Shutter Sisters

beginnings

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I recently did an interview with a lovely blogger. She asked me how my photography/texture loving journey began. 

This tree is where it all began for me! Up until I clicked it’s pic, my creative medium was painting alone.

But one day, after a very difficult time in our lives, my camera called to me. I picked it up and headed off to the trail. I took many photos that day. But it was the image of this beautiful tree that changed my life!!

It was one of the first images I shared on flickr! And it was featured as a daily click here on Shutter Sisters!! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I discovered the comments under my photo. Goosebumps, I tell ya… goosebumps!

Photographing our beautiful trail tree, and adding texture for the very first time, was a life changing experience. It was also my new beginning.

I think we all have a story. Perhaps we don’t even remember. But, today, I encourage you to dig a little deeper, and  share with us your ‘camera-clicking’ beginning. 

We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September! Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day’s random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.

Comments

  3. last year i got an iPhone and discovered the wonderful things it's camera can do
    then i got the hipstamatic app and discovered the joy of 'instant photography'
    this is the first 'documentary' series i shot, when (waiting for my turn in the hair salon, my head covered with hair paint and plastic foil) out of sheer boredom i started fooling around with my iPhone

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/61760618@N08/sets/72157627505103313/detail/

    the first picture was nominated and published online in a newspaper hipstamatic contest and also featured on some other photography sites

  5. The tree is beautiful!

    Like others, I've been photographing most of my life. But, I got serious about in 2009. That's when I heard of something called a 365 Project. I think I saw something on flickr December 31, 2009 and immediately my thought was "I'm going to do this". And I did, the first photo was shot the next day and my blog was born.

    The first photo: http://dorisrudddesigns.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/january-1-2010/

    The latest: http://dorisrudddesigns.wordpress.com/

    What a journey it's been!

  8. That image is beautiful, love it. I've been taking photos for a while but things really took off earlier this year when I discovered Kim's textures and also upgraded my camera. It's unleashed a whole new passion and I love it.

  10. I've always dabbled in photography for years… I think the first camera of my very own was a hot pink disc camera (hello, 1980's!) that I bought from Revco. Last year I 'inherited' a Nikon D70s from my sports photographer hubby and embarked on a 365 project this year with the intent to learn more about how to use all the different settings on this flippin' thing.

    Some of my "I can't believe *I* took this picture" favorites from this year:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/47459582@N02/5938829372/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/47459582@N02/5544920423/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/47459582@N02/5597246937/

  11. One day when my son was still tiny, I dressed him in a little outfit with clouds and stars on it. Hmmm. Add the matching hat. Hey! I could take a picture of him on his blue sky blanket! They are admittedly kind of cruddy photos taken with flash because it was too cold and cloudy for decent natural light. But it was the start of carrying my camera everywhere and finding creative joy in motherhood.
    http://journeyleaf.typepad.com/journeyleaf/2009/02/baby-laughs.html

  12. One beautiful tree! Just inspired me to get off my laptop, grab the dog's leash and my camera and go for a walk in the park. Hopefully I will capture a tree like this!

  13. I love trees. There is something so nourishing and nurturing about them.

    I don't have a shot that started it all for me. I've loved photography for a very long time. I've just never had much courage in it.
    I began the digital life with a D50 and loved it. I now have a D90, which I am growing to love. There is always an ideal with your first that none of the rest measure up to, it isn't their fault.

    Here is one of the first shots I took with my D50:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepdish/163599098/in/set-72157600189122897/lightbox/

  14. I'd always wanted to do something artistic but lacked the necessary talent, my first digital point and shoot camera which I received in 2006 opened a new way to explore the world.

    I was persuaded to join a new camera club which was starting in the village and my journey began……I'm loving it!

    Here are a couple of my early images taken for the club, straight out of the camera, I had no idea how to crop or sharpen, let alone add texture.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/9970083@N02/952920498/in/photostream

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/9970083@N02/942665036/in/photostream

  15. what a beautiful tree Kim! Aren't they inspiring?? What a great question…where did it all begin?? I think many, many years ago, it started with fascination and desire…WAY before I knew anything about shutter speeds and aperture, much less Photoshop! 🙂

  16. i've always been involved in some sort of creative outlet – painting, pottery, weaving, etc but i feel like my photography interest sort of started when my daughter was in high school and she was focusing on photography and i got to assist her in many of her creative assignments. I bought her a nice Nikon and she let me borrow it sometimes. : )
    So in 2008 when she graduated from high school and had a creative idea for her prom photos I clicked away in the background while my photographer friend did the real job. I really liked some of mine. But i have to say, when 595 people look at this and one person makes a comment it sort of makes me doubt myself. however i'll keep on shooting – because i love many of mine and that's all that matters.

