Shutter Sisters

Heaven

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Image shot with a Lensbaby.

 

On the first day of spring, we braved the cold Portland rain, threw our suitcases in the back of the car and headed for the airport. I couldn’t help but feel giddy. Giddy to be leaving it all behind for a couple of days. And when our little plane finally landed in Palm Springs four hours later and we stepped out onto the tarmac, out into blinding bright sunshine and wide open blue skies, I wanted to cry. Giddy is maybe not even the word. This trip to Palm Springs had been in the works for months. The fine folks at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club had invited me down all the way back in August but due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn’t actually able to take them up on the offer for a good six months. I know now that the timing was perfect, that the whole thing had come to fruition at exactly the right moment and as our cab pulled into the driveway of the Ace, I felt my shoulders relax. I looked at my sweet friend Nataly (who I’d invited along for the ride) and I think maybe I squealed, I don’t know. 

When it comes to traveling, I am notorious for over-planning. I get excited about new cities, new places and want to learn everything I possibly can so that I can plan extraordinary experiences. I try to leave room for things to just happen but more often than not, we are rushing from one thing to the next. With Palm Springs, I let all that go. My only plan for our 48 hours was to just let things unfold. To raise my camera when it felt right. To wholly surrender to the experience. And for 48 hours, that’s exactly what we did. We wandered the grounds and lounged in hammocks. We laid in bed and listened to records. We drank mexican coke in white flannel robes by the patio fireplace and ordered room service. We hopped in and out of the photobooth (and then in and out again) and borrowed bikes from the Ace to ride into town. We floated on our backs in the swimming pool and looked up at the stars. We sat in the quiet of the diner and talked. Sometimes I picked my camera up, sometimes I didn’t. 

It was exquisite. 

I didn’t want to leave. Ever. I wanted to send for my husband and children and maybe a few of our things. I wanted to start a new life in room 237. But when the time finally came to leave, I felt rested and ready to go, ready to take on the real world and a hundred other little things. And as our cab pulled away, my mind jumped ahead to October. I couldn’t help but feel excited about Shutter Sisters Oasis. And I couldn’t imagine a more perfect place for it. 

Today, share with us a time when you just let it all go, relaxed into life, and allowed it to unfold.

***Just a reminder: Registration for Oasis opens today, at 9am Pacific Standard Time. We do hope you can join us!***

a metaphor for self

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I have a special affection for film. I love the loading of film into a camera. The careful process of threading 35mm film onto the spokes, the advancing of the pick-up reel. I love when I put a pack of film in my Polaroid camera and close the film door, that it immediately comes to life, clicking and whirring and shooting out the dark slide. Film feels so timeless, so classic to me. There’s simply a magical quality about shooting with film. Because you have a limited number of frames when using film, each click of the shutter is special. And that makes you slow down. Film helps you be thoughtful and selective in what, when, and how you shoot. There is a deliberate-ness that comes with shooting film. For me, I feel a wholly different experience when I am shooting with film compared to when I shoot digitally. When I’m out with my Polaroid cameras or my Canon AE-1, I find the time to be contemplative. Meditative

Along with that meditative process, shooting with film feels like allowing for the imperfect. It’s like saying “yes” to the flaws, to the not-so-spot on composition, to the under- or over-exposure. When I’m shooting with film, I’m not shooting 20 photographs of the same vintage car to get the shot “just so.” I’m taking my time, looking through my viewfinder composing and re-composing. And then when I feel ready, I click the shutter, usually just once. And I hope for the best. Sometimes the photograph is just what I had in my mind’s eye, and sometimes, many times, it’s not. And that’s all right with me. Shooting with film takes practice. And that practice means accepting that imperfections are part of the process. Seeing that those imperfections are okay, that they are what make that very image unique and special. That those imperfections are actually quite perfect just as they are – just like us.  

We are works in progress, too. We are the perfect imperfections of being human. Each of us flawed. Maybe a bit off-center. Sometimes over-exposed, like when we feel the harsh spotlight on us. Or maybe we’re more under-exposed, like when we don’t feel seen. As with shooting film, in becoming who we are, we need practice. Practice at being comfortable in our own skin. Practice at speaking up and voicing our needs. Practice at finding our place in the circle. Practice at being who we really are.

Shooting with film is helping me become a better photographer. It’s helping me focus on practice, my one little word for 2012. But more than that, shooting with film is helping me become the truest version of myself.  

Do you shoot with film? What does shooting with film feel like for you? Has it taught you any lessons? Please share a photo you shot with film with us today.

Image and words courtesy of guest shutter sister Meghan Davidson, contributor to Film26.

now you

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It’s hard to explain, but part of me needs to visually define my outer boundaries of who I am as a person, woman, mother, sister, daughter, lover. There is no easier (nor harder) way to do this than through photography. Dare I say self portraiture helps me understand myself. It definitely helps me to be kind to myself, and remember who I am on the days when it’s easy to forget.

