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Entries by Kristin Zecchinelli (102)

Wednesday
Jun202012

lavender love

Continuing on through the rainbow, we leave the blues and head into purples. Today the lighter shade of lavender. When I saw that my name happened to fall on this day and this color I was beyond thrilled. I knew just what my post would be.  See my son, he is a quiet shy tender boy.  He loves what he loves, and he loves those things with all his heart. He has carried around this lavender blanket since he was tiny. This is actually the second incarnation of the same blanket because he loved the first one to pieces, literally. When he was very small I would sneak into his room at night to watch him asleep in his crib. I would find him with his head completely wrapped in his blanket.  I would carefully unravel him from it and place it on top of his sleeping smallness.  Within 30 minutes he would have his head wrapped right back up in it. Eventually I figured out he could breathe and was not smothering himself and just let him sleep that way. When he grew up a little bit, you could always tell when we was tired because he would have his blanket in his hand and chew and chew and chew on the poor thing, twisting and chewing it. (hence the need for a new one) He took it EVERYWHERE.  We did not leave the house without it. It just became a part of him.  He and "purple" (the name of the blanket) just went together. He is not greedy about it either, if you are sick or tired, or hurting, or sad,  he will go and gather "purple" wherever it may be and he will bring it to you. It gives him great comfort, so of course it will bring the same comfort to you.  Makes perfect sense. He often says, "purple is magic" and I believe it is. When he left for kindergarten I was terribly heartsick.  I missed his little face, those curls, not being able to touch or kiss or hug him for those hours felt like an eternity to me.  What did I do?  I got purple and I laid on that blanket and breathed in the scent of my little boy. 

He is growing up. Lately the signs are more and more obvious that the baby in him is being replaced by sharp angles and lost teeth. Though with all of this proof, he is still that tender hearted little boy. He still sleeps with purple. He still carries purple to the couch and to the table. If he is sick he holds onto purple extra tight. Purple still brings comfort when he gets hurt. I have so many photos of my boy and his beloved blanket. I cherish those photos, I cherish that blanket. I am ever grateful that he finds comfort in that piece of fuzzy lavender fabric. It helps him feel safe and secure, how can anything that does that ever be anything but loved.

A few weeks ago he went to his very first sleep over, naturally I gathered up the blanket and packed it with his things. He told me he was afraid to be teased and wanted to leave it at home.  I was shocked, and sad, and also worried that come bedtime he would regret his choice and really really wish he had it. I asked a few times before we left the house if he was absolutely sure he didn't want to take it along, just in case, he said he was sure. Off he went, and for the very first time ever, "purple" stayed behind. He made it the whole night, I wonder if he missed it at all, or perhaps that time has come and the letting go is beginning.That will be such a strange day. When that day comes, I will box it up and save it with the many special mementos of childhood (or maybe stuff it under my pillow for awhile).... But between you and me?  I hope "purple" sticks around a little while longer.    :)

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Capture something lavender in your lens. Tag it #sscolormonth, add it here in the comments AND in our OWP pool on Flickr.

Thursday
Jun142012

grass green

There is nothing I love more that the change of the seasons and with it the soft lushness of green grass. Add a little sunshine and you have a verdant oasis!  (i like the word verdant)

Have you ever read about color theory? I wrote a post about it here awhile back.  I find it fascinating how a certain color can hold such vastly different meanings.  Take today's color green (grass green to be exact), to me, I see the color green and think growth, new life, promise.  If you look up color theory it states green to be the color of nature, harmony and fertility. But then there is the flip side of green, sayings like 'green with envy' or 'green with jealousy' come to mind.  How about the wicked witch of lore, she is almost always the color green. See what I mean?  Green is good but also bad. Color can make you have a physical response. I guess that is why we each have our own personal favorites.  Some drawn to bold fiery reds,  where others are drawn to the cool blues.  Me, I love the yellows, oranges and greens.

Last weekend my family and I moved.  It was a lot of work,  physically and emotionally.  By Sunday I was a wreck.  I had hit my internal wall and could do no more.  My body and mind gave in and waved the white flag of surrender.  I laid on my bed and crashed into a deep unexpected nap. When I woke I needed to go outside and feel the grass under my feet.  I needed to lie down, face to the sun and soak in what was left of the day, thank goodness it was a beautiful evening. I snapped this shot of my girl lying in the grass in her own little world. It felt so good to be in the grass. All that green softness eased my weary mind and body. I truly felt rejuvenated.

Today capture grass green in your lens.  What does green make you think of?

Don't forget to share your grass green images right here in the comment thread  and in our Shutter Sisters OWP pool on Flickr.  Tag all your color shots this month #sscolormonth to be entered in the drawing at the end of June.

 

Thursday
May312012

discovery wrap up

"Seeds of great discoveries are constantly floating around us, but they only take root in minds well prepared to receive them." -J. Henry

All month long you have been inspiring us with all the wonderful ways to interpret May's One Word, discovery.

you discovered:

little things in nature,

magic in the sky,

self discovery,

the natural curiosity of little ones,

unexpected beauty,

and so much more.

Thank you for playing along all this month.