  18. Every picture tells a story. Trees, children, mountains, insects, flowers…There is nothing better than capturing inspiration and life.

  19. My husband was a very technically accurate photographer, but he lacked artistic sense. When point and shoots came out, I bought one. Still I was not hooked. I became an avid photographer when I notice that my blog looked so much better with a GOOD picture. Now I can not stop.

  20. My husband was a very technically accurate photographer, but he lacked artistic sense. When point and shoots came out, I bought one. Still I was not hooked. I became an avid photographer when I notice that my blog looked so much better with a GOOD picture. Now I can not stop.

  21. Great question – where did we begin? We LOVE looking back through the files to remember our guys when they were smaller. This was one of the first shots I took with my first dSLR that made me feel like I was finally getting it. It is in focus with decent light and showed some personality of my little guy. I would process it completely differently these days, but this shows where both of us were back then.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/19379573@N06/6129798575/in/photostream

  22. I remember the beginning very well. It was in 2005, and like you, I was going through a difficult time in my life. Inspired by the colors of Autumn, I grabbed my point and shoot and decided to carry it along with me on my morning walk. The little lane where I walk is just over a half mile long, but I spent hours walking up and down that road capturing the colors, textures, and details. I immediately noticed the relaxing effect of the simple act of getting outside of my head and focusing on the world around me. I submitted the following shot to the local weather man who routinely featured weather related photos during his forecast. It was a thrilling surprise to see my image on the screen and hear the reaction of the other members of the news desk. It would be a couple of more years before I invested in an SLR and another couple of years to begin dabbling in photoshop. But, this is the definite moment when my interest in photography began to simmer on the back burner, and now its up to a rolling boil!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/leanne8790/2635240858/

  23. How inspirational! My camera clicking began when I had kids. My oldest son was 2 and we were home sick one day. I was laying on the couch, too sick to move, and there he was, nose pressed up against the glass of our front door, with our dog faithfully by his side, looking for daddy to come home. I dragged myself off the couch and grabbed my camera. Zoomed in on their faces right next to each other and clicked. I loved that picture so much I started carrying the camera everywhere, trying to find a way to keep those quiet moments forever. The emotion and tenderness of photos of children have captivated me ever since.

  24. Oh what an inspiration Kim! I loved hearing about how you got started on this journey. Like many others photography was always a love of mine but I always thought having a good photographic eye was a gift (like singing), either you have it or you don't. I did not think it could be learned. I was actually kind of afraid of the camera, to be honest. In late 2009 my husband bought me my own DSLR and I started timidly clicking. In January of 2010 I took a photography online course and I fell MADLY in love with photography. It really changed my life. I discovered my passion (at last!) and since then every click has made my heart happier and happier.

    Here are a few of my early images:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/4289980462
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/4323939271
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/4324675634

  25. My camera clicking began when I purchased my first camera in 1974. It was a Konica 35mm camera and I had to pay for it in installments at JC Penney's because I couldn't afford to buy it outright. I've never really become an excellent photographer, but I still love it. One of my favorite "models" in the 1970's was my dog Ebie because she was one of the few who didn't mind my persistent snapping! I have a few of those original photos and scanned one. http://www.flickr.com/photos/myheartart/6129900439/in/photostream

  26. Love your tree! I'v always been the one taking pics since my daughter was born, and my p&s just never gave me what I wanted. I now have an slr, and it makes me happy. Just wish I had extra $$ to get more lenses!

  27. My love for all things photography and camera related began with this, my dad's old camera, which I never used:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/koreenphotography/5863408561/in/photostream
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/koreenphotography/5863408571/in/photostream/

    It represented all the mystery and romance of photos…. and it still does.
    My current journey began long ago when I accidentally snapped a picture that capture the trees and the light. As it was film on an old automatic 35 mm, I don't have it to show. But that started my love affair with light, and the photo was very reminiscent of this recent photo:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/koreenphotography/4717571036/

  29. i've been taking pictures for years, but with a recent separation from my husband, my girls and I moving to a new town in a new state where we know absolutely no one, my camera is literally saving my life. all of ours, really. the girls too. our cameras are helping us to discover and begin to love our new town. at 12 & 13 they are discovering the joys of both polaroid and their digital cameras. all three of us look at shutter sisters everyday and gather insipiration, admire the amazing work, and look forward to our next venture into our new town with our cameras. learning to love bend through the lens.

