Shutter Sisters

Mornings and Magic

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It’s been less than a month and already my attempt at the 365 Days project is changing the way I do things; the way I look at life. As I mentioned before, clicking a few photos each and every morning has helped a great deal. Thank you for the tip Stephanie. The strategy is to get the pictures on the camera before the day escapes me and I have to resort to taking photos of me brushing my teeth before bed or some such less-than-ideal scenario. It has been helpful in that way for sure, but what I am finding is that there’s more to it than that.

Working photography into the start of my day has been totally enjoyable. Just when I thought that my camera couldn’t be any more integrated into my daily life, shooting first thing in the morning has taken it to a whole new level. It felt a little contrived at first. But, after a few weeks I can say that it’s becoming a seamless part of the routine; a daily practice if you will. It feels great to do it. And of all things, it feels important. I am likening the exercise of capturing my ‘morning shots’ to what Julia Cameron calls the ‘morning pages’ in her book The Artist’s Way. Maybe there is more to it than just shooting for the project and getting it out of the way. What if looking at things through our lens at the start of the day clears out the cobwebs of our creative psyche and elevates us to a more enlightened state without us even realizing it? Could it be that simple? I don’t know for sure but I never underestimate the power of photography.

Share with us your favorite morning shots. Have you discovered any magic in the early hours?

Comments

  1. I was just blogging about this when I posted today’s photo. I’m only at 20 of my 365, but it’s really challenging me! I’m learning to notice – to *really* notice – the beauty surrounding me in the dailiness of my life. Thank you for sharing some of your daily journey here.

    Here are a couple of my favorites from my own morning discoveries:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/3222875730/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/3209245185/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/8702729@N02/3219070428/

  2. Oh how I love the mornings and especially shooting in the morning. That is why i am doing a year of mornings myself. I thought it would be hard but it’s not. I absolutely love it!! I have a morning blog http://myyearofmornings.blogspot.com/ but this has to be my fav so far of my morning pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunmamma/3203630140/ it’s the sun and light of the morning that gets me everytime. Thank you so much for including my photo today 🙂

    xo Sebrina

  9. I’ve been taking morning shots for my 365 and it makes a lot of difference. I don’t stress the day thinking that I won’t get a good shot of "something."

  10. i just took some morning photos this morning. as we were getting ready for church DH noticed some birds on the bird feeder outside DS’s window. i grabbed my camera and just shot through the glass. technically not great photos, but i still loved capturing that bright sight of our morning.

  17. Thanks for sharing a link to my "Year of Mornings" on Flickr! Like you, I’m seeing things differently and quite literally, during the week, I grab the car keys, grab my kids and grab my camera as we head out at the start of our day. Who knows what I’ll see that will make me stop and shoot? I’m loving it!

  29. Hum… how early do you mean by early? Does 9 am count? I get up kind of late on the weekends and here’s a couple shots shortly after getting up.

    This one taken while still in bed, actually I ran downstairs to get the camera and came back to bed.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/28442274@N07/3227679804/

    These two taken later in the kitchen while preparing breakfasts (on two different weekend mornings):
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/28442274@N07/3227679928/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/28442274@N07/3207761329/

  30. this is one of my favorite morning shots:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/3012204609/

    i tried doing a set of mornings for a month, after doing a photo a day for the month of july (that was hard!) and i fell off the morning wagon about halfway through. sometimes life gets in the way.

    i’ve heard such great things about joining the 365’s… such reflective inspiring stories of personal growth. i hope at some point the floor stops shaking so i can steady my hand to join in too!

  35. I am a late waking person. Not always, not by choice. Little lady demands too much energy, and I just tend to sleep until she wakes up, which until the next month when she’ll start kindergarten is not too early. So, I skip the better part of the morning. Still… I enjoy (late) mornings very much, for it is our lazy quiet time at home.
    I have the digital camera in my room, next to my laptop, so I often take a picture after washing my face, or even before!
    Here are some of them:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/3209386717/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/3209380867/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/3209375333/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/3215268265/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/3218584876/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliealvarez/3227995727/