center stage

  

There's a small corner of my house that acts as studio and stage for many of my photographic vingnettes. Sliding glass doors to the right give me my main light source. A smaller window on the left offers a burst of fill light, or rim light (pun intended for my mug collection). Dark brown dining room table anchors my frame. A lovely pale blue wall, a china cabinet and cream colored drapes all vie for the backdrop (which I use is dictated by the subject at hand). I use this little area at home almost every day, for morning coffee, as a desk, for family dinner and of course, my photography.

My most recent muse is a loaner-mug. I actually borrowed this sweet tea mug (a la Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) from a friend so I could capture it in "the studio". It deserved a moment in the limelight. 

After capturing it in a number of different ways, it was this shot that felt just right. It's not often that I would choose a perfect centering of my subject. Centered is usually the last compositional technique I resort too. But, in this case, the light that illuminated the mug, the dark, dramatic background, the soft lines accentuated by a shallow depth of field all work together to bring the magic right to center stage.

Sometimes the only way to be is front and center.

Have you framed a shot lately that communicated the same thing? Something that left you no better choice than to reveal it as is, no apologies, smack dab in the middle of your shot? We'd love to see your center stage shots.

Camp Shutter Sisters

camp shuttersisters from xanthe berkeley on Vimeo.

coupled up

It all started about a week ago with a pair of bananas in the fruit bowl and it quickly became my own personal photo project. And now, everywhere I look, I find yet another couple.

Today, as we celebrate a day of love, what could be sweeter than sharing the tenderness of two? We ask you today to bring us your images of coupling.

what will you focus on?

Happy New Year everyone! All of us here at Shutter Sisters hope this first day of 2011 finds you happy, healthy and ready to begin your next chapter. New Years is like that, isn't it? A time to bid adieu to the year that has past as we welcome a brand new beginning. Now that we've stepped into January, we no longer need to look back and balance between two worlds. Instead we can look ahead, put one foot in front of the other and head into the promise and possibility that the future holds.

The first of the month always marks the One Word Project here at Shutter Sisters. It all began a few years back with inspiration from the awesome Ali Edwards and her One Little Word and since then we've dared to dream, wish, share, nurture and play. We've turned our lenses toward beauty, motion and gratitude. It's been nothing short of inspiring!

As Ali has said, "One Little Word can make a big impact on your life" and we know it to be true.

There is no time like today to find a word that will help define the year ahead for you. Have you considered what YOUR word will be this year?

To kick off the One Word Project, we want to encourage you to shoot your own word this month. Yep! It's all up to you! And because we believe that the intention set by your word can help shape/change/influence your entire year, we are putting our energies into community encouragement and accountability. Let's keep our word close this year. Let's use it to set into motion what we want this year to look like for ourselves.

If you feel like this kind of momentum might help you focus this year on your intentions, we are reccommending Ali's year long class One Little Word. Class begins today and is best explained by Ali on her class description page. Read what she's got to say. Listen to her insights and join us as we collectively use creativity (and of course photography) to fuel our hopes and dreams for 2011.

So, let's hear it...what's your word? Share it today in the comments and don't forget to add your One Word Project shots to our OWP Flickr pool. Be sure to tag them with your word so we know where your best intentions lie.

Happy New Year! It's going to be a good one. We can feel it!

alive

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.  -Marcus Aurelius

Have you caught wind about Reverb10? Simply put, it's a creative and meaningful way to spend time this month "reflecting on this year and manifesting what's next". Pretty powerful stuff. If you're not already participating, we encourage you to pop over to see what its all about. We are thrilled to be involved, helping spread the good word and even sharing a prompt this month too! You're sure to see a number of familiar faces over on the author's list. So so fun!

Today, the lovely Ali Edwards shares a prompt urging us to recall a time this past year where we felt most alive. 

We would be thrilled if you joined us today and shared your story, your photo, your reflections with us and the Reverb community. Won't you? And don't forget to tag your post, photo, and tweets with #reverb10 so we can all keep track of each other.