Today I challenge you to discover one thing in your environment that makes you smile. One of my very favorite things to do is take a photo walk. I found this sweet little pirate ship in a heart at my feet on a walk in San Francisco last October. Little things like that, the unexpected, they make me so happy I carry my camera with me. So today, get on out and take a walk with your camera, iphone, polaroid, no particular destination in mind, just wander. Look up, look down, explore the world around you with new eyes.  You may be surprised at what you find. Share your discovery here with me in the comment thread and don't forget to add it to the owp pool on flickr.

Xanthe will be here tomorrow to announce the new One Word for June. I am GIDDY over it! I can't wait for her to share our new word and exciting fun we have planned here all month long!  So don't forget to come back tomorrow and see what it is!

XO

Wednesday
Apr182012

proof

Every once in awhile we are gifted one of those moments, those moments when something so obvious finally clicks in our head.  "LIGHT BULB!" (said in my best Gru voice) This past weekend, while cleaning out my basement, I realized that I had box, upon box, upon box of family photos.  Albums stuffed full of family portraits and snapshots.  Not posed photos, just shots of regular ordinary days and moments. Maybe a bigger life event thrown in here or there, like a birthday or a new baby, but mostly just life. Funny thing about all those shots, no one edited them or photoshopped them, or deleted them before they had a chance to be seen.  Photo upon photo of me as a child, my mom at the age I am now, all of my family members sitting there in those boxes looking back at me from the beauty of film. They are not hiding from the camera, or stretching out their neck to avoid the sagging neck skin, no, just smiles and real expressions.  Then I started to think about the shots of me the past 5 years.  There aren't many. Why? Mostly because I am the one holding the camera.  I am in control of not only what gets shot, but what remains and what is uploaded. Even if there is a shot taken of me, I have the option to hit that ever tempting delete button at all times.  Herein may lie the true gift of film,  there was no delete button! No one was turning their camera around and previewing their images then choosing what was kept and what was not. Now hear me out, I love digital, I love playing with my images, composing shots, clicking away to my heart's content.  I would not trade that, but what if the control that provides me ultimately keeps me from having images of myself?  What will my kids have when they are my age I am now?  They will have bazillion photos of themselves, yes definitely taking care of that, but what will they have of me, and us together, if I continue to delete them? I have all the excuses, "I look fat (I have been overweight most of my adult life so obviously I am not changing that overnight). This shot shows my double chin. Ugh look at those crows feet! My skin is showing its age and years of sun worshipping. The greys are taking over my scalp." blah. blah. blah. BORING. Do my kids care about all those excuses?  Do they look at me with the same critical eye I am obviously applying to myself?  Of course not. Aren't I teaching them that beauty comes in all shapes sizes colors and ages, yet somehow not applying those lessons to images of my own self?  Guilty as charged. 

SO what do I do about it?  I need to change, and I have been on this path searching for the beauty of me. Not about the pretty, all about the proof. The proof of my life.  The ME in our moments. I want my children to look back and have proof of this me now, and the me tomorrow, and the me 5 years from now.

Yesterday we went to the beach.  I had my camera along, clicking away at my kids.  They were flying kites, running in the sand, feeding the seagulls and I was watching them and documenting it all. I wanted proof that I was there too so I shot my feet in the sand next to my youngest's feet.  Later that afternoon as I was watching them run, I turned the camera around and clicked the image above. Just me, off center, slightly out of frame, soaking in the sun, crows feet and grey hairs representing. Content, present, alive, me, now.  Not for pretty, just for proof.

Does this speak to you?  Do you feel like you too hide or delete too much of YOU from your images? Fellow shutter sister Meredith Winn and I are launching our very first 6 week e-course in self portraiture next Monday April 23rd. Click on over to NOW YOU to read more about our upcoming class. Perhaps this is a journey you are ready to leap into too. 

Today I challenge you, I want to see your proof.  I do not want you to stress over editing or composing. I just want you to hold your camera in your hands, turn it around and focus on the beauty of you. Click!  Don't delete it. Upload and share your image with me please.  You are worthy.  You are here.  You deserve to be seen just as you are right now in this moment.

xo.

 

Friday
Mar302012

one happy word

congregate: to bring or come together into a group, crowd, or assembly; to gather

I love words. Some for how they sound when rolling off my tongue. Some because they pull out my inner 9 year old and never fail to me giggle. Others for how they feel.... 'Gather' is one of those words for me, so I was delighted when it was chosen for this month's One Word Project. I love to gather, or to be invited to a gathering. The word just feels warm, and good, and happy. Usually a gathering in my circle involves food, maybe some wine, music, kids, laughter and love. I am blessed to have beautiful friends in my life, many of them a road trip away, but when we gather it is always good. We come together, we share the load, the meal, the preparation. We laugh and linger (another very good word) I always leave full. Full belly, full spirit, full heart. When I find myself missing them I have my images of our times spent together and they never fail to take my heart right back to that day, that meal, those laughs. To gather is to love.

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All month long you have gathered here.

You gathered the light, treasures, and with ones you love. You captured nature's gatherers in spring.

We announced Oasis, and will gather together in Palm Springs this October.

Thank you for gathering here.

Thank you for sharing your words in our comments and your images in our photo pools.

As the saying goes, 'friends gather here.'  Thank you friends.

Today share one more image here celebrating all the beauty of gathering, and on Monday we will return with a new one word for April. 

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