Now, after four+ years of self portraits, after traveling to meet like minded women and speak about my self portrait journey; it feels like the ultimate study of self. It has brought me a sense of quiet confidence, even as it brings me more questions about who i am. This is growth (and it is welcome here). 

This project of self I can only define as me seeking grace in the conflict. Seeking beauty in the decay. My self portraits document where I have been and where I am going. A circular timeline put on repeat. This is the peace within. The flurry and chaos. The solitude and stillness of wind. The reminder that life is blooming, that growth moves us forward with joy and anticipation. Self portraits are my practice in remembering it is ok to sit with the silence. And that through all the wreckage and reality, life is still beautiful.

Lessons come from being on the other side of the lens.
(These are thoughts on being seen.) Being seen is as important as sharing your voice.

I am worthy.
And so are you.

Now is the time to take back the control of how we see ourselves. Through the process of self portraiture, we come away with images to remind us the beauty of seeing… and being seen. As women, we are all these pieces of self. NOW is the time to embrace it.

Today I’m very excited to share with you the NOW YOU workshops e-course! This is an amazing online collaboration between myself and Kristin Zecchinelli. Registration opens today! Be sure to check out our website for more details like who we are, pricing and how to register, details about the e-course, and other faq’s. Class size is limited, so click on over to read more and reserve your spot in class!

Are you ready to be find that brave beautiful you that dwells inside? Set yourself free of expectation and judgment. Seek and find yourself through your lens. Today share with us your thoughts on self portraiture. Do you enjoy self portraits? Do you loathe them? And please leave your selfies in the comments below. As always, it’s great to see you!

 

two of our best

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It’s probably no secret that I use my iPhone about 99% of the time. I’m the first to admit that it’s become my most favorite muse since I got it. And Instragram is my favorite way to use my iPhone. I’ve only recently begun to try different apps but I keep going back the the quick, easy and ever-effective Instragram.

I’m not the only one around here that is smitten. My teenage daughter also has been stung by the iBug (and she doesn’t even have an iPhone). So, we spend our time passing my phone back and forth. Logging each other in and out and in again into our Instagram accounts. We shoot and share and show each other our handiwork. We oooo and aaaah at our work. We get excited about how we each see the world, compare secrets of each shot, we encourage each other.

Although it can be challenging sometimes, the trading back and forth, the logging in and logging out, I actually really enjoy it. I like getting to be a part of my daughter’s photography process like this. I get to watch and witness her as she creates her art. It’s a gift. At least until she gets her own iPhone.

I chose to share these two shots today as our Best Shot Monday. The image on the left is her best from this week. The right image is mine. I think we make a pretty good creative team.

Won’t you share your Best Shot from the past week on this fine Monday? 

 

weekending by Tamar Haytayan

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Tamar Haytayan shoots images like this with her Nikon D80 and D5100 and spends her weekends with her family in beautiful rainy Vancouver, relaxing, cooking, clicking, and trying to find some time for herself in between.

Tamar can be found online on her blog Colour of Pomegranates and on Flickr. 

What does your weekend look like?

it calls to me

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Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.  ~ Doug Larson

Oh my, we’ve had the craziest weather for this time of year. May temps in March! It’s amazing what a little fresh air and sunshine can do for a person. Seriously so good.

Every day this week the porch swing has called to me…. ‘come sit‘….. and I do…. Even if it’s just for a few moments. As I sit….the sun warms right through me. It’s such a beautiful thing. I feel renewed…alive… more hopeful…inspired….. It’s as if I’m bubbbling over. It’s just so good.

Spring fever has hit!

How ’bout you? Share a little ‘spring’ with us today.

Should I?

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Should I… let myself step beyond the boundary of known and dare to assume that there is joy waiting patiently in that place called destiny? Should I take a few steps back and race toward it? No. I’ll stand there for hours, that stretch into days, that stretch into months, and even years. I’ll study the horizon and assess the weather. I’ll trace the waves, take ease in the calm, and reach for the water to test its strength. I won’t see through it. Should I let myself feel the softness of sand when I reach the bottom? Should I trust that it will hold the weight of my fears and swallow an unspoken suffering? Should I trust that I will see the light through an opaque tomorrow? And should I grant my heart permission to carry me toward it. Should I lie on my back with closed eyes and float on the gentle rock of waves toward a destination with no name? Dare I smile at the thought of that?

I should.

 

Shot with the Cameramatic app on my iPhone 4s and processed with Snapseed.

A prescription for film

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It’s a typical afternoon. As I’m heading to the park with my daughter I decide to grab the camera to see if I can catch a few shots of her playing in the sunshine. A couple of hours later I have about 200 photos. This often happens to me. I have a problem. I’m shutter happy.

