Shutter Sisters

’tis the season

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I love this time of year, I really do.  Though we really don’t have a ‘fall’ season here in southern California, certain things, I think, universally signify the burgeoning change of season: school starts, days shorten, temps drop (though not here yet!) and of course, football.  High school, college or professional, nothing says ‘fall’ like football!   It’s the one thing that helps ease me out of summer.  I love wearing my team’s colors, tailgating before the big game and yelling “Defense!!” until I lose my voice.  I wouldn’t have it any other way. And with the lost voice, my husband wouldn’t have it any other way, either!

How about you? What is fall like for you? Please, do share.  

 

the strays

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Would you believe that all  of these beauties are stray dogs? Yes, you probably would. Because they all seem to be in their own world. Lying somewhere alone, trying to make themselves invisible.  They might surprise you though. A whistle or a kind word would make them jump up for a cuddle.

I captured these dogs as part of shooting a photo documentary of a spay and neuter campaign in Bosnia.

Being prepared for the worst scenarios it left me speechless to find so much trust and kindness in the dogs I met in the streets. That melted my heart. Dogs like this have to work so hard to find their daily meal. Getting a kind gesture or even finding some love are rare things for most of them. In spite of the hard side of life they welcomed me with warmth and love.

Photographing animals makes me forget all that is around me. It is a healing process for me. Moments to cherish.

Photo essay and story courtesy of Jolanda Boekhout (aka Jofabi). She can be found on her website. More of her Strays series (and more about her trip) can be found on Flickr.

Todays prompt: Collection

weekending by Christine Young

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Christine Young shoots images like this with her Nikon CoolpixP100 and spends her weekends hiking with her dog and camera … treasure hunting for new ways of seeing and being.

You can find her on her website Christine Create. 

What are you seeking out this weekend?

Todays prompt: embrace

Sundays prompt : something black

be the change

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It was so interesting to read where Paige was yesterday… I’ve been feeling a tap on the shoulder from that visitor, Mister “self doubt”.

It happens every now and then, sometimes taking me by surprise and other times I can see exactly where it’s come from.

What can we do when we feel overwhelmed as artists by self doubt?.

Here are a few things I do –

  • Talk it through with someone who will just listen, not judge. (They may even have been through this feeling before)
  • If you don’t have someone to talk it through with –  write it down – the power of putting it out there is sometimes remedy enough.
  • Stand barefoot on the grass, connect with nature and feel in the moment. Breathe.

Tell me… tell others visiting here – let’s gather an arsenal of weapons/actions to blast through self doubt. What do you do? What mantras do you hold close?…what do we need to come out beaming on the other side.

self love

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It is such a nice change of pace to occasionally switch up the subject of my photos. I spend most of my photographic energy on people, whether candid shots of my own family or more formal portraits of others. So turning my lens toward nature or architecture from time to time keeps me excited about the possibilities of an image.

Sometimes I notice that I lose a little motivation looking at everyone else’s amazing photos. How will I ever take an original photo when it seems like everything has already been done? In the age of Pinterest, Flickr, Facebook, and numerous blogs it is easier than ever to compare ourselves to others. There’s nothing wrong with searching for inspiration and keeping up with a community of like-minded people. But when we feel the wave of self-doubt approaching it’s important to take a step back and remember what makes photography special for each of us.

So today I encourage you to share a photo that makes you proud & happy. Forget about the technical aspects or how it compares to other people’s photos, but do tell us why you love it.

time traveling

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“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”

Today I decided to write my post and take a trip back in time. We carry our cameras with us almost everywhere, yes? Even if you are not intentionally shooting a 365 project, chances are you still pick up your camera or iphone almost daily.  Last night I decided to click through my library and see what my lens captured on this very day, September 5th, the past 3 years. Where would this little trip in time take me? What would my images make me feel? Would I even remember why I took the shots?  Most days I can’t remember what I ate 3 hours ago, but when I click on an image it takes me right there. Each click we are photographing a memory. 

Here is what I found.

September 5, 2011: a trip to the beach the day before 2nd grade. a fitting farewell to a beautiful summer.

September 5, 2010: a night at the playground.  these 2, they really love each other.

September 5, 2009: his chubby little hands drawing rainbows.

Today take a trip through time and archives and share a memory here today. What did your lens focus on last year at this time?  How about the year before that? Share your links in the comments.

Speaking of time, have you seen Photojojo’s Time Capsules? Twice a month they send you an email with photos you took one year ago from Flickr. SO FUN. And hey, they are FREE!

Join us and celebrate time, the past and the present. Don’t forget to tag all images with our new hashtag, #shuttersisters !

