Shutter Sisters

the great outdoors

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After five well-deserved, care-free days on a family camping trip, it was too much of a challenge to pick a single image that summed it all up. The great outdoors has so too much to offer; especially when time in this kind of picturesque locale comes only once in a while.

The thing about a trip like this is the simplicity of it all. There’s nothing required except the ability to take it all in; one deep breath in and one breathtaking view at a time.

With summer still fresh in our minds (and hearts) my guess is you’ve got some lovely images in your recent archives you can share today. Or perhaps you’re communing with nature as we speak. Whatever the case may be, today we are celebrating the great outdoors. Share your shots with us and tag them #sselevate.

choice!

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“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. ”  -Oscar Wilde

Here we are, the very last day of color month here at Shutter Sisters. What a celebration it has been. Have you enjoyed this month of color? I sure have! I loved how the OWP pool filled up each day. Something so beautiful about seeing the images all the same color together like that. Like a beautiful tapestry.Thank you for filling all the days of June with such beauty!

All month long we have been dictating the colors each day,  today is YOUR turn.  You choose.  What is your favorite color to shoot? Are you drawn to the rowdy reds or the cool blues?  Do you like the shiny silver or a soft lavender? Perhaps a sunny yellow or juicy orange speaks to you.  Today you get to show off the color of your choice. Or go wild with more wonderful rainbows if you like. Today there are no rules, just colorful fun.

Color makes such a statement in photography and can drive us to take shots just for the color alone.  Like my little i-pod shot above.  I was at Walmart, shopping for paint, I knew it was color month and what better rainbow then the paint selection chips right there?!?  i am SURE anyone walking by thought I had lost my marbles.  That is not the first, and certainly not the last, time I have gotten a weird glance for taking a shot. (you too huh?  :))  All that color drove me to take out my little camera and shoot. 

What color are you???

Share it with us today. This gives you one last day to play along and enter for your chance to win a beautiful new bag from Epiphanie!  (talk about delicious colors. have you seen the new spring line?  YUM!) Don’t forget the tag, #sscolormonth.  On Monday we will be back to announce the winner.  Could be YOU! 

gold

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Magic hour. That magic first and last hour of sunlight of the day, that moment the light turns gold, bathes everything and everyone in sweet, liquid gold. The best kind of gold, the only kind I’m really interested in these days. Dangle a gold chain in front of me and I might yawn but mention the words ‘golden hour’ and I’ll sing you a song.
 

So, go ahead. Show us your gold today. Show us your magic golden hours, your golden light. Or your plain old gold anything. Tag it #sscolormonth, share it here in the comments and in over in our OWP flickr pool.

*the above image was taken with a polaroid sx-70 camera and expired polaroid instant film. 

a timeless sparkle

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Wrapping up a long, busy week I spent some time sorting through some things. Thoughts, feelings, and stuff. Funny thing about going through stuff (on any level) it takes a lot of work. But, it also often yeilds surprises and maybe a treasure or two.

 I found this pristine Polaroid that I forgot I had. Camera case, manual and a few other accessories made the discovery all the sweeter. Despite her age, she’s got plenty of sparkle left in her. And I’m guessing because of her age, she’s got shine that only a gem like this one can provide.

I loved the synchronicity of this find as I have had all kinds of nostalgia on my mind lately with the coming of my next class Picture Black & White. Class begins this week and I am all geared up for some monochromatic magic. I do hope you join me.

And speaking of joining in, I want to thank you all so much for supporting the #shot4shot project over hte last week. Today may be the last official day of the project but the need for support and awarenss will continue so please, keep spreading the word about Shot@Life! Don’t forget if you did play along to send a link to one of your shots from the week to our email so you can receive your complimentary ‘thank you’ photo journal from Paper Coterie. YAY!

Speaking of your shots, today is Best Shot Monday and the last day of April so it’s time to share your best shot with us and send off this month with some sparkle and shine.

Just for fun, we’re giving away a spot for Picture Black & White today so leave your best shot link to be included in the random drawing. Commments must be left by midnight EST  tonight (4/30) and winner will be announced on Tuesday. 