  30. My photo journey began eons ago when I was in tenth grade. I was on the yearbook staff, and our faculty leader sent us each home that summer with a couple rolls of film to fill up. A photo I took of my two best friends getting laced up at the roller rink got into the yearbook. I loved that! After that, I loved to plan random photo shoots with my siblings and friends.

  31. Well I've been taking pictures since my oldest was born but only have started to actually Capture moments after I opened up the box to my DSLR this past March. From my 1st test shot it was like my eyes opened up. It made me think before I took a picture it doesn't mean I have to have perfect everything it just makes me pause and think what I am taking a picture of if I can capture something that will trigger a memory.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/17639235@N00/5596126831/in/photostream

    That is one of the 1st pictures I took because I was curious what else besides my baby I could capture. Now I can't get enough of story telling w/my lens.

  32. I was always a writer in school. It's what I did and who I was. When school stopped, so did the writing for a while, and it wasn't until I got back to it (through blogging!) that I realized the benefit for me wasn't so much in the recording as it was in the seeing. Being a writer helped me SEE the world differently.

    The day I got my first digital camera (a Canon Elph point-and-shoot in 2001), a similar thing happened: the camera helped me SEE. It happened again when I got my first SLR (a Rebel in 2005) and then again last week when I got my 60D. I do get a lot of joy out of taking pictures to capture memories, but I get much more from looking at the world through a photographer's eye.

  33. I feel like my journey has been an evolution my entire life, where I keep coming back to creating over and over. I used to love photography even when I was a little kid, but then decided to pursue a different major in college. After my first year I realized I had to follow my passion and majored in Art w/ a concentration in photography. I feel like it is important for people to have an avenue of expression!

    http://www.michellebodamer.com/blog/2011/9/12/i-fell-in-love-with-creating-over-and-over.html

  35. My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic back in the distant past of the 70's ! All I did was snap on my holidays and as a student in 1976 visited the US as part of a college exchange with a college in South Dakota. What an experience, I had never flown before so it was a huge culture shock and so began my love affair with the United States. So my photos from that visit were a series of small prairie dogs , crooked shots of buffalo in the distance…. you get the picture.
    Fast forward to 2011 i have an Iphone which takes fab pictures, I have apps like Hipstamatic and Snapseed to name but a few, I have my wonderful Panansonic compact and finally a Mac that has Photoshop , riches galore.
    As a history teacher I cannot emphasise how important it is to document our lives for future generations to enjoy. Most of all it is so much fun.

  38. I discovered a passion for photography a couple years ago when I started blogging to ease my passion for writing. When I put the photos of flowers in a greenhouse on the computer and could see the drops of water on petals,I was smitten and began to view everything around me a brand new light. Macro remains a favorite.

    Such a stunning photo. Thank you for sharing your talents.

  39. These pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing! I really appreciate the different perspectives you've been sharing. What power the camera has!

  40. That is one remarkable tree, and your processing is fantastic, as always.
    I've not had one big light bulb moment. But more a series of little ah-ha moments. Certainly when I discovered your website, and the process of using textures finally 'clicked' for me, I was off and running. I spent quite a bit of time putting textures on EVERYTHING. I can still get lost for hours at the computer 'playing' with my photos and your wonderful textures.
    This is one of my early textured photos, that I still really like.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/22377101@N04/4781611197/in/photostream

  41. Glorious tree photo…there is something about solitary tree images isn't there? Like a lot of the others I've been taking photos all my life it seems. I can clearly remember the urgency I felt when dropping my rolls of film off at the pharmacy for developing…if they said to come back on Friday, you can bet I would drop in on Wednesday – just in case they were ready early! I've never lost that keen desire and love of the art. With the advent of digital I was in heaven but really missed my SLR with which I control some of the elements of the image. I've had a DSLR for a few years now and am out shooting every weekend…and still learning and loving every minute of the journey.

