Happy Mother’s Day Sisters!

In honor of the mother’s out there, the generous and ever-so-talented sisters at Blue Poppy Jewelry are offering one lucky shutter sister their thoughtfully created motherhood necklace especially for Mother’s Day. It’s our first ever giveaway here and we are delighted it’s come from Blue Poppy. You know we’re big fans. As a matter of fact…we’ve got a very exciting project in the works with them that will soon be revealed (here’s hoping your interest is now officially piqued) but for today, it’s about our little celebration of motherhood.

Because many of you are busy basking in the glow of handmade cards and clay handprints, today we’re making it easy on you. All you have to do to be included in the random drawing for the Blue Poppy Motherhood necklace is leave a comment here anytime between now and Monday at midnight EST and on Tuesday, we will reveal the lucky winner. If you’d like to share a link to a photo that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy in that mama way, you are most welcome but the only thing you have to do is leave a comment.

Speaking of warm and fuzzy…what about this gorgeous and poignant self-portrait a la Toyfoto? Her work makes me weepy. Weepy or hysterical with laughter. And as synchronicity has it (I swear it was a total coincidence), it’s her birthday today. Happy Birthday to you Siobhan! Is it me or is there something kinda magical about that?

Again, Happy Mother’s Day to you. May you enjoy every minute of your day. And don’t forget to hand over the camera (or at least use your self-timer). You can always use a photo of the day to enter the MamaFocus contest too. Just a thought.

I don't know about you, but when I am editing photos after a shoot of any kind I like to have options to work with. Sometimes a pose or angle that I thought was great at the time ends up falling flat when I see it later. But if I am able to get a variety of shots, I feel much better when I start looking at them on screen.  Obviously it's not always easy to shoot your subject in 10 different ways. When it comes to photographing kids I think we just take what we can get. So a beautiful little vase of flowers is a luxury to play around with.

These are just 4 of the best shots from the 30 that I took. But I love being able to pick and choose the best.  If you have a chance, try it out and show your options in the comments section.

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'  Mary Oliver

 That question has been with me long before I had heard of the poet Mary Oliver or dared to picture myself on  daring adventures to faraway lands.  I couldn't have imagined then, that a ten day trip to Rwanda would be in my future.  In a little over a week, I will be visiting villages, making new friends and trying to uncover the plans waiting to be revealed for more than one African schoolgirl like my little friend above. 

 I'll be taking not one camera, but two.  One for me, and one for my host.  Of all the things he could ask me to bring, he's wishing for a camera more than anything.   He has an artist's eye, my friend tells me.  He knows how to see things.

 I hope I'll know how to see things, too, when I finally arrive.  I don't know if I'll have the luxury of waiting for late afternoon to capture my subjects in the best light.  I don't know if the sun will work against me in a place not too far from the equator.  I'm still such a new photographer that I'm still learning how to see the shot when the sun is shining bright.

 Do you have one capture in particular that really shines in bright light?  What are your best tips for taking photographs under these kinds of conditions?  Bring them one and all--I'll be taking notes.  I don't want to miss the moments that are waiting for me in what is sure to be a wild and precious chapter in my life. 

When we bought our home a year ago, one of the characteristics we loved was the mature landscaping around the house -- not because we're such amazing gardeners, you understand, but quite the opposite: we figured that the longer the plant had actually lived, the less likely we were to kill it.  Sad, but true:  I know nothing about plants.

Anyway, spring has sprung, so yesterday I grabbed my camera and my 60mm AF Micro Nikkor lens, to see what I could find.  The garden didn't disappoint:  there were lots of buds and slowly unfurling flowers.  But I found the blossom above particularly striking:  because of Love Thursday I find myself intrigued by hearts that occur in nature, and to me this flower looked like it had three tiny hearts, each surrounded by a golden halo.  So I took the shot.

Besides, I loved the teensy little grasshopper on the petal. 

Happy Love Thursday, all.  Please leave your links of love in the comments below, and for inspiration, check out the really cool hearts-in-nature captured by work2snap and cherryvanillastudios and shared in the Shutter Sisters Flickr Pool.

And may you see symbols of love all around you today.

This post is along the same lines as Tracy's yesterday, when she was talking about obsession. I think artists are especially interesting because the evolution of their life is out there for everyone to see. When I look back at my earlier work, with the perspective I have now, it seems like a whole different world. Buttoned up, and posed, and trying hard to be"perfect". My portraiture was an extension of how I lived my life, which was very aware of the critique. Then it started to get exhausting. There wasn't a turning point moment. Just the fact that lately I haven't been editing as much as I used to...in life or in photography. I'm not as afraid to show the messy bits...like the ones where mom is leaning in to fix her daughter's hair; or the ones that are so out of focus, they turn into impressions. People can make up their own minds. Either way I feel the same about my work, and about myself. I feel like I've begun to let go of the illusion of control. And my photographs (and I) are a teensy bit more free these days. What about you? Do you have any shots that make you feel this way?