Superhero Photo Challenge: Color Spectrum

I realize that I've been waiting to post, for that exact right moment when I'm not feeling fragmented and distracted. That moment when I'm not simultaneously checking my email, packaging a jewelry order, and wondering if we're too late to apply for preschools or if Ben needs therapy for his chewing issues. And speaking of food, do we have any food in the fridge? and oh yeah, I should probably brush my teeth today. Now which numbers of plastic are bad for you? Better throw away our Nalgenes today. Maybe after one more espresso.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, fragments.

My life is a little chopped up at the moment. My phone calls are all in little slices (call you back, baby just had a poo!) my work is fragmented throughout the day between his naps. My sleep is still fragmented by trips to Ben's room for soothing or milk. Sometimes I feel like I don't give anything my full attention, that everything and everyone gets a little bit less of me than before. Nevertheless, I've been learning to make peace with the the fragmented life.

I posted the above photo because as I look at these paint chips, I see how beautiful this cut up little landscape can be, little bits of color strung together (some you like and some you don't) but together they make quite a stunning composition. This is the lens through which I want to see my life right now. Little bits of beauty, or hurt, or tiredness, or joy all bound together. If you stand back just a little bit you can see how it all fits together and makes something beautiful.

This is what I offer as a photo challenge today. Find a color spectrum.... it could be leaves, or paint, spools of thread, a set of colored pencils, or even buoys.

Then notice how you need the drab icky taupes, the mustardy yellows, the pukey greens, the shapeless greys. Notice how you need all of them to make the spectrum beautiful. Notice that if you only had your favorite colors, the composition would be less rich, textured and ultimately less beautiful.

Superhero Photo Challenge: Get a new perspective

I adore this photo from a recent portrait session. We had been shooting belly photos and family photos for hours already and I was getting that anxious, oh-my-god did-we-get-the-shot-yet? feeling and don't let on that you're not sure, just keep shooting! And smiling.

We went outside and I was immediately intimidated by the light. Bright sun, little garden with narrow paths, not the big expanse of green (and shade) I was hoping for. I began plotting my speech about how I could come back to do a re-shoot if we didn't get what we were hoping for...

At some point it occurred to me that when you're stuck, it's time to get a new perspective. I laid on the ground and looked up at her belly and was so delighted by what I saw. I hadn't really noticed how BIG she was until that moment and how amazing and beautiful and hilarious it was. From this place of total delight and seeing her anew, we were able to get some really fun shots.

I am a life coach as well as a photographer and so much of our training is about getting our clients to see their lives or a situation from different perspectives. This is how we have breakthroughs and discoveries! Whenever we are stuck, it is likely that we are literally stuck in a perspective, or a way of looking at things. Don't you love that moment when you say, I've never thought of it quite like that... and how it kind of blows your mind wide open? That's a new perspective.

Your challenge this week is to try out a new perspective with your camera. Lay on the ground and look up at the sky, climb a tree, get in the grass and look through the blades, put the camera on your head, spin around, don't look through the lens at all... Show me some wild perspectives, ones that make me say, I've never looked at it quite like that before...

Superhero Photo Challenge: out the window

One of the greatest pleasures in life is the window seat on an airplane. Are you with me sisters? My husband and I have to do some serious rock, paper, scissors every time we get situated.

I always have my camera at the ready and feel a childlike giddiness when I see the world from this perspective. I am suddenly an astronaut seeing the planet for the first time: it's rich topography amazing me with its color, clouds and organic forms. It takes my breath away every time.

This week's theme is to shoot out the window. It could be an airplane, a car or even your bathroom window. As usual, leave your link in the comments and add the tag "superhero photo challenge" to your flickr page.

Hot tip: If you don't already know this, treat your airplane photos with levels or curves in photoshop (auto levels usually does the trick) and watch the landscape pop!

Superhero Photo Challenge: Eyes closed

I love this photo of my friend Jonatha. I think a lot of the sweetness is in her smile but the fact that her eyes are closed adds an extra special intimacy. It feels like you're in on a little secret, a private moment or inside joke...I am surprised by how intimate photos with eyes closed can be.

As you've already guessed, this week I challenge you to take a portrait with your subject's eyes closed. Because I just recently saw the Annie Leibowitz show: A Photographer's Life and I am now convinced that she is the best portrait photographer on earth, I will share a oouple of her photos for inspiration with this theme. I also found some beautiful shots with eyes closed on Jesh De Rox's blog.

As usual, please leave a link to your photo and if you are using flickr, please tag your photo with superhero photo challenge.

Superhero Photo Challenge: Play with Textures

Textures. Actions. Everyone seems to be using them these days, right? Like most things technological, I am at first wary of any fancy pants tools. And when I say wary I mean totally intimidated. Then I warm up when I see that it's fun and relatively easy. The next step is to enter utter and total texture/action geekdom. Be warned people, you can spend hours on one photo!

At first it will feel like how photoshop did when you first encountered it. Overwhelming, boundless, how can you possibly try everything out? And after you get over the kicks of liquefying your friends' faces and turning your husband into a colorful mosaic, you get bored. And for me anyway, with the lack of expert knowledge, the images always turned out kinda corny. It became so much more about the effect than the image.

The same goes for textures. I'm learning that you have to start out with a good image or you don't have much to work with. That said, I have also transformed mediocre shots into something really special, and saved my sorry ass when the lighting wasn't quite right. Phew! The next trick is to not overwhelm the image with effects, but use the your tools and not let them use you.

I am not good at being subtle yet... I don't have command of my tools but I hope to. And I've gotten lucky a few times just the same. This week's challenge is to take a photo and use a texture on it! There are some free textures here and here, or the vintage background I used on this shot is here. I'm excited to see what you get! Here are some shots that will give you some inspiration.

Click here for simple instructions on how to use textures. You can also purchase some really affordable textures from the same person, Ash. If you've got the bug and you're ready for a little splurge, there are also gorgeous fine art textures available from Jesh de Rox. His work blows me away...

What are you doing with textures? Have you been playing with them? What kind of results are you getting? What about actions? What are your favorites? Looking forward to seeing what you create.