Beautiful Bokeh

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I don’t have to venture far to find beautiful bokeh.  Up a flight of steps lies my loft studio and an enchanting world of beads, bokeh, and bling.  Swarovski crystals, sequins, and beads of every shape and size sit strewn across my work table.  They catch morning light, splashing bedazzling, dancing glimmer in every direction.

Where do you find your daily dose of visual inspiration?

Images and words courtesy of Anna VanDemark. You can find more of her photography, bead, and quilt work on her blog, Alchemy of Art.

Today’s prompt: Something Purple. Hashtag #shuttersisters

last call for Oasis registration

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Don’t let us disrupt your Sunday plans, in fact, we’re only interrupting your weekending activities to remind you that registration for the Shutter Sisters event Oasis will end on Friday, Sept 7th at noon PST. There are only a few more spaces that are open and they’ll only be available for a few more days.

We’ve been spending a lot of time in Palm Springs lately, specifically at Ace Hotel and Swim Club and we can only say, we are bursting at the seams with excitement at being there with so many sisters of the shutter. It’s pretty much going to rock and it’s only a few months away. We are counting down the days and would love to have you doing the same with us!

Today’s prompt is “books” and we do hope you choose to book your spot at Oasis before it’s too late. 

weekending by W*mina

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Today’s featured image courtesy of W’Mina. She shoots images like this with her Olympus and spends her weekends kayaking, running, and exploring Austin, spending time with her family and, when no one is looking, sneaking in a nap like her dachshund. You can find her at Flickr  as gottarun  and on Facebook.

………..

Ah, the weekend. And a three day weekend for many of us living stateside. You know what that means; sleeping in, eating a leisurely breakfast, reading the morning paper or your favorite blogs. Okay, I know that might be going a little overboard. You might get a little of that but maybe your weekends look all together different. Whatever the case may be for you, you’ve gotta eat a little something in the morning, right? Before you either start your busy day, or curl up for a mid-morning snooze, you’ve got to serve up some breakfast. And that is exactly what our word is for today. Breakfast.

We’ve got a brand new list of One Word prompts for September. Wheeeee! But since we’ve got a word a day each day, there’s no One Word this month. Because we’re crazy like that. In other words, each day, you’ll get your word to shoot for, to visually translate in any way you’d like. And since we’re cutting out the One Word, we’re going to go really simple and begin using #shuttersisters as our forever hashtag. It’s simple, easy to remember and it’s got a nice ring to it.

So, we will spend our weekends here like we used to, getting back to featuring your weekending shots or your photo essays right along side our daily word prompts. It’s like photographic multitasking.  If you’ve got something to share for our weekending series (a single shot or a photo essay) please send it over. So yes, this is a little change up of the best kind. A little rest and relaxation along side some creative encouragement. What could be better than that? Nothing really, except maybe blueberry pancakes.

Breakfast anyone?

self

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These women. You women. Yes, all of you reading this right now. I’m talking to you. I’m over here, waving humbly from the corner of my family room plunking away on the family desktop computer, surrounded by piles of paper, a to-do list a mile long, and bad light. I’m tired. Already weary of all the small curve balls that this first week back to school has thrown. I sit here, feeling displaced. Because, my office is too much of a mess to sit in. Because my own computer (that is usually in my messy office) crashed. Because life is imperfect and I am just making due, as all of us do when we need to.

I can share all of this with you because I know you understand. Because I know you can relate.  You’re nodding your head empathetically, supportively, kindly. I know you are. Because you have been here before. Because you care as much about the struggle as you do about the successes. This month, you’ve applauded my new book. This week, you wished me happy birthday. And today, you’re being kind and gentle with me because you know I need it. It’s what you do. It’s what you’ve always done. It’s just who you are. All of you. I have grown to know that about you over the past five years. It’s what makes this place so special. Thank you for that.

This month has been a grand celebration of elevating the everyday. Every single one of your images has meant that you are with me, with us, as we share our lives with one another. That we are all in this together. That’s what it’s all about. Thank you all so much for joining me, for joining us as we explored what it means to elevate the everyday in honor of my book. It has meant so much to see your responses to each prompt.

And now today, as we wrap up the month, I want to see more of you. We want to see more of each other. Today we are asking you to share yourSELF. Because you so lovingly point your cameras to the world around you, capturing all that matters to you with such tender and kind eyes, it’s time to capture yourSELF with the same kind of love. And if for a single minute you feel shy or unphotogenic or not enough, I encourage you to visit the I am Enough Collaborative. The stories there will give you the perspective you need to be good to yourself and share a shot of your beautiful, unique and awesome SELF.

Every comment left here between now and Sunday 9/2 at midnight will be entered to win a copy of my book Elevate the Everyday: A Photographic Guide to Picturing Motherhood. And don’t forget to tag your images #sselevate.