Shutter Sisters

when the fog lifts

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Sometimes, instead of dwelling on the simple act of capturing beauty wherever I find it, I am constantly hunting for the next best shot. My photos are usually technically good – proper lighting, good composition, potentially interesting – but they are no longer the expression of the anticipation and the joy of the moment.

What I do then is put the camera down, go for a run and play Monopoly Junior with my boys. After a while, the fog eventually lifts as my obsession to take photos diminishes. And I am moved, excited and marveling again at the true beauty emerging from simple, ordinary things.

Today I ask you to share the moments that made you stop and stand still, those that moved you so deeply that whether you should capture it or not was never questioned, the beautiful images that emerged from your everyday life when you least expected it.

Comments

  7. excellent advice. It makes me remember when photographers would sit for hours to wait for the perfect light, the perfect this and that. it’s about being more mindful but not controlling.

  9. sorry…I meant to comment about your post: I’m glad you brought this up. Sometimes, especially with my daughter, I’ll have a shot in my head that I want, but if it’s just not happening, I have a hard time realizing it…I tend to push a little more than I would like. Thanks for the mirror 🙂

  11. I traveled to NOLA on a business trip in Jan. 2007. My only free afternoon was spent wandering around the Lower Ninth ward. I probably could’ve stayed for a week and still not captured everything worth recording there.

    What blew me away was how this site of so much destruction was quiet and peaceful. Nature had begun to reclaim most of the neighborhood. Some buildings were there, some had been moved a considerable distance, some were completely gone……..

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/2723026817/in/set-72157606499257668/

    Frightening, sad, and yet the beauty of nature seeps in. Amazing to be able to capture that paradox in an image.

  22. I have been spending a lot of time really trying to learn all the technical aspects of photography, and sometimes because I focus so intently on making sure I have the correct settings I miss the shot. But I have captured a few images I love anyways, despite the composition being off, or not having exactly the right settings for the shot. I still just love what I captured anyways.

    http://flickr.com/photos/georgiabean/3298840307/
    http://flickr.com/photos/georgiabean/3293181034/

  24. The most vibrant purple flowers that stopped me in my tracks yesterday on my morning walk. I wished I had my camera with me!! xoxo, ~ M.

  29. I happen to love just the everyday photographs. I am afraid I don’t have the patience to wait for that "perfect" shot. I love the simplicity of everyday life. Great blog.