sunday school: confessions of a photoshop flunkie

I will be the first to admit that I would rather eat a big box of prunes than try to figure out Photoshop.  For the first 5 years that I was taking photos digitally, I did all my editing in Microsoft Photo Editor, which came bundled with Office.  I finally broke down and bought Adobe Lightroom last August, but I have stubbornly resisted using Photoshop for anything.  Believe me, I've watched and drooled while everyone around me was adding supercool textures to their photos or doing other nifty powerful things possible for those willing to delve into the world of layers and lassos and burning and dodging, etc.

Recently, I came across this photo by Quixotic Pixels in which she uses pantyhose as a filter.  This gave me the idea to take the photo above using Cadence's pink tights stretched tightly over my lens.  I really like the softness  and very subtle grain that this technique adds to the photo.  I hope to find other ways of adding texture or other effects to my photos without having to resort to learning Photoshop.

How about you?  Do you have any shortcuts or tips on bypassing Photoshop?  Please do share, as this Shutter Sister can use all the help she can get.

out of the office today

When I feel uninspired

On February 8, 2008 Polaroid announced that it will abandon instant photography. Like everyone else I panicked, stocked up on film and signed the petitions. I haven't taken many photos since then. It's April and I'm wrapped up in my winter coat, wool turtleneck, scarf and carry an umbrella with me every day while avoiding dog poop on the pavement and waiting for sx-70 weather. But I also know that for some reason, I don't feel it. I just don't feel like taking photos.

When I feel uninspired I get up early to think, I sit at the children's section of the local library. I set up my sons' favorite toys while they are at school so we can immediately play together. I read. I knit or buy something for someone I care about. And despite the frustration, I realize the value of each moment: enabling me to grow, to be honest, to think creatively about how best to use these moments of discouragement. To make my own rules without feeling guilty about it, and reconnect with my true self.

What do you do when you feel uninspired? How do you keep being creative despite the moments of doubt? How do you use these moments? And here are some favorite Polaroid photos and a book project that I'd like to share with you. Please feel free to leave links to yours.

1-2-3-4 ) by tae-tae

yellow blouse & seahorse by danske

waiting by athena

Monday by cute annie

and For the Love of Light: A tribute to the art of Polaroid, a collaborative book project featuring some of my Flickr favorites like Jenny Vorwaller, Fernanda Montoro and Anne Naumann.

Happy Friday.

Love Thursday: April 3, 2008

As some of you know, Irene Nam and I started Love Thursday on our own personal blogs about 18 months ago, long before it found its home here on Shutter Sisters.  And while I don't think my daughter, Alex, exactly knows what Love Thursday is, it's certainly been a large percentage of her 4-year-old life that I've been searching for images or symbols of love to photograph each week.  It appears she's been bitten by the bug:  she's been finding heart shapes everywhere.  Yesterday, we were lying down on our patio, and she pointed out a heart-shaped cloud.  This past weekend, she found a tiny heart-shaped leaf that she placed on my knee for a second, before it blew away.  And just last week, as we were taking a walk in our neighbourhood, she found a heart-shaped splat of bird poop.

Be happy I shared this photograph of a found rock in my parents' back yard, instead.

 Happy Love Thursday, everyone.  As always, please leave links to your images of love in the comments section below.  Also, for inspiration, be sure to check out the images left by PhotoMom86 and camera shy momma in our Flickr Pool. 

And may you see images of love everywhere today. 

keeping it real

I started shooting professionally when I was twenty. Besides being young, I was a girl woman in an industry which was dominated by men in high-water khaki pants, incessantly comparing their lens sizes. Our way of dealing with it, was to exclude ourselves. We never joined the organizations, or cared about awards and accolades. In our mind, it was reward enough not to be around people who were patronizing us. Like the time, I literally got patted on the head by a balding competitor. He said, "Don't worry, you'll get there". And I thought, "If 'there' is where you are, I'm fine where I am". Fast forward thirteen years to a different world. I don't know what happened, but today's most successful photographers are inclusive and real. And it totally shows up in their work. It's as if the pretentiousness of the eighties and early nineties tired people out, and created a whole new breed of photographers who just wanted to document real moments. It seriously rocks!

So I thought it would just be nice to raise a virtual internet glass to all the photogs out there who are keeping it real. Here are a few of my personal favorites...(besides all the Shutter Sisters of course)

Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser

Nick Onken

Jesh DeRox

Anna Kuperberg

Kate Mefford

Tara Whitney

Davina Fear

Amelia Lyon

The Whitebox Girls

Melissa Jill

Millie Holloman

Oh, there are so many, many more. What about you? Who are your favorite peeps?