Jeanne McGlinchey shoots images like this with her iPhone or her Nikon, whichever is closer at hand, and spends her weekends playing with friends and family, creating new recipes and listening to NPR and pandora.
You can find her on her blog.
What little surprises might you have in store this weekend? We'd love to see your weekending shots!
]]>For those of you who don’t know - I love colour... I love to shoot it, wear it, play with it... I’d dance and sing with it, if I could!
Colour is one of the main driving forces in my photography... I don’t think you can ever have too much colour!
So we’d like to invite you to join us celebrating colour all month long. That's right, this month's new One Word is COLOR!
Let’s seek out different colours each day and post them in the one word group. You can take up the challenge to shoot a different shade each day, or go through your archives and add it to the pool. To keep the Flickr pool looking totally fabulous, please only upload the colour of that day... you’ll see why as the group fills up, it looks SO pretty.
How about adding even more colour to your life? Epiphanie bags are supporting us this month because their new spring/summer line is FULL of colour, and they’d love to give one bag of your choice to one lucky person who plays along this month. All you’ve got to do is add your photo to the comments each day and tag it #sscolormonth here, in the OWP pool on Flickr or on instagram (you can add as many photos as you like, each photo gives you a chance to win) - Thank you Epiphanie!
Can't wait to see this festival of colourfulness all month long! Hooray!
Here's the list of colours -
4th June - Red
5th June - Magenta
6th June - Carnation Pink
7th June - Orange
8th June - Yellow orange
11th June - Mustard yellow
12th June - Yellow
13th June - Lime green
14th June - Grass/forest green
15th June - Teal/Aqua marine green
18th June - Navy Blue
19th June - Sky blue
20th June - Lavender
21th June - Purple
22th June - Black
25th June - White
26th June - Silver
27th June - Gold
28th June - Rainbow
29th June - Your favourite colour
To download calendar, go here.
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"Seeds of great discoveries are constantly floating around us, but they only take root in minds well prepared to receive them." -J. Henry
All month long you have been inspiring us with all the wonderful ways to interpret May's One Word, discovery.
you discovered:
the natural curiosity of little ones,
unexpected beauty,
and so much more.
Thank you for playing along all this month.
Today I challenge you to discover one thing in your environment that makes you smile. One of my very favorite things to do is take a photo walk. I found this sweet little pirate ship in a heart at my feet on a walk in San Francisco last October. Little things like that, the unexpected, they make me so happy I carry my camera with me. So today, get on out and take a walk with your camera, iphone, polaroid, no particular destination in mind, just wander. Look up, look down, explore the world around you with new eyes. You may be surprised at what you find. Share your discovery here with me in the comment thread and don't forget to add it to the owp pool on flickr.
Xanthe will be here tomorrow to announce the new One Word for June. I am GIDDY over it! I can't wait for her to share our new word and exciting fun we have planned here all month long! So don't forget to come back tomorrow and see what it is!
XO
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"Hold on," they said. Though there came a time when she could no longer fit. When the size of her present exceeded the space defined by the path of her past. "But, I've changed," she whispered in a voice loud enough to be heard as the carousel looping in familiar eased carefully toward stop. The plastic pony never claimed to hold her weight... not forever.
Do you find that your photographs reveal what's on our heart before your mind knows what to say? Find an image from your archive and let it speak for you today.
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We are delighted today to share some questions and answers from emerging French photographer Sarah Louette. In her words her images “aim at mirroring the feelings and emotions that lie deep in ourselves. Bliss, innocence, greed, hope and despair.” And her inspiration comes from her “readings” and her own “reveries.” Love that!
Her images are breathtaking and it’s an honor to share with you her answers to our burning questions:
1. What's the story behind this photo?
I was on a family day out. The weather was fine and I wanted to show a shooting session to my sons. I initially wanted to take a picture with lots of accessories and colors, but when I parked the car, I noticed the way in this green field that looked so photogenic! I took my camera and gave it a try with the timer and my umbrella.
There are many birds of prey in the fields of my region, and one of them chose to pay us a visit. I took a picture of it. Later, I layered the two pictures to re-create that magical atmosphere our daily walks can have.
2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?
I've always been attracted to visual arts, but fine art photography seemed a bit out of the reach. Digital photography changed it all, because you could try new things, get it wrong and then try again without worrying about the price of the film. To me, this is an Art revolution that allowed everybody to open the doors of creativity. I remember I bought my first digital camera with a reverent bliss and I immediately used it as an artistic medium. This first camera was very basic but it became a marvelous companion.