Oh, and the lovely Kate shared such a sparkly weekending shot and the link to her blog was broke. So be sure to pop by today and tell her what a great shot it was!

***congrats to Heather for winning the spot in Picture Black & White. Woot!***

Weekending by Kate Sutterfield

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Kate Sutterfield shoots images like this with her Droid smart phone on instagram or Nikon D40 and spends her weekends soaking in the sun or moon on a patio somewhere or running lots of miles with her Lab.

Kate Sutterfield can be found on her blog, on instagram as @kates1 or on twitter as Mrs Sutterfield.

Share  your illuminating weekend images with us.

shine forth

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Photography.  It’s all about light.  Even when broken down into it’s simplest definition it is still all about the light.  If you don’t know this already, the word ‘photography’ is Greek.  The definition based on the roots and prefixes actually means, “Drawing with light”.  For me, that romantic idea was my spark. It’s what started my passion for photography, for light drawing, for light collecting, light capturing, for light holding.  When we take pictures, we think about many things, but mainly the light.  Where is the sun?  Are there harsh shadows?  Is flash necessary?  But one of the things we need to think about is the light that comes from within you, and from within your subject. 

Inside every person is a light.  It may be just a candle, or it may be a huge bonfire.  But it’s there.  The secret to creating beautiful portraits is to find that light and let it shine!  Look at your subject, and then see them with different eyes.  See the beauty in them.  And then find a way to manipulate that and capture the light, to store it in your camera.  Make them shine. 

Most of us are very practiced at this.  We understand beauty, aesthetics, and most of all, light.  Without even thinking about it, we are drawn to certain objects or people, enticed by something about it.  We may not even know what makes it so appealing.  Sometimes it may be outer light.  Often it may be inner light.  We are so experienced finding beauty outside of ourselves, that we never get in front of the camera.  It’s hard to find your own light if you are always looking for ways to enhance others.  But there’s also a light in you.  Your passion, your creativity, your love. Your desire to improve in any aspect of your life.  Your joy in living.  That gives you a beauty that  shines from the inside out.  It is greater and more pure than any makeup, surgery, or any other procedure can do for you.  You are beautiful!  The light within you absolutely glows!  I’ve never seen most of you, but I have seen your art.  Your light shines through in your photos.  It’s part of the process that every photographer goes through when they push down the button and release the shutter.  They take a chance.  They share their light. 

There is a line from scripture that reads “…Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.”

The necklace in my featured photo is one of my very favorites. It may look like a torch from far away, but if you look closer, you will see the profile of a woman’s face.  It represents the light within us, and the simple beauty we can create.  This necklace reminds me to “Arise and Shine” and be an example through my actions and through my art. 

Please share any photo that you feel shows inner light and deep beauty.  Share it and allow yourself to shine!  You are talented, you are beautiful, you are loved.

Today I encourage you to discover your true beauty. Today I encourage you to shine!

Image and words courtesy of guest blogger Kelsey Schwartz.

Every Child Deserves a Shot@Life

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Today marks the launch of the United Nation Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign. Tracey and I are excited to support Shot@Life and their mission to provide much-needed vaccines to children around the world.

I think about my own children and the relative ease I have here in the United States to get the vaccines I need to protect them from preventable diseases. I’m aware of the options and can access information about vaccines to make an informed decision on behalf of my children. I can afford the costs of vaccines. I have a pediatrician I trust. And I have the means to transport my children to obtain the vaccines we need. This is privilege. One in five children around the world don’t have access to life-saving vaccines in developing countries, so they need our help. For just $5, you can protect a child from polio and measles. For just $20 you can help give a child a lifetime of immunity to protect him or her from pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, and polio. To help give a child a Shot@Life, I hope you’ll join us here.

……..

An added note from Tracey:

Thanks to all of you who are using your photography to support Shot at Life! The collection of images for our #shot4shot project is awesome. Take a peek here and keep up the amazing work! You are appreciated.

