Shutter Sisters

we love what we love ……

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I’m sitting on my friend’s sofa in California right now! I’m here on a little inspiration vacation. The thing is, hopping on a plane to Caliornia isn’t a typical ‘thing’ for me to do. I’m such a home body… very content just to ‘be’ in my quiet world. I was telling my husband before I left how excited I was to see new things, take different photos, get inspired. I went on to say ‘I’m always photographing Ben, my walks, pretty cups, old bottles and books…This will be good for me. Right?’ I was feeling anxious about leaving home. I think I was trying to reassure myself, that this was a good thing.

I’m here, and YES I have seen all kinds of beauty and inspiration. I’m so grateful. California is just so beautiful. I’m so glad I took the leap to come. 

The other night Myriam made a cup of tea and there it was in front of me, just waiting for me to take a picture. I’ve taken many photos this week, but this cup is one of my favs. Myriam’s home has so many splashes of the things I love; beautiful cups, old bottles…. art, and texture. There’s such comfort in the familiar. I love it all! I’ve been taking many photos of the things I love.

We are who we are. We can change things up, choose different locations…. and that’s so good. But it’s okay to be true to who we are, recognize what brings us joy…and love what we love….

Today I ask you, what brings you comfort, lights you up and begs you to photograph it? Share with us today.

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December is almost here! Can you believe it? We have a new hashtag for the One Word photos, #ssdecember. Feel free to continue using #shuttersisters as well. Thanks so much for sharing your photos with us!

 

treasures

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“First I smell that smell and am overcome with a sensation of elation. Like a tight faucet turned open, everything floods from me. I scan the view, take a deep breath, and inevitably utter, “God, I love it here.” I stride quickly to where the sand is still wet from the previous tide and then, and then I am gone. There is no thinking, just being. I have no awareness of time or of myself. If I am searching for glass, it is rote, with no more or less consciousness than a jellyfish searching for sustenance. It is not mindlessness or oblivion, as I am wholly aware, but in a way that preempts any reality outside of the moment. There I am seaweed, I am water, I am stone, I am fish. I am a grain of sand, warm in the sun. I am reduced to nothing, but part of everything. I am home, I am free, I am one with the sea, I am the primordial me, and the glass is just my excuse to be there.”
― S. Fields

I collect (and photograph) many treasures. Living near the coast, most of my treasures are gifts of the sea.  Feathers, beach rocks shaped like hearts, a few sand dollars, tiny starfish, and of course sea glass.  Finding these tiny pieces of glass, smoothed by time and sands, feels like finding a bit of magic.   Each piece unique in its beauty. My family has a favorite little cove we go, we have coined this cove “sea glass beach” for the bounty of these particular treasures you can find there. We just plunk ourselves down in the rocky sand and sift handful after handful of stones to reveal these tiny pebbles of glass.  It is truly meditative. Even my little ones will sit and sift with me. We weave stories of mermaid’s tears, and lost pirate jewels. We stuff our pockets full, not feeling greedy at all since each time we go there is just more and more to find..  We bring them home, wash them and then place them in one of several glass mason jars strewn along our mantle and windowsills of our home.  Little glass gifts of the sea.  Thank you ocean.  

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Today’s one word prompt is “glass”, perhaps you have some tiny glass treasures like me, or maybe you will pour yourself a glass of something good today. Click and share your “glass” with us today.  Tag your images #shuttersisters.

b is for blur

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Because it’s how I remember things. It’s how memories unfold in my mind. when I close my eyes and try to remember, this is what I see: lovely, blurry scenes. I’ve been shooting this way for a while, for three or four years now. Not exclusively, of course, but more and more. I intentionally throw the focus until it feels rights. Until it looks like what I see in my mind. So often, these are the images I revisit, the ones I come back to again and again. These are the photographs that tell the real story. They spin like records on a turntable– soft, scratchy, inexplicably magic. 

If you’ve not yet tried it, go ahead. Today, I invite you to intentionally throw your focus. Fiddle with the lens til you find magic. And please, share the blur. Share it with us here today.  

Sending a Message for Giving Tuesday

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Over the past week many of us have been through a full gamut of experiences. From travel to family to food to shopping, it’s been a packed past few days. We’ve been grateful, we’ve been satisfied and we’ve been gearing up for the momentum of the season as we transition from one holiday to the next. I can think of no better time than right now to focus on moving forward in a spirit of giving, especially on the heels of the many wonderful things we have been getting (nurturing, nourishment, sale prices to name just a few).