3. What's your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?
This question is a good one because it makes me ponder my artwork. When I take a photo, I tend to recreate a dream. I visualize a kind of fairy-tale scene, something that can exist but that we barely do or see. It's not surrealistic nor realistic, it's a beautiful reality.
In my daily life, I want to live fully in the real world but without being held captive by my environment. I wouldn't define myself as a dreamer, but I'm a very idealistic person who believes in creating her own life. My Art probably unveils my aspirations for creating beauty.
4. Where do you look for inspiration?
I think inspiration is a fascinating interaction between our dreams and reality. In my case, it comes like a vision. I see a picture and I try to recreate it in order to give it birth.
In my latest series though, I realized the power of the translation of my imagination. For instance, one of my images "the Shelter" was clearly inspired by Stephen King, and another one "Dancing in the Stains" by... Snow white!
5. What would you say is one of your 'signature' editing tricks, themes or style? What do you think makes an image recognizable and uniquely yours?
That's hard for me to be objective with my work. I don't want to stick to a certain kind of picture, because creativity suffers from these artificial boxes. Bur, our identity is always present, as long as we're true to ourselves.
At the moment, I'm quite obsessed by the silhouettes and the effects on colours and I can see painting is another one of my inspirations. If you, the viewer recognize that I have my own unique style, of course, that would be a wonderful compliment.
6. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?
My initial focus tends to be on colours. What I am trying to improve on is my ability to sense pure and striking shapes. I think beauty is universal. It's a harmony that everyone can read. The real challenge is having the ability to write it.
7. If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self - regardless of money, time or childcare issues - where would you go and why?
I would go to South America. I have travelled in many countries in the world, but for me, it is the ultimate destination. Besides the fascinating cultures and landscapes, that's one of my very first child dreams. Being there would mean discovering a world apart and meeting an aspect of myself I would like to share again. That's how it goes, you also travel to meet your dreams. In travelling and creating, the process is often very similar.
8. Are there women out there that you consider your shutter sisters? Who, and why?
I'd say the women of family. Without being artists, they all had a link to visual arts and they all are an inspiration to me. Each photo I take is a present I give them.
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If you'd like to share a dreamy image with us, or just share a comment with Sarah, we'd love to hear from you.
For more on the Sarah Louette and her exquisite work, visit her website, check out Subconscious Photography or say bon jour on facebook.
Images inspire me. To see the world differently. To recognize beauty. To honor the moment that is right now and to also remember what once was.
Words can do the same thing. Whether in sequence or in solidarity, the right words can sooth, encourage, nudge, or stir up somehing within me. Some words bekon me to slow down while others activate something inside me. Whatever it is I most need to hear, I always seem to find somehow. The Universe is mysterious and wonderful like that; delivering messages at just the right time.
Sometimes I appreciate most those words that allow me to relax and sink into a way of being that's full of peace and contentment.
Exhale, savor, rest, be.
Other times, I love soaking up the words that urge me to take action. Do something, activate something, set something within myself free.
Dance, dream, create, fly.
Have you stumbled across any words lately that reminded you of exactly what you needed to hear? Or was there a message that surprised and delighted you when you came across it? Share with us the words and images that remind you of something you want to carry with you.
And don't forget, it's Best Shot Monday so we'd love to see your favorite image from the week. Who knows, maybe it holds a hidden message as well.
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Sarah Swandon-Dexel shoots images like this with her Nikon or iPhone and spends her weekends seeking, seeing & savoring. Sarah can be found online at urban prairie forest and via Instagram as wilburandfern.
Share with us what you'll be savoring on this extended holiday weekend? Take lots of pictures and share them with us for our weekending series.
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Recently I went to California to visit Myriam. Our plan.... to learn and play in lightroom and photoshop. The weekend turned out to be so much more than that. It was amazing.
Sunday we decided to open up our photos in lightroom and give it a go. Also on the agenda a Mother's Day picnic with Myriam's lovely in-laws. It was after 2:00 and we were still sitting at our computers playing in lightroom. A few minutes later Myriam popped down off her stool and announced she is off to the grocery store. It wasn't long before she was back with several bags full of goodies. She began to prepare an amazing meal. As she chopped and diced I watched and clicked away. It was magical.
