Life in Black and White

Rain earlier in the week made way for a beautiful, warm Southern California weekend for a volunteer beach cleanup that my husband, son and myself participated in.  Well, actually, I just followed along with my camera, but atleast I was there!  The sun was high and bright in a gorgeous blue sky but when I saw this picture I knew it would tell the story so much better in black and white.  With no color to distract,  it was just my husband and son walking side-by-side as if they were the only two on that beach. 

Today, show us your black and white photos and let them tell us their stories. 

For the Love of People

I love to people watch.  A lot.  I can sit back for hours and watch the different people around me, making up stories about this one or that one.  What better place to get pictures of those people than at a Susan G. Komen 5K?  It's the only time that both men and women alike can wear the words boobies or tatas and get away with it. I loved seeing all the different ways people dressed for the occasion.  Anything pretty much goes.  Even the men got into it, wearing anything from tutus to bras!  The mood was upbeat, people were laughing and smiling and they didn't really mind whenever I took their picture.  Truly, it was a magical day with magical people and my camera and I loved every moment of it.

Today, show us your magical 'people' moments.   We'd love to see them.

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We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU! All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. And be sure to keep shooting your own stories and adding them to the OWP Pool on Flickr where you have a second chance at winning one of those $100 Paper Coterie giveaways.

A New Season

I'm a true California girl. I live for summer, so when the days grow cooler and the days become shorter, it has always been a difficult transition for me.  I would pout my way through autumn, because really, finding a true fall season in Southern California is pretty much impossible. A couple of years ago I decided it was time to stop pouting about it and find fall on my own and I have.  Pumpkin patches? Check.  Apple picking? (yes, even here in SoCal!), check.  A yummy pumpkin latte? Well, that's a given.  But what truly signifies the changing seasons for me?  Football!  High school, college, professional, it doesn't matter.  Fall is in the air, people.  Even for me, this born and bred California girl.  :)

Share your stories of how you celebrate the changing season. Show us your autumn.

We are giving away one $100  Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September! Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots. 

When There Are No Words

I received a text that my best friend was in the hospital, a text that was not unexpected.  Within 24 hours, her core group of girlfriends, myself included, fill her hospital room.  At times serious, we discuss chemo and medical procedures and pain management.  At times funny, we talk about some of our best times together, our laughter so hysterical and loud that a nurse comes to the room and closes the door.  My girlfriends know and expect that my camera is with me.  It's my security blanket, my safety net.  When I can't find the words to speak, I let me camera do the talking for me.  When a hand reaches out and takes a hand resting on the hospital bed, I lift my camera and quickly take a shot.  With a lump in my throat, I know this photo speaks all that I or my friends cannot speak and without a doubt, we will cherish it forever.

Today, show us those special photos that do the talking for you.  We'd love to *hear* what they have to say.

Living in Color

'A picture's worth a thousand words but you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered. You should've seen it in color' -from the song In Color by Jamey Johnson

My best friend Alejandra and I have known each other since we met in 2nd grade.  That friendship continued all through our school years and our high school graduation.  Once we were out of school I went on to my civil service career while she went on to marry and have three babies.  Like many do, we lost touch over the years while both of us went on to live our lives.  Last year at our high school reunion we reconnected and it was like we've never been apart.  We've both had our ups and downs over the years, both of us losing our siblings to cancer and now, my sweet friend is fighting cancer of her own and fight it, she does.  She fights it by choosing to live.  She lives by travelling to the most exotic places and seeing the most amazing things.  She lives by choosing to only drink wine from the cutest wine glasses she can find (as seen in the photo above).  She lives by laughing her infectious laughter, a lot. She lives by spending quality time with her girlfriends, making us her famous Mickey Mouse waffles for a late night snack after a full night full of laughter and good times together.  Recently we went away for a much needed weekend at a beach house with four other high school girlfriends.  Some of us were discussing the pitfalls of getting older from bad knees to poor eye sight to menopause. Suddenly, Alejandra began laughing hysterically.  At the quizzical look on our faces, she said, "You're all falling apart and I'm the one with cancer!!!", which then threw all of us into fits of hysterical laughter right along with her.  Not only is she living her life to the fullest, she's living it in color.  How awesome that I get to photograph her colorful life.  How awesome that she's my friend.

Today, show us with your photos how you're living your life in color.

Shutter Sisters is honored to help promote the America Cancer Society’s More Birthdays Campaign. They want to see your artistic expression that is inspired by the lifesaving work of the American Cancer Society.  Submit your photos, art and/or music, spread the word, and vote for your favorites - you choose the winners and who gets the big prizes! There's even a "cool categories" contest hosted by Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom fame that our own Tracey Clark is helping to judge. How serendipitious that this month's word for our OWP is Life.  Life = More Birthdays!