  42. Like a few others who have posted here, I have always had the need for some sort of creative outlet. I started out as a writer, but once I got out of school, had a regular job, got married and had kids, I found writing to be too intense in a way. I navigated toward activities that most would consider crafts: stained glass and jewelry making. Then I got a dSLR. I really had the intention of just getting a better camera but thought I'd stay pretty much in the auto mode . . . I was just tired of my old, slow digital point and shoot camera, but as soon as I picked that camera up, read a little about the controls, things started clicking, so to speak. It has been my favorite ever since and my style continues to evolve some. More recently I have embraced lightroom and photoshop more and learned how to apply textures, which I think is an added level of creativity (thanks to you, Kim 🙂 ). Here is one of my first textured photos:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjakobsen-martin/5388567251/

  44. I needed a hobby to be in place when my youngest son entered high school and I knew ( and am) anticipating empty nest syndrome. I'm not a sewer, I don't draw or paint. I remembered I took a black and white photography class when I was 13 and was instantly drawn in. I have always loved looking at photography so I figured that would be a good hobby…I've never looked back. My son is a JR now….glad I have my hobby well in place!
    Love this photo you've taken.

  45. oh, how i love your peaceful tree and where it has taken you, dear kim … : )

    for years, i have toted around a little camera and taken snaps of anything and everything
    beautiful (well, especially once things went digital) but didn't really 'do' anything with them
    or have a purpose … i just knew i needed to capture what i was seeing …
    i love how light plays on the simplest things …

    if you take a peek here, my very first flickr post …
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/prairiegirlstudio/4371377438/in/set-72157623343948671
    … this is the beginning of me putting how-i-see-things 'out there',
    and, you will see my sweet kim, how inspirational and instrumental
    you were and have continued to be to me on my creative path … xxo

    oh! and then the textures … well, let's not get started on that topic cuz you know
    how much you have inspired me in that department!!!

    oh, the journey has just begun …

    xxo
    pg

  46. I love your tree! For me, trees, landscapes, scenery beckon me. I think I was born with a camera in my hand. My passion took on a whole new level this past Christmas when my wonderful husband gifted me a Canon Rebel T2i. I took a photo course 2 weeks later and I've been on a steep learning curve ever since. The textures are my new guilty pleasure and I think it's going to be a life-long love. Photography makes my heart sing. It is how I express who I am and what I love.
    Here's my most recent blog with something a little different for me: photos at dusk:
    http://prairiejuan.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/it-is-evening/
    Here are my flickr posted shots:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/57826534@N07/

  48. OMGoodness!! This is one of the most beautiful images I have ever seen! very inspiring! Thanks for sharing. I love trees. They are special to me, yet I rarely photograph them, feeling I don't do them justice! Now I'm looking forward to fall to try to capture even one such fabulous photo!

  49. Lovely Kim, just lovely. For me, my start came from finding your photos and your generous offering of textures. Not knowing how to use them (but wanting to badly!), I took one of your classes. Then another of your classes and I was (AM) hooked! Thank you Kim for giving me my start!

  50. Hi, I got started on my photography journey in high school – I never really felt like I fit in, not that I wasn't welcome, but never really got to feel part of the "group" having the school camera I wandered from event to event, group to group – doing photos – documenting for the yearbook etc, it opened doors allowed me in, but it also meant i didn't have to stay to long if I felt awkward. I never got trapped in a school click. That was the social side – the other side – it was creative – I could watch as the photos came to life in the darkroom – I wasn't very good at drawing or painting – and photography provided that creative aritistic venue. Since then I have been working on my skills, both social and creative, the digital age with photoshop, textures and brushes have really kicked it up a notch! I love your work and want to thank you for sharing your talents to help us all be even more creative!

  51. Oh Kim, this is a beautifully shaped, deeply rooted, old golden tree that tells the story of longevity. What a lovely capture! So, I came here following your suggestion today on your Cafe. Ok, well for my little story, this photo tells my story…

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/missvivigold/5000985033/in/set-72157622702025129/

    In the mysterious mist during a midnight walk, I heard a golden tree speak to me through the night air. I sat down and listened to her whispers about light, space, and time. Those, she said, exist in everything, yet they can never ever be repeated the same again. A photograph brings back the memory of it. A photo is a remembrance.

  52. So cool that you have one of your very first photographs. I wish I did. I can't even remember what it was of (probably the moon since I was really into astronomy at that age). I do remember my first camera. It was a Mamiya film camera with 2 lenses that I bought from my aunt for $70 that I saved up from babysitting when I was in middle school. I don't even have the camera anymore 🙁

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  60. I love this picture! It reminds me of the tree across from my grandparents house. I used to sit out underneath it and read books, day dream, or just look at the clouds. This image really took me back to my childhood!