share

If there's one thing we're good at here at Shutter Sisters it's sharing. Sharing thoughts, ideas, stories, encouragement, hopes, dreams, joys and most of all photography.

Today kicks off a brand new month of sharing our pictures in our One Word Project and we thought Share would be the perfect word to inspire us for May. As always, will be collecting your visual interpretations of the word Share in our OWP Flickr Pool (please tag your images with the words May and Share). How you choose to capture the theme is up to you.

We are delighted to welcome HP as our fantabulous sponsor this month and I'll tell you, they will be generously sharing some pretty great stuff with participants all month long so watch for special giveaway posts in May. And remember each day we will feature an image from the pool on our daily One Word Project page so keep you eyes on that.

Oh, but wait! That's not all!

To up the ante a bit, we're making our one word this month work double duty. In light of May being Mother's Day we are going to throw in a sharing challenge as well. We challenge you to MAKE your Mother's Day cards this year. Of course here at Shutter Sisters we most certainly hope to see your photographs gracing these handmade cards! Why? Because sharing our photographs is one of the most rewarding parts of doing what we do as photographers! And because Moms love pictures.

We're even staring a new Flickr pool called Shutter Share. This will be a very specific pool where you can Share with us how you share your pictures. In other words, you will be taking pictures of your pictures.  Your family wall portrait gallery, a set of note cards, frames on a shelf, your Mother's Day card, you name it. Take a photo of it. We want to see what beauty you create and how you share your gifts with the people you love. We'll be looking to feature some of those shots here too and if you're willing to Share some tips and tricks, let us know. Enlighten us! We love to be enlightened. And if your looking for something to spark your creativity, the HP Creative Studio is full great ideas! Check it out.

So, now you've got 2 new projects to shoot this month! We can't wait to see what you Share.

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The winners of Light Crafts new Aurora photo editing software will be announced later today!

On Being Seen

When was the last time you gave yourself the gift of getting to hug an old friend for the very first time?

Jen and I have been friends for at least a year or two...but we had never met before last week...she lives in Portland, I'm in Silicon Valley...we're both busy busy ladies, running demanding photography businesses. But last week, we finally managed to align our universes to meet for breakfast, and from the very moment I walked into the restaurant, I knew that I had truly found a sister.

Our first hug was amazing. It said "I know *you*! I *treasure* you!!" ...and so much more....and then we talked. and ate. and laughed. and cried (ok, I'm pretty sure that was just me. and it was just a little bit)...and, of course, we took lots and lots of pictures.

Now, like many women who are photographers, Jen and I both have pretty strong feelings about wanting to be behind the lens, and not in front of it. It is a safe place, a place where we don't have to confront some feelings about our physical selves that we would rather not spend time with. It's also a loving place - because we get to show the world what *we* love...to give the gift of allowing everyone else to see the people, places, and things that fill our hearts with beauty and light, to see them and love them the way that we do.

But what happens when the person we love feels the same way, and wants express that love by pointing a camera back at us? Do we say no? Or do we swallow the fear and untether the self-judgement and self-criticism and the voices that say "no, run away, unbeautiful!" Do we trust that this sister who truly cares about us will see us with love, and gift her with the space capture something amazing, something beautiful?

Well, Jen and I managed to let go. It was hard, and we talked a lot about it, but then we laughed, then we hugged some more, and then we shot some more, and then we laughed a *lot*, then we hugged some more....and when I got home, and saw her images, and looked at the images I had captured...I got a little weepy all over again. Because, in giving her that gift of letting go, I gave myself a gift too. I allowed someone to create images of myself that I truly love. I let this amazing sister show me that she loves me too....we both feel *seen*...essentially, truly, lovingly seen.

So, shutter sisters...this is my challenge to you. Seek one another out. Give hugs. Talk. Take pictures. Love. Laugh. Let go. Be truly seen, allow yourself to be witnessed with love...it is one of the biggest gifts you can give, to yourself, and to the people who love you.

Trust me, it is *so* worth it.

Photo and words courtesy of Honorary Sister / Guest Blogger Lilia Schwartz of babymoon photography.

Treasured

When we first moved into our house in 2007 we knew that there was a quiet elderly woman that lived next door to us and that’s all we knew. We rarely saw her except for when she watered her plants. It wasn’t until one day when she struck up a conversation with my daughter, over the fence, about how nice it was that Olivia was helping with our family dogs. A few weeks later she and I conversed in between our yards. That was the day that she said she never heard our [noisy] house. That was the day I realized she must have some hearing problems.

All joking aside, Miss Beverly is a treasure to us. We’ve had her over for a spur-of-the-moment birthday gathering, a Christmas dinner, and most recently a birthday celebration for Olivia. She’s also had us over for tea and even watched Olivia one weekend while I attended a small blogging conference. She was extremely flattered that we trusted her with our daughter. Truthfully, she’s a surrogate grandmother to us while we live far from all the actual grandparents.

