Shutter Sisters

Go Where You’ve Never Been

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I’ll admit, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was extremely excited. Last Friday I was invited with a handful of bloggers (by my friend and previous business partner James Harris) to go behind the scenes and shoot a live, sold-out performance of a circus in Atlanta, but not a typical circus. This was the UniverSoul Circus, a sixteen-year-old circus comprised of 60 performers from all over the world including Ethiopia, China, Russia, Gabon, Guinea, South Africa, Trinidad, Colombia, Brazil, and Dominican Republic. A circus primarily marketed to African American audiences in thirty cities throughout the United States.

Simply put… it’s a circus with serious soul. And despite the fact that I technically don’t fit the target market, I was blown away by the performers, laughed out loud throughout the show, danced in my seat, sang with the audience, and left with some of the most interesting images I’ve ever shot. The energy under that tent was electric and the whole experience reminded me that it’s good to go where you’ve never been.

Show us something extraordinary today.

Comments

  9. What an incredible, interesting experience! I love the photo you got too – it’s something from another world entirely!

    I never, EVER, stick around when bees are around – they freak me out, make me nervous, send my senses spinning and my adrenalin rushing. So for me, this shot is my extraordinary something I would never have found if I had not stayed…

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/3341779096/

  10. Wow, what a great image Stephanie!
    Living in such a remote and isolated area, I haven’t had such a great opportunity. But, we just experienced a raging snow storm with blizzard conditions producing a windchill factor of minus 50C (fifty degrees below zero). This morning it is 37C below zero before any windchill factor — I’ll bet that’s going where none of the readers here have gone!

    http://albertaphotography.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/after-the-storm/

    Brrr.

  14. "danced in your seat"? I hate that I missed that!

    Thanks for attending.

    All the best,

    James

  17. What amazing sights you must have seen!

    Ever seen a baby pineapple? I have! As a treat, I took the kids to the Dole Plantation for some Pineapple float (pineapple ice cream in pineapple juice). It’s always so much fun to photograph the different varieties of pineapples in their garden.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/junedel/3336574599/

    This gecko is something else I think is pretty extraordinary. He liked having his picture taken. I was pretty sure he was going to start talking and start selling me car insurance.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/junedel/3336573091/in/photostream/

  18. These shots are amazing…the quality is just leaving me speechless. But go, check out this shot I posted today. Pretty much says it all.