Today marks the first annual Giving Tuesday, a campaign to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. What a grand way to kick off the next leg of this season! 

When we give, we are quite simply sending the message that we care. To be on the receiving end of that kind of caring, means that the love that is being sent, is being received, felt and appreciated. That’s the way giving works. And it’s what makes the world a better place. Whether you choose to give money, items, your time, or any combination of these things, today, we encourage you to mindfully send a message of love, caring and compassion.

Today as we celebrate Giving Tuesday, share with us where/what/how you have given this season, what you will give today, and/or how will continue to give during this ongoing season of love. Please be sure to tag your images, posts, updates with the official Giving Tuesday tag #givingtuesday so we can all work together and help to put this national day of giving on the map for it’s very first year!

12.12.12

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For the past two years I’ve been involved in One Day On Earth, gathering footage from all across the world to make one feature film. I’ve had some of my footage included, but that wasn’t my main goal… the main goal was to be part of a community… and be motivated to go shoot something. As much as I recommend being part of this global project… Lately, I’ve been drawn to create my own community, just a little smaller & more imitate… so I’ve been gathering people who took part in my Creating Time Capsules Course and inviting them to use the skills they learnt in my course, to create some magic on 12.12.12…

Now I’d love to invite anyone else out there who’d like to jump on board…

For me, making a “Time Capsule” is taking photos or video, or both and packaging it up into a film that can looked back on years to come. I make films, like these… but you could get involved on 12.12.12 in any way… take a few images, blog about it, make a GIF or make a slideshow. Record some audio. You could video a segment of your day (unedited) and share it, you could shoot something on your phone or camera, edit it with your heart and put it out for others to see… or the big one…video and photograph your whole (or part of your) day and make a time capsule film. What do you think??? Shall we hang out on 12.12.12 and record our day in the life?

I’m inviting you to make your own Time Capsule. Make it your way. That’s the beauty of it. We all have our own tale to tell… Through video, photos, writing. Whatever! Let’s use this historic day of 12.12.12 to focus on being present. Really be present in the moment, recognising and acknowledging our everyday lives and deciding what we want to remember. The beauty is, you’ll then have this day in your life to look back on… I did it last year on 11.11.11 and so much has changed in a year!

Who knows what you’ll be doing next year… where you’ll be… what’s the same and what will be different. What’s interesting is choosing what you’ll shoot and then what you’ll share… If you’ve been looking to do “a day in the life” project, this might be just the time to do!

If you’d like to join my 12.12.12 community – “we are all in this together”… come on over and find us on Facebook.

Mark your calendars – 12.12.12 – it’s not long now…

the art of us

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 “All communication begins with an intention, and your intention determines the quality of your life.”

– Danielle LaPorte
Today, think about social media and your place in it. Think about your own avatars and how (and what) we communicate through these visuals. What if there was a project that was created with the hope and respect rooted deeply at its core? What if the intentions were to connect everyone through the lens of their camera and through the social networking sites that define this time of our lives? 
A new project is about to be born. The Art of Us. This project strives to connect all of us together in a gallery of avatars. It’s aesthetics and people and social media and truth. Because this is how we relate to one another. Every day. This is our world in the twenty-first century. This is what our kids witness while growing up. This is how our parents wrestle with new technology. 
This is us. 
This is our culture. 
So, there should be an importance in this, right? We should be more mindful of what we put out there. This is the art of us! We want you to tell your story and share your art through the image you put out to the world, your avatar..  your profile picture! 
Recently, a profile picture exhibition project was brought to my attention. Be Art. A great idea, I thought… afterall, this is our world, this is how we relate, this is how we share bits and pieces of our days, our triumphs, our struggles. Our profile pictures are tiny pieces of art, tiny reflections of self, our voice put out there in square pixel format for all our the world to see. But upon further investigation, to be honest, it wasn’t at all what it seemed. Looks can be deceiving! And further conversations were had on the topic. You can find those conversations here.