It started years ago when I began using a digital camera. I couldn’t, and for the most part still can’t, stop clicking. At first, in part, I just liked hearing the sound of the click. Truly. I was also in love with the instant feedback on my LCD screen and the quality of the image. It was just an entry level DSLR with a kit lens, but each photo looked amazing to me at the time, especially since most of my previous photo taking was with disposable film cameras. I was somewhat indiscriminate about what I was shooting. I would point that camera at just about anything and click and delight in the magic that produced an image right there in my hands to look at.

The freedom of taking photos without the expense of purchasing and developing film kept me clicking away, taking hundreds of photos at a time. In some ways this was a great gift, because I could accrue a lot of experience quickly and was free to experiment. On the other hand, I had very little discipline when taking photos. My constant clicking prevented me from thinking through my shots and carefully composing them. I also had the mentality that maybe if I kept pressing the shutter, I would achieve some incredible images through sheer luck or odds.

This was my M.O. for quite some time until one day, my camera malfunctioned. It had to be sent away to be fixed and I was left with a photography addiction and no digital camera. Fortunately I was able to dust off my dad’s old film camera, a fully manual Pentax K1000, that he used to take so many of our family snapshots over the years.

It was such a strange, yet invigorating experience to work with film and a fully manual camera. I went from a trigger happy photographer to a slow and methodical one. Each click meant something. Each was valuable and important.

First, I considered what my subject would be, what was inspiring me and where the lighting was just right. Then I took my time looking through the viewfinder, double checking the composition, methodically adjusting the speed and aperture to get the needle where I wanted it in the light meter, and carefully focusing and refocusing. Then, I would hold my breath and with great anticipation and a bit of anxiety, snap! It was so strange without the LCD screen, however when I pressed the shutter I felt like I had a pretty good idea whether the photo worked or not. It was as if my mind took a photo at the same time. If I really loved the image that I was aspiring for, I went ahead and took two or three shots, sometimes bracketing the exposure, especially when using back lighting where I would overexpose slightly. And when I took photos of my two year old daughter, I simply had to accept that I might have to use several frames to get the end result I wanted without the help of auto focus. I took my time working through the roll, not wanting to waste it.

Once I took that last frame and tentatively wound the film and popped it out of the camera, I took it to my local camera shop for processing. This was the best part. The anticipation of waiting for that first roll of film to come back was just about as exciting as waking up on Christmas morning as a kid. I’m happy to tell you that the results exceeded my expectations. Out of that first roll of 36, I had 19 good photos, 10 of which I thought were really quite good. And I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have hundreds of photos to sort through and I had absolutely NO editing to do. All of the work occurred up front and now I could just enjoy the finished product. The prints were beautiful. There’s just something so gorgeous about the quality of film prints that I could never replicate in Photoshop.

I currently shoot most often with my digital camera, and even though I have tried to apply a more deliberate approach, I still get carried away with my clicks. I have also continued to shoot film with my Pentax at a much slower rate, and every time I complete a roll I practically skip down to the camera shop to get it developed, feeling like it’s Christmas Eve again. I’m still savoring the results. I think that film brings out the best in me.

For those of you who haven’t picked up a film camera in a while, or those youngsters who perhaps never have, I encourage you to give it a try. It can be intimidating, but it is essentially the same and you will relish the accomplishment when you get an especially sweet shot. And there’s something so satisfying and tangible about creating an image on film. If you’re not sure what to do with your film, I recommend looking for a local camera shop that does processing. You can order prints and/or a CD with your images scanned. Sometimes I just get the negatives with the CD and it costs about $12. Then I take the negatives back in and get prints of only the shots I love. For your first roll, I say get the prints right away to celebrate your accomplishment and see the beauty of that gorgeous film. If you have questions about delving into film, leave them here so myself or others can help.

For those of you who shoot film as well as digital, I’d love to hear about your experiences. How do you approach film differently? Is there a particular type of camera or film that you prefer? What do you love about it? Please share a favorite film image here.

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Today’s image and words by guest shutter sister Tracy Collins.

equal day. equal night.

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It’s official: today is the first day of spring! The equinox, a day of equal length to night. And what a welcome day that is here in New England. Right now we are knee deep (literally at times) in mud season. And although there’s still snow on the ground around these woods, the sun is shining more each day. What’s it look like in your neck of the woods?

Lately, we’ve been finding ourselves outside more, happy for the sunshine and season. We perform circus acts in the yard with hula hoops and big straw hats. We laugh and capture the flag from unknowing opponents. Cats go adventuring into wooded fairyland and we follow along behind, eager for the after school adventure.

How will you spend your time today? Be mindful of light and dark as you move throughout your day, and please pop in here to share your images. We’d love to see what the spring equinox looks like to you!

Oasis

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We are beyond thrilled to announce Shutter Sisters Oasis. We can think of no better way to gather together to celebrate our sisterhood. Registration opens at 9am PSTon March 29th.  Start packing your bags!

When was the last time you gathered with your sister friends? Share a photo with us today!