carnation pink

We are tickled pink to be sharing this excerpt from Susannah Conway's new book, This I Know: Notes on Unravelling the Heart.

Words and images have always been the currency of my creative life, but it was years before I could stand up and say, Yes, I am a writer, Yes, I am a photographer, as if I had to achieve a certain level of success before I earned the right to call myself either. When I say I am a writer I mean I use words to convey the truth in my heart. When I say I am a photographer I mean I use cameras to record and interpret the world around me. Of my two passions it’s my photography skills I feel most confident about. For as long as I can remember I have “seen” photos wherever I go, noticing small details, colors, the lines and shapes that marry so well in a flat image. I notice how branches scratch across a blue sky; how the space between the cushions looks so soft and safe. There’s a list in my head of my must-take shots, and I can’t walk past a construction site without snapping the side of a rusty truck, a constellation of colors found in deceptively mundane places. My eyes don’t judge what they see—there’s no hierarchy of beauty when everything piques your interest. 

For a time I thought that being a real photographer meant I needed to join associations and offer my hourly services to paying clients. So I tried it for a year, making postcards and advertisements, networking with the mothers at local schools, photographing christenings and birthday parties and families on the beach. And there were moments of real fulfillment—when clients loved their portraits and called to thank me, when I felt I’d captured something truthful in a family group—but the work drained me more than any job I’ve ever had, my introverted self, exhausted by having to be “on” all the time. I’d turned my passion into a job, trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t designed for me. So I spent less and less time on the marketing, until the phone stopped ringing and I recycled the postcards. Although it felt like a failure, I couldn’t ignore the relief.

Photography is more accessible than perhaps it’s ever been, with camera phones and social media feeding an unending stream of images into the ether. While potentially we’re all photographers now, in truth it’s never as simple as owning a camera. For me, a photographer is a person who expresses themselves using the photographic medium. They don’t have to sell their images, or have clients or commissions—they are simply compelled to translate what they see and feel into a photograph. Most forms of creative expression require specific tools, but if you were to take away the paintbrushes and the cameras, the loom, the guitar and the stage, you’d be left with a bunch of people who are compelled to act on their creative impulses. 

You are left with artists. 

I believe we are all artists at our core, all of us endlessly creative, using our lives as canvases, our imaginations as tools. Children are born artists, seeing the potential in every cardboard box and dried leaf, remaking their world as fast as they discover it. We don’t lose that innate creativity, but many of us repress it, weighed down by all the grown-up responsibility adulthood brings. But with a camera, a pencil, a ball of yarn, we can make something out of nothing; dinner served with a flourish, a bed made with vintage linens, a garden border planted with red tulips. We simply need to open our eyes and put some thought into the details. We are the curators of our lives—we decide what they look like.

Susannah Conway is the author of This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart (SKIRT!, June 2012). A photographer, writer and e-course creator, her classes have been enjoyed by thousands of people from around the world. Co-author of Instant Love: How to Make Magic and Memories with Polaroids (Chronicle Books, 2012), Susannah helps others reconnect to their true selves, using photography as the key to open the door. You can read more about her shenanigans on her blog at SusannahConway.com and connect with her on Twitter: @SusannahConway.

Share with us some carnation pink details from your world today as we continue to celebrate color month! When you leave your comment here between now and Wed midnight EST, you'll be enetered to win a copy of Susannah's book This I Know.  

Magenta

I never thought I would be a part of the Pink Sisterhood but on May 24 of 2011 diagnosed with Stage 3A breast cancer, I joined the club.  A sore left breast and a swollen lymph node led to 2 needle biopsies, a lumpectomy, 8 wicked chemo treatments, 5days a week for 7 weeks of radiation and a lot of photos.

I have been told many times that I am not your typical breast cancer patient and I think that’s true.  I didn’t let the word Cancer or being sick beat me. I attacked it head on with my camera in hand!  My camera has been my partner in crime since I was a child and it's always helped me through the ups and downs life throws at me. My passion for photography is what helped me through this journey and what will continue to help me. 

I never thought pink was my color until my diagnoses but since then, I have been wearing more pink and playing with pink in my images. The stencil art on 7th Avenue in Manhattan stated exactly what I feel; "Art is my Weapon".  Photography is my weapon. I added a pink color tint to it to really represent me right now. My photography has helped me heal and will continue to do so.  As long as I can continue to take photos I will do so as my weapon against the bad stuff in life.  

