Found in Little Italy

"I was looking for one of my favorite cow tail hair shots and..."

(insert sudden burst of laughter)

"Wait a minute, you were looking for what?" chuckled my shutter sister Karen. I suppose I hadn't thought about the fact that most of my friends don't spot cow tail hair on the barbed wire fence most days. But as much as I love admiring those random delicate blonde strands of hair on the "architecture" out here on the farm, I often crave a good dose of the city. Place me in the middle of Littly Italy in NYC, and I might just mistake it for home.

Let's see a little of the city in you.

Light and Dark

One of the greatest challenges (and joys) of photography is using light to create the image that you want to capture.  Usually, you would think that you would use light to illuminate the main subject that you are photographing.  There are times, however, when you want to keep your subject in the dark for a dramatic silhouette or shadow shot.

Now, another photographer may have looked at this view and chosen to keep the vine of hearts in the light, resulting in a significantly different image.  In fact, I came back to this very scene the next night and took an entirely different photo.  That's the beauty of photography.  There's no right or wrong way to see things.  You can be as purposeful or as aimless as you want.  You can choose light or you can choose dark.  Thank goodness for that because otherwise, I'd get really bored.

How about you?  Do you have an image to share in which you chose dark over light or vice versa?  Or maybe an image you captured one way on a certain day and a totally different way on another day.

Superhero Photo Challenge: Wig out

Teaching last week at Squam Art Workshops, I was reminded of one of the easiest and best ways to loosen someone up while photographing them: wigs! or hats! or any other prop that gets people feeling playful, sassy and out of their shell.

I was amazed to see the transformation from one exercise to the next in my class. Students who were previously awkward and afraid to have their photo taken were suddenly throwing out the America's Next Top Model poses. It was so much fun to see! (the above hottie is my friend Jonatha Brooke)

This week's challenge is about using your props. Maybe it is a boa, a cowboy hat, a wig or a big twirly skirt. Whatever it is, notice how your subject comes alive...

friday’s featured resource- inspiration for Polaroid photos

Inspiration comes in various forms. And though some of the most enlightening moments in my daily life have come from very ordinary things such as an ad in a magazine, handmade knitted scarves, a quick note from a friend or tiny shoes -in a rush and completely unexpectedly- my personal creativity is constantly moved, challenged and encouraged by the wonderful photographers whose sites I visit every day.

I know I've already shared a few of my favorite photographers and Polaroid photos here, but if you like to shoot with a Polaroid camera and want to experiment, go a little further in your vision, I think you might like the following artists for their unique use of light and original, brilliant compositions:

Mia magic
Fieryeyed
Erica
E*airfuly
Manda
Miel et Soleil

What about you? Are you addicted to a photographer? A photoblog? Share the sites and artists that inspire you every day in the comment section below.

(Also, if you shoot Polaroids, don't forget to join Polanoid.net. Some of the most amazing photographers share their work on the site. Every new member receives a 5 euro coupon for unsaleable.com where you can get good Polaroid products and can take part in fun projects and challenges.)

Love Thursday - Mosaic Edition 1

1. HBW : lights at the beach last night, 2. evan, 3. You know, I'm sick of following my dreams, man. I'm just going to ask where they're going and hook up with 'em later..., 4. admire, 5. Sparkling Duet, 6. 260-366 in a field, 7. IMGB_LauraMontage, 8. Bella08_38, 9. n38, 10. fall love, 11. Untitled, 12. "masquerading....., 13. my favorite cupcake..., 14. Sulo, 15. 309/365 - Geranium Gorgeousness, 16. 300_7073-1, 17. day 289 : september 7 • intoxicating, 18. Summer moments, 19. 365/253 And then it rained some more, 20. barn owls, 21. pair, 22. nest i, 23. 2 year old moment, 24. ~ fifteen candles ~, 25. a family who plays together, stays together., 26. k & w .1., 27. petals, 28. FGR - Peek A Boo, 29. happy love thursday!, 30. sweetness, 31. { Lucky }, 32. Where Were You, 33. girls best friend, 34. There are lives I can imagine without children but none of them have the same laughter & noise., 35. Bride and flower Girl

Happy Love Thursday everyone!

In honor of all the love that swirls around here in our Sisterhood on Thursdays (and every other day for that matter) we thought it would be fun to create a little love collage a la the wildly popular and super-fun Big Huge Labs. If you've never played over there, you should. It's a great way to have some fun with your photos. To discover the talent that lies behind each of the photos above (all chosen from our Flickr pool) just click on the links above.

So, no matter how you choose capture your love, show us what you've got this week. Thanks! Love ya!