What are you listening to?

When I was growing up, music was a huge part of my life. It was a safe haven to retreat to after a difficult day at school, something that defined who I was, like the clothes and shoes I wore, a way to connect with friends as we shared a common passion, mix tapes and earphones, and learn new English vocabulary.

We've all done it. We've unpacked an old box and found a CD or a tape, and smiled as we held an entire year of our lives in our two hands. Toto's "I'll be over you" reminds me of one particular summer watching horror movies with my friends when I was 14. Bon Jovi's "I'll be there for you" is still a karaoke favorite of mine. And don't get me started on the New Kids on the Block. 

This made me wonder. I know a lot of professional photographers like to play music in the background on photo shoots to set a certain mood and put the model at ease. But what about you? Do you listen to music while taking photos? And if songs are memories and moods wrapped in a few notes and sentences, how much do they affect the way we look at life through our lenses?

I can't wait to read your thoughts on this. And don't forget to share your images and songs in the comment section below.

what was your aha moment?

"An aha moment is a moment of clarity, a defining moment where you gain real wisdom, wisdom you can use to change your life."

I believe we've all had aha moments in our lives. We fell in love, we said goodbye. We hold our child in our arms for the first time, relocated, dared, said no, said yes. And as trite as it might sound, those unmistakable moments enabled us to placate fear, learn our lessons, and enact a different life for ourselves.

I've been insanely lucky. I've had two aha moments this summer. The first one was delivered to me by my amazing fellow Shutter Sister Karen Walrond. The second one happened a couple of weeks ago, after I had been spending a week shuttling between my domestic life and a tiny little table in a café where I sat and wrote on my journal while my kids were at sports camp. If you've ever worked from home and ever found yourself folding laundry and longing to retreat to your room to write that one last chapter instead or grab your camera to catch the evening light wrapping the skyline, you know what I'm talking about. And the guilt, oh the guilt that follows your saying "not now" or "later" to another game of Connect Four. And eventually shatters your hopes as you put the journal away, sit down and smile, your kids beaming with satisfaction.

I remember thinking then "is it even possible? To be a mother, a writer and a photographer? How do others do it? Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm not suited for this life." I emailed my wonderful writer/photographer friend and shared my discouragement and conflicted feelings with her. She wrote back: "Irene, I know this feels like a problem, but try on this interpretation: This is no problem. What you have is a routine and a set of expectations that you've created. And you can create new ones. No problem."

That was my second aha moment.

Today I invite you to share your aha moments in the comment section below, with words and images. I firmly believe that one story can make a difference in someone else's life, inspire, and kindle hope. And I want you to know, if you're still wondering, if you keep asking yourself. Yes, it is possible for you to raise happy children and lead a creative and fulfilling life. It takes a lot of work and it's not always easy, but it is possible.

(For more aha moments, visit www.ahamoment.com)

the way we were

On one sunny afternoon in Chicago last month, I sat in Millennium Park with my fellow Shutter Sisters Andrea Scher and Karen Walrond. And while we were playing with our cameras and contentedly munching on hotdogs, Karen said something about my photography:

"When I look at your photos, I don't feel like I'm looking at something that you actually saw, I feel like I'm looking at a memory of yours, and the emotions around it at that time."

This was one of the most enlightening moments in my life. Karen had just answered the very question I'd been asking myself for so many years.

I paused for a while.

And then I couldn't stop thinking, meditating and contemplating all the possibilities that were unfolding before my eyes.

Photography is a lot, lot of different things. It is an art form, a medium, the expression of one self, of a thought, an opinion, an emotion. It is about capturing beauty, and sharing it. What I realized though, with Karen, is that for me photography is about extending a moment beyond the limits of time, distance and memory. It is giving me, and all of us, the wonderful ability to hold onto that one moment, and how we felt at that moment. How amazing is that?

So today I invite you to share an image that reminds you, and is the reflection of how you were feeling the moment you shot it, an image that is truly the memory of a moment you greatly treasure. If you feel like it, please also share the story.

Note: blurry images are welcome.

that little special thing

When I tell people that I have twins, they're surprised. When I tell people that I'm a writer and a photographer, they're intrigued. When I tell people that I tap dance, they look at me as if I were a totally different person.

I started taking tap dance lessons a few years ago and it's been making me irrationally happy ever since. It is a place where I feel completely safe. A place where I retreat when words fail me and I haven't taken out my camera for weeks. A place that puts me back together as an individual when too many people are depending on me. And reminds me of my own strength and ability to venture beyond my comfort zone.

Some call it a hobby. I like to call it my little special thing.

What about you? What is that little thing that no one suspects you to have or do and that makes you feel special? Whether you know how to cook, play an instrument, fly a plane, sketch, sing, speak different languages or moonwalk, please share in the comment section below.

movies and photography

last scene from Great Expectations by Alfonso Cuaron

I graduated from film school 10 years ago, but it isn't until recently that I realized how much my love for movies has been influencing my photography. The musicals from the early 30s and their vibrant black and white, the rich colors and subtle lighting of My Blueberry Nights, the beauty found in the most ordinary, unexpected places in Amelie, and many more.

One of the movies that I think has had the greatest impact and has shaped up much of my approach to photography is Great Expectations by Alfonso Cuaron. The thought he put in the composing and framing of each sequence has been a huge revelation to me.

What about you? Are there movies that inspire you, and influence your photography?