I know that art is subjective, but it seemed that the implied party scene of avatars shown with their video were supposed to represent this period in history as the “art” of today. And, well, that’s not MY voice (nor the voices of my peers.) So we’d like to offer an alternative for everyone out there. This is the tiny seed that was planted and grew into a project about to be born. 
When I realized that I didn’t want the Be Art project to represent any tiny bit of who i am as a person who uses social media… it opened a space in my heart for offering an alternative. The alternative is: The Art of Us. You see, there’s a reaction that comes from shock value. and then there’s a reaction that comes from light and truth. I personally think the world should be focusing on positivity. On how we can lift ourselves up with respect for each other and hold ourselves in the best light possible. 
I teach classes on self portraiture. It’s a big part of my existence as a photographer, as an artist, as a mother partner daughter sister. i recently wrote a feature article in DP Magazine on self portraits and was pleased by the like minds that reached out. and in the words of DP Magazine’s editor, Wes Pitts, he shared the same perspective. “One of our favorite articles in this issue (DP Magazine Oct 2012) is by Meredith Winn… who offers thoughtful ideas for creating more interesting and authentic self-portraits. Though social networks are gratuitously littered with snapshots of people making silly duck faces, we’re refreshingly reminded that self-portraiture can be a truly personal, elevated art form that’s not contrived out of sheer vanity, but rather emerges from honest experience and introspection.”
So, can we start a new revolution? Who’s with us?! Can we create art as a form of activism? I think there’s so much power in photography. I feel really strongly about harnessing the power of it and using those super powers for good, not evil. Photography and self portraiture need not be defined. But there is a responsibility that comes with wielding a camera (and pointing it at ourselves) there is the hope for depth, there is always a path for human growth and self-awareness that holds true, even in the face of opposition.
We believe in the power of photography.
We believe that nothing is ordinary
that everything can be seen as art.
We believe in the power of positivity.
We believe that cameras are tools of expression.
We believe we can be the change we want to see in the world.
We believe in beauty
(that an authentic representation of self can empower the masses.)
We believe in respect
(that when we share what is genuine we find others of like minds.)
We believe that your masculinity, your femininity, your weakness, your strength
are all worthy of being documented.
We believe we are all complicated, messy, beautiful human versions of self.
We believe this is the art of us.
We believe this is the art of you, too.
Today, share your thoughts. Do you have a passion about this? Or are you wondering what’s the point and how can one person change anything anyway? We’d love to hear from you today.

The Thanks You Give in Your Heart

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An unexpected announcement.  A hug. A kiss. A split second you will forget completely, I promise you, save for the audacity of the click, that one step forward into the fray where all the magic unfurls right before your eyes.

Don’t bother looking for beauty today. Everything qualifies. Don’t bother asking for permission. Everyone already knows that this is what you do.  So do not disappoint. Search for the unusual moment. Watch for the edges of happiness. Document even the silliness, the awkwardness. Even this belongs.

This is your family. These are your people. The emotion you feel for them today will be nothing but a memory, and even this will fade. You do not know what your next year holds. You cannot assume all will be even the smallest bit the same. All you truly have is this moment, this one episode of magic held captive in your frame. 

So take it. Dive into the madness today, friends. Put yourself in the middle and shoot until you find your bliss. Your document will be one part history, one part testament to the thanks you gave in your heart. That you found each other, when there could have been so many misses. When so much of life could have left you apart, amiss, astray.

Happy Thanksgiving, sisters on this side of the pond and beyond. We give thanks for you today.

bon appetit!

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1. November 13th, 2. 10-11-2010 Rincón / Corner, 3. Bench Monday 80: Baking Up a Storm, 4. Buttermilk cake, 5. 365/226.  Fresh., 6. 365:177

Today’s one word photo prompt is “kitchen”. Perfect word for this time of year. During the holidays the kitchen becomes the center of activity.  Cooking, gathering, celebrating, eating. Family recipes handed down and shared. Little ones with flour covered fingers waiting to lick the beaters clean. Warmth radiating from the oven. Laughter unfurling as many hands make light work of dirty dishes. The sound of glasses clinking as toasts are being made.  Mom’s apron.  Nana’s tattered index cards of handwritten recipes in that familiar tin box. Beauty in the prosaic.  The moments that bind us together as family and friends.

I myself will be spending many hours in my kitchen today prepping for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving meal. Recipes handed down from generation to generation, will now simmer on my stove top. Familiar smells of my childhood will permeate my kitchen as my little ones will watch me as I once watched my mom when I was their age.  Traditions, food, family, life, love.

Julia Child, one of the masters of the kitchen, may have put it best, “Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”

Today lets combine our passion for photography and Julia’s passion for food and share an image of your kitchen here.

“BON APPETIT!”

(kitchen images above from the Shutter Sisters photo pool on Flickr. *don’t forget to tag your images #shuttersisters)

 

just be.

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Take my hand and I will pull you through
The light is gone but I am still here with you
You are so far away thinkin’ you should roam
My arms are ready for you to come back home

Can you feel me, feel my reach?
Take it easy, honey, and just be.
from the song “The Reach” by Miranda Lee Richards 

When difficult/bad/sad things happen in my life, I have a system in place.  I acknowledge whatever the difficult/bad/sad thing is, shove it to the back of my mind into neat little compartments and go on my way. I’ve always done this and it’s worked just fine.  This past year I’ve had more than my normal share of things occur and once again, I used my ‘system’ of dealing with everything and again, it’s been working just fine…or so I thought.