The Doing

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“But the biggest mistake I made is one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”

-Anna Quindlen

I often find myself pushing onto the next thing. Dinner, bath, book, bed. Or now that my kids are a little older– homework, dinner, shower, bed. Seems like it’s my job to keep things running at an even pace, to make sure things get done. There’s a rhythm to this sort of living and all too often, we lock into it and POOF. Another day, week, month, gone. The truth is that mindful living takes some practice. Photography helps. But only if our minds are in the right place. It’s easy to fire off a hundred shots and think: Done. Moment sufficiently captured. The key is to shoot thoughtfully, mindfully. To know when to pick the camera up and when to put it down. To drink in the whole scene while you’re shooting, not just the visuals.

I’m not going to lie, friends. I’m guilty of mindless shooting. But I’m working on it, I am always working in it. When I shoot mindfully, the images I come away with feel like so much more than just images. I look at this photograph of my son Ezra and I remember everything about that day, that night. I remember how we laid on the trampoline, looked up at the sky and talked about the moon. I remember the way the evergreen trees looked, how the air smelled sweet like pine needles. I remember how our hair stood up on end from the trampoline’s static electricity, I remember the way he laughed. I remember how the light changed from gold to blue, how he grabbed my hand as we walked back inside. I remember the mexican we had for dinner that night, the smudge of salsa on his cheek. I look at this photograph and I remember everything.

Which photograph of yours captures a moment just the way it was? And when you look at it, how much do you remember? Please, do share an image and a few words with us today. 

from the ground up

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 I love how a picture can tell a story.  When I’m photographing something, I make a point to photograph not just the people, but those things that will help tell the story.   Last Sunday was my son’s drumline competition and as I walked around getting photos from all angles, I made a point to shoot from the ground up.  Out of all of my photos from that shoot, this is my favorite.  To me, this photo epitomizes the whole day. Be it a pair of dancing shoes, sock encased baby feet or an intimate moment between a bride and groom, the story is all right there, no faces needed. 

Today, share with us your photos of an object or something other than a face that tells a story.  We’d love to see them. 

My Mug Shot

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I love it when great things come together. Like coffee and cream. Like tea and honey. Like #mymugshot and #shotofcoffee. It seems that both Kristen Doyle (of Dine and Dish) and myself have a thing for capturing images of our morning mugs. I know there’s a lot of you who join us in our passion which is why I am sharing this mug shot for my Best Shot Monday today and why I am giddy to share with you what Kristen and I have cooked up this week.

#mymugshot + #shotofcoffee = #shot4shot

This week is World Immunization Week and we thought we’d put our hastags and our shots of coffee to good use in supporting the new United Nations Foundation’s campaign Shot@Life. What’s it all about? It’s about saving the lifes of children. It’s about getting vaccines to the children that need them most. It’s about compassion. It’s about caring. It’s about coming together for a greater good.

We encourage you to use your lenses to bring awareness to Shot@Life: a campaign that wants to put an end to the deaths of children that are caused by preventable diseases.  Your job is easy…to give kids the shot at life they deserve, all you’ve got to do is get creative, get social and have fun! For all the details on how you can get involved this week, take a peek on my blog or on Kristen’s.

Oh, and we did say fun, didn’t we? Take a look at the super-fun prizes we’re giving away in exchange for your submissions to #shot4shot. We are so thankful for this stellar group of supporters!

  1. Big Picture Classes is offering away a complimentary spot in my next photo workshop Picture Black & White. And by the way, 10% of your registration fee goes directly to Shot@Life! So even if you don’t win but you register anyway, it’s a win/win. YAY!!
  2. We’ve got a limited edition Shot@Life Messenger bag. It’s adorable and awesome.
  3. Shutter Sisters is offering up a signed copy of Expressive Photography.
  4. Ephiphanie Bags has donated one of their coveted camera bags. Squeee!
  5. An awesome Keurig brewing system! Super-yum.
  6. Paper Coterie has offered a $100 gift card. Love their stuff.

And… Paper Coterie wants to help us thank all of you who choose to participate by givng every single person who shares a #Shot4Shot image this week a lovely photo journal. What better way to feature your own favorite photograph from the week? You help us spread awareness AND you get a gift. It’s just so awesome.

Be sure to tag your images and posts that support Shot at Life this week on all your social platforms with #shot4shot and #vaccineswork.

We can’t wait to spend this week with you creating all kinds of goodness.

Share with us today your Best Shot for this fine Monday and let’s get this party started!