Let’s make a statement today with bright, bold, beautiful pink and shoot images featuring the brilliant shade called Magenta! Don't forget to tag your photos with #sscolormonth. and add them to the OWP pool on Flickr. 

Image and words by our guest blogger, the courageous Darlene Cannup. 

weekending by Jeanne McGlinchey

Jeanne McGlinchey shoots images like this with her iPhone or her Nikon, whichever is closer at hand, and spends her weekends playing with friends and family, creating new recipes and listening to NPR and pandora. 

You can find her on her blog.

What little surprises might you have in store this weekend? We'd love to see your weekending shots!

the six questions with Sarah Louette

We are delighted today to share some questions and answers from emerging French photographer Sarah Louette.  In her words her images “aim at mirroring the feelings and emotions that lie deep in ourselves. Bliss, innocence, greed, hope and despair.”  And her inspiration comes from her “readings” and her own “reveries.” Love that!

Her images are breathtaking and it’s an honor to share with you her answers to our burning questions:

1. What's the story behind this photo?
I was on a family day out. The weather was fine and I wanted to show a shooting session to my sons. I initially wanted to take a picture with lots of accessories and colors, but when I parked the car, I noticed the way in this green field that looked so photogenic! I took my camera and gave it a try with the timer and my umbrella.

There are many birds of prey in the fields of my region, and one of them chose to pay us a visit. I took a picture of it. Later, I layered the two pictures to re-create that magical atmosphere our daily walks can have.

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?
I've always been attracted to visual arts, but fine art photography seemed a bit out of the reach. Digital photography changed it all, because you could try new things, get it wrong and then try again without worrying about the price of the film. To me, this is an Art revolution that allowed everybody to open the doors of creativity. I remember I bought my first digital camera with a reverent bliss and I immediately used it as an artistic medium. This first camera was very basic but it became a marvelous companion.

3. What's your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?

This question is a good one because it makes me ponder my artwork. When I take a photo, I tend to recreate a dream. I visualize a kind of fairy-tale scene, something that can exist but that we barely do or see. It's not surrealistic nor realistic, it's a beautiful reality.

In my daily life, I want to live fully in the real world but without being held captive by my environment. I wouldn't define myself as a dreamer, but I'm a very idealistic person who believes in creating her own life.  My Art probably unveils my aspirations for creating beauty. 

4. Where do you look for inspiration? 
I think inspiration is a fascinating interaction between our dreams and reality. In my case, it comes like a vision. I see a picture and I try to recreate it in order to give it birth.

In my latest series though, I realized the power of the translation of my imagination. For instance, one of my images "the Shelter" was clearly inspired by Stephen King, and another one "Dancing in the Stains" by... Snow white!

5. What would you say is one of your 'signature' editing tricks, themes or style? What do you think makes an image recognizable and uniquely yours?

That's hard for me to be objective with my work.  I don't want to stick to a certain kind of picture, because creativity suffers from these artificial boxes.  Bur, our identity is always present, as long as we're true to ourselves.

At the moment, I'm quite obsessed by the silhouettes and the effects on colours and I can see painting is another one of my inspirations. If you, the viewer recognize that I have my own unique style, of course, that would be a wonderful compliment. 

6. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?

My initial focus tends to be on colours. What I am trying to improve on is my ability to sense pure and striking shapes. I think beauty is universal. It's a harmony that everyone can read. The real challenge is having the ability to write it.

7. If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self - regardless of money, time or childcare issues - where would you go and why? 
I would go to South America. I have travelled in many countries in the world, but for me, it is the ultimate destination. Besides the fascinating cultures and landscapes, that's one of my very first child dreams. Being there would mean discovering a world apart and meeting an aspect of myself I would like to share again. That's how it goes, you also travel to meet your dreams. In travelling and creating, the process is often very similar.

8. Are there women out there that you consider your shutter sisters? Who, and why?

 I'd say the women of family. Without being artists, they all had a link to visual arts and they all are an inspiration to me. Each photo I take is a present I give them.

...........

If you'd like to share a dreamy image with us, or just share a comment with Sarah, we'd love to hear from you.

For more on the Sarah Louette and her exquisite work, visit her website, check out Subconscious Photography or say bon jour on facebook.

weekending by sarah swanson-dexel

Sarah Swandon-Dexel shoots images like this with her Nikon or iPhone and spends her weekends seeking, seeing & savoring. Sarah can be found online at urban prairie forest and via Instagram as wilburandfern.

Share with us what you'll be savoring on this extended holiday weekend? Take lots of pictures and share them with us for our weekending series.