While at Oasis, during a talk Kim Klassen and Xanthe Berkeley gave, Xanthe showed a video she had made for One Day on Earth.  I’d seen it before. Numerous times, in fact.  But on that day while I watched it again, one of my neat, little compartments that I had shoved to the back of my mind cracked open and I began to cry one of those ugly, snot-nosed cries (Thank you, Siobhan Wolf, for the use of your shoulder that day).

I realized at that moment that I had stopped enjoying the most simplest of things in my life and had essentially been just existing.  When I should have been celebrating all the little things in my life, I had been in a fog, waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop, for the bad things to get worse.  But you know what?  That other shoe has not dropped and in watching that video made up of Xanthe’s gorgeous photos celebrating everyday life, I had an ‘aha’ moment.  I realized that I could take what I had been shoving away, examine it a little closer, acknowledge it fully and then move on.  I was going to be okay. 

Thanksgiving is this week and my immediate family is no longer here.  This saddens me greatly and once again I put my famous system back into place just like I’ve always had, but this morning while looking for something in my desk I came across a photo of my brother and grandmother, both of them tucked together in the very back of my desk drawer. I held them in my hand looking from one to another and at that moment, I let myself just be.  I cried a little, but at the same time I knew that I was meant to find those photos.  My brother has been gone 13 years and my grandmother 3 years. I’ll celebrate them this week and remember them lovingly, making their favorite Thanksgiving dishes to share with my husband and my boys and tell them stories of holidays past and when the day is done, I’ll feel blessed and full of love for all that I have…and just be. 

Today, share with us those photos that move you and in celebrating the holiday this week remember to give thanks…and to just be.  

A Legacy of Love

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My father was a professional photographer, illustrator, ad man, and filmmaker.  He photographed Charles Lindbergh and other famous people, but his favorite subjects were my blonde mother, sisters, and me.  My dad died when I was 3, so everything I know or made up about him came from a lifetime of studying his prints. 

My sisters were a lot older than I, so they didn’t need pictures to jog their memories.   I was so young when he died that I still believed in magical thinking.  You know, “step on a crack” kinds of thoughts.  My father achieved immortality for me through his photographs.  At 13, Brownie Starflash in hand, I photographed everyone I loved to insure their permanence, and I never stopped.

The Starflash became a Nikon 35mm, which became a DSLR, while my own darkroom got better safe lights, a real sink, and suddenly an iMac appeared on my desk.  I breathe photography.  Yes, I know that capturing image doesn’t keep people from leaving me.  But, it comes close.  When photographing people, an immediate intimacy happens that stays in my heart through the archived moment.  I love everything about photography.

I have immersed myself in photography projects like, They Come and They Go; a series documenting everyone from UPS drivers to first cousins who visit me, “keeping track” showcasing objects relating to memory, or Loving Aunt Ruth; a 3-year odyssey into the life of my aunt, the last of my mother’s family that turned into a book with a possible 2013 release.  I am interested in memory, time, impermanence, and love.

In 2007, my oldest sister moved to live near her daughters.  I photographed her packing and the truck taking her away, and her move prompted a feeling of urgency in me to get closer to my Aunt Ruth.  I asked Aunt Ruth if I could photograph her for a book without imaging a “real” book was possible.  At the time, I was probably thinking of a photo album.  She said, “Sure, I’ll have a party, and you can meet all of my friends.”

Loving Aunt Ruth is the culmination of everything for which I have cared:  family, story, respect, hardship, triumph, humor, and my work as a photographer.  Since the book began with a party, I chose to end it with one.  My Aunt’s 90th birthday was a beautiful place to close a journey that we began together.  Aunt Ruth had 165 people of all ages, ethnicities, and religions to her party.  I only “know” that many people on Facebook!

My father left me the legacy of an understanding of photography’s power which opened the door to my understanding of Aunt Ruth whose philosophy of living life guided by loving and caring for people has changed mine forever.   

In the last year, both of my sisters have died.  Aunt Ruth offered me comfort and wisdom.  I asked her how she stays determined in the face of so much loss.  She said, “I have my faith, and I have a will to live…that will comes from loving people.” 

 Image and words courtesy of Honey Lazar. Discover more about her and read more about her Aunt Ruth on her blog.