly this way when I discovered Hailey Bartholomew last year, her work is so full of dreamy colours, glorious sunshine and true happiness, whether photographing or filming her family or clients… there was an immediate connection for me. I had just finished my 365:to be thankful everyday project, so when I delved deeper into her blog and saw her collection of photos and films from her 365:grateful project, I was totally smitten with her. This simple idea of photographing and recognising something to be thankful for each day, has changed Hailey’s and my life forever. Hailey says “Just having the camera physically with me every day caused a shift in the way I was thinking. Previously I was concentrating on the negative, but doing this made me consciously look for the positive. That process literally changed the way my brain was working, shifting it from always focusing on the bad to the good.” I totally agree!

Now Hailey, with the help of other family members, is taking the 365:grateful idea on to greater and bigger things. She is embarking on making a documentary about the extraordinary power of gratitude, she will be traveling to the US and hopefully the UK (fingers crossed, I’m so looking forward to meeting you), interviewing world leaders, authors, artists, scientists, spiritual teachers and musicians discussing topics such as health, happiness, relationships, marriage, mental health and the environment, the film will explore the effect that gratitude has on all facets of life. I’m so excited for her, I just know it will be filled with good vibes and messages, along with the beautiful colourful imagery you find in all her work.

Please take a look at their funding site and learn how you can get involved, you can watch a video of Hailey speaking about this project and how to help this film financially, I know every little amount of money counts, so if a 365:grateful project has touched your life, perhaps you can help & make a difference.

I’d love to hear if you’re on a similar 365 journey, or contemplating starting one, or how about taking a moment today to search out and reflect on something you are grateful for. I know it would thrill Hailey to see all that we are grateful for today.


creative bootcamp

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So we’ve been talking igniting our inspiration this month with the one word project. How about a little Creative Boot Camp to get the sparks flying?.

Are you ready to answer the deeper callings of your creative soul?… Are you tired of following the pack and ready to begin producing your most authentic work… Do you yearn to produce work with full of meaning and brimming with authenticity?…then Maegan Beishline of Madeline Bea Photography has designed a course for you.

Maegan Beishline says “Creative Boot Camp: Spring Training is all about artistic exploration…and through that exploration, getting to know yourself as an artist. It is all about doing the work and flexing the creative muscles in an effort to get to the place where you are producing very authentic work…the work of your soul. Each day of the two week course, there will be a different essay on creativity, an activity to go along with that essay, and some ideas for journaling or further thinking. Also, throughout the course, there will be thoughts and inspiration shared by other artists to really dive into the different mediums.”

You can find all the details of the course at the Creative Boot Camp site and learn how half of the course fee goes to showHOPE: a movement to care for orphans.

I’m thrilled to give away one complimentary place on this amazing journey, so please leave a comment between now and Monday 4/25 midnight (EST), perhaps tell me what inspires you or what a course like this could do for you.


Updated – A winner was chosen randomly – Anita of goingalittlecoastal.blogspot.com – Maegan will be in touch with details…. hope you enjoy the journey.

leading colour

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I love a good colour week, it’s such an inspiration for me, as colour is my passion. So seeking out a certain colour each day gets me excited.

Do you ever find one colour is clearly the starring role in some of your shots?

Please show us what colour is taking the lead in your photos lately.

And as a special celebration of color, we are giving away 3 complimentary class registrations for Tracey Clark’s soon coming photo-centric e-class Picture Color. 30 days of colorful clicks? Oh yes! Talk about some color inspiration!

Leave your comment here between now and Thursday 4/14 midnight (EST) for your chance to win.

see yourself

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All it took was the sun coming out, a walk in my favourite spot, the breeze in my hair and suddenly the cage of what has been a long winter unlocked. Freedom to see the light change, the temperature on my skin and the smile on my face.

It’s moments like this that call for a self portrait. Just me in this moment.

As hard as we find self portraits, I hope that together, we know about the importance of capturing ourselves in our moments. Have you “seen” yourself lately?

street life

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Left – Xanthe in London ~ Right – Irene in Paris

Street photography has been reignited in my heart lately. A new project London Vs Paris, with fellow shutter sister Irene Nam has sparked this love again. We are on a photographic treasure hunt around our cities, looking out for ordinary things, then sharing & comparing what we’ve found here.

This project has taken me out in my city, London, focusing on subjects, that are different from the portrait work and friendly faces I’m used too. It’s really opened my eyes to my surroundings again. I love noticing new subjects, thinking about the composition and telling a story.

I was at a London street photography exhibition recently. It’s fascinating looking at my city through the ages, seeing how other people view their communities and seeing what draws the observer to photograph that moment. The street photographer on everyone’s lips at the moment is Vivian Maier, and I’m super excited her body of work is coming here in July.

A street scene can capture light, a mood, and details. Have you tried street photography? What do you see when you’re out and about?  Please share your surroundings with us today.



being at home

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Being among this community of shutter sisters, here on the site and those viewing & sharing, makes me feel like I’m home. Photography and being surrounded by such creative spirits has changed my life forever. To be around energies that inspire daily and push me to create, I’m so grateful. I get to pick up my camera daily and take pictures of my life and those of others. I capture new life, still life, the details, true love, the brilliant moments and the sad. Yes, I am grateful.

When I first discovered shutter sisters I was “a lurker”, just viewing & soaking it all in. I looked at old posts, tried out techniques & followed photo prompts. I longed to be brave online and post a photo in the comments or to one of the projects, worried if I was good enough. Then one day a flickr friend, suggested I should enter a certain photo to the one word project. I did and I was thrilled when it was chosen on the one word page. I’m sure many of you have felt the same.

I kept being vulnerable, putting my photos out there….

I took the leap, so today I’m encouraging everyone and anyone reading this, regular commenters and those lurkers out there, yes you! Please say hi and show me what you’ve been photographing, perhaps it’s your life, or new life, a still life, the details, true love, the brilliant moments and the sad. Especially if you’ve never done so before. Be brave, we will look after you… welcome home.