A few days before Olivia was to stay the weekend, Miss Beverly called me over to her house. She wanted to show me where my daughter would be sleeping; to make sure it met my approval. We walked down the hall to the bedroom and I immediately noticed that the furniture was antique and extremely beautiful. You just don’t find that kind of craftsmanship anymore. As she ran her hand on the footboard she told me that it was her bedroom suite when she was a little girl. Smiling she told me that there hadn’t been a little girl to sleep in that bed for many years. We both felt a sense of peace as we smiled at each other.

Walking back down the hallway she asked me to come into her room as there was a picture she wanted to show me. Naturally, I followed her. She picked up an old wooden frame and handed it to me. The picture was a three quarter length shot of a relatively young man in a distinguished three piece suit.

“That’s my Daniel.” she breathed.

“He’s so handsome in this portrait, Miss Beverly.” I commented to her.

“He certainly was. A week after that portrait was taken he died,” she said heavily as she laid both her hands over her heart.

I sighed, “I’m so sorry for your loss,” as I handed her back the portrait of her beloved son.

She swept her fingers lovingly over Daniel’s face as she set the frame on her bedside table, and out we walked.

******

A few weeks ago my husband was making salsa for us. I had my camera in hand and I was documenting the process. The colors of all the ingredients along with the beautiful afternoon sun that was shining through our kitchen compelled me to photograph him while he worked.

Then the doorbell rang, and with camera in hand I went to answer it. It was Miss Beverly and I invited her in. We came into the kitchen, chit-chatted about Michael’s salsa making abilities, her naiveté in regards to salsa consumption, and then about my camera and how it didn’t use film. She was shocked when I explained how it worked.

“Mishelle, I came to ask you a favor that actually involves your camera. Do you see that tree at the top of my yard?” she asked.

“Yes, I absolutely love that tree!” I replied.

“Well, I planted that tree in honor of Daniel when I first moved in here. You remember my Daniel, right?”

“Of course I do; what a beautiful thing to do.” I comforted.

She went on to tell me that she planted it for Daniel and that his two sons were now old enough to understand the sentiment behind it. She hoped that I might be able to capture the tree in photograph for her to give to her grandsons. Without hesitation I told her that I would take pictures of Daniel’s Tree for her, for her grandsons, and in honor of dearly departed son.

She grabbed me, hugged me tight, kissed my cheek, and whispered, “You are a treasure to me!”

“As are you to me,” I whispered back through the lump in my throat.

*****

Parents should never have to bury their children. It’s cruel, heartbreaking, and seemingly wrong. Why it happens no one will know for sure. What we do know, though, is that there is genuine goodness in the world amidst all the cruelty. It starts with one person, one kind word, one smile, one embrace, one tree blooming, one camera pointed, one blue sky, and one hope that our loved ones---even the smallest of the small---watch over us while we remain on this earth becoming a treasure despite the pain.

Photo and words courtesy of Guest Blogger / Honorary Sister Mishelle Lane or as many of you know her Secret Agent Mama.

a great many questions

 

My interview with Ally Godfrey got me thinking. What is my true passion photographically speaking? What is my style? What direction should I really focus on? And then there’s the Name Your Dream Assignment. What, if I could hand pick my jobs? What if I called the shots? What, if there were no boundaries at all, would I choose to do with my photography? All excellent questions of which I don’t have answers for and truthfully am not sure I have really asked myself until recently.

Quite often I see other photographers and I notice a certain quality, a common thread through their work. Themes they shoot, perspectives they hold, processing they use that whispers their name, their signature. It’s much harder to look at ones own work with the same objective and even complimentary eye. It stands to reason then to ask for help in building and paring down a photography portfolio. Getting other opinions and thoughts can only help us as we flesh out our work and make sense of it in a ‘big picture’ kind of way. To gather our work together so that we may recognize a group of images that reflects who we are as artists; as photographers. I think the exercise just might help us answer some of these questions. And what about talking about it? Sharing our work and our thoughts with others and opening ourselves up to feedback. I believe there is power in stating our intentions. On sharing them with an ear willing to listen and a heart willing to encourage and nurture us even challenge us.

Whether we are just embarking on our creative journey as photographers or if we are in the midst of some sort of rebirth or reinvention makes no difference. What is important is that we are asking these questions of ourselves and are committed to finding the answers.

I can’t help but feel safe here, with all of you, to wear my heart on my sleeve; to stand exposed and questioning. I hope that if nothing else we can be the sounding board for one another as we shoot and strive and search for who we are and where were are headed on this amazing journey.

Share a photo that speaks of who you are or maybe what questions you asking these days. A visual symbol, style or showing of yourself, as you are. There is a great power in numbers. We are all in this together and knowing that, I hope you feel as encouraged as I do.

Stepping Back

My vision seems to be evolving these days. I find myself stepping back to get a broader view more often than I have in the past. Shooting wide. While so much can be discovered in close range... like delicate lashes, luscious pores, and tiny insects tip-toeing on petals... shooting wide sets the scene and gives you space for stories to unfold. As I consider the potential opportunity Jen and I have to lead our Shutter Sisters Picture Hope Dream Assignment, I'm beginning to think through visual approaches for capturing stories in still image form and I'm convinced that a wide angle lens will play a critical role in the journey.

Can you recommend a wide angle lens you love?

Share an image with a good sense of place and tell us the secret to your still image storytelling.