I was moved by her ease in the kitchen. She was completely calm and peaceful as she prepared a beautiful meal. She was in-flow.
Personally, if I'm having company I'm all over the place. I will start in the morning, fussing over the house and then flit around in the kitchen preparing the meal. I'm anything but at-ease. It's just not my thing. It's not that I don't like cooking....but I really don't love it... However, pop me down in front of the computer and all is right. Everything is easier. Ya know?
Note to self....next time I am having company I need to channel that inner-ease...some inner-Myriam perhaps. I know it's in there.
Today let's talk about our own 'at-ease thing'..... or perhaps it's a few things.... What come easy for you... What feels right? When are you most in-flow? I'd love to see or hear about it.
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Sometimes I'm amazed at just how many ways there are to get at an image. How many different types of cameras, lenses, films, techniques and processes there are. It's endless. Considering choices can be as exhilarating (and overwhelming) as a trip to the art supply store. If you don't know what kind of art you want to make before you walk in that front door, you could spend hours and hours contemplating the possibilities. And perhaps leave a little more confused than when you first came in.
Like so many, my roots are in film photography. Then, somewhere along the way, I fell down a lovely digital hole. Then rediscovered 35mm film, dipped my toe into medium format before falling completely head over heels in love with instant photography. These days, my appetite for different cameras and processes is nearly insatiable. I want to know more, I want to try everything. Everything. I see a photograph I love, research the camera it was taken with and often fall down a rabbit hole so deep I have trouble finding my way out. It's like learning bits and pieces of a hundred different languages. I'm fluent in a few but have only picked up an occasional word or phrase here and there from others. I speak the languages I know with confidence but hold the new ones just under my tongue and savor the possibilities.
This means I am almost always traveling with a small army of cameras. Which is as challenging (and as comical) as you might think. Packing for a big trip means figuring out just how many cameras will fit in that carry-on suitcase. It means foregoing an extra pair of shoes (or okay, maybe clothes and shoes altogether). It's a commitment. But for me, choice is paramount and rarely have I regretted the packing of any extra camera or lens, any surplus packs or rolls of film. However, the whole scenario can also be a little crippling. Sometimes, when you have so many different tools at your fingertips, you fumble when it comes time to choose. The more I shoot, the more I realize just how important simplicity is, how choosing a particular camera is as much a part of the artistic process as composing an image. It's as essential as choosing the right words, the right language for what you want to say. Choose wisely, choose thoughtfully and accept the fact that you can't speak seven different languages at once.
I will probably always travel with a small ever-changing gaggle of cameras. But when it comes time to shoot, I'll choose just one and commit. Whether it's an unwieldy polaroid pack film camera, a DSLR with a monster lens or something that fits in the palm of the hand (hello, iphone), I'll choose just one and commit. Because while a world of choice is a lovely thing, everyone knows that the best camera is the one you have in your hands.
What cameras best speak your language? Is there a camera or technique that you're dying to try? Please do share your thoughts and images with us today.
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It seems you can always find someone willing to do something different or silly for a photo. For awhile, photos of people jumping on hotel beds seemed to be the thing. So much so, they've devoted a whole website to it (I so know you're going to check it out!). More recently, planking was the popular thing to do. It's so popular, here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Planking (or the Lying Down Game) is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Both hands must touch the sides of the body. Having a photograph taken of the participant and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game.
I, myself, haven't tried jumping on hotel beds (well, not for a photo to be posted on the internet, anyway. Oh, and it wasn't me. It was my kids, I swear) nor have I tried planking. What I have recently photographed is people doing a 'non' pose, which usually consists of people (or person) standing still, arms down at their sides and not smiling. It can be anywhere from one person or more. You can even find a Flickr group for the 'non' pose. I tend to like this one the best because unlike hotel bed jumping or planking, I seriously doubt there's much chance for being injured (though there's always a first time, I suppose!).
When I did the above prom shoot I explained to the kids what I wanted to do but I could tell by the look on their faces that they thought it was a strange request. However, once I shot the photo and they saw it, they were quite pleased with it. It's different, and I like it. Or, as my girlfriend commented when she saw my photo, "Very 'Children of the Corn'-esque, but I like it!". Hey, works for me. :)
How about you? Have any hotel bed jumping shots, planking pics or photos with uncoventional poses? If so, share away! We'd love to see them.
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