reflections

Perhaps it’s the end of Summer or the start of Fall.  Maybe it’s my birthday or something in the stars. Or what I usually attribute it to; getting the kids back to school and getting back to a predictable routine. Whatever the case, this is always the time of year where I do the most reflecting.  For years I’ve marveled at the power of this—what seems to be for me—the new year. It’s no wonder I don’t fuss over the true New Year, taking it all lightly and in stride. It must be because I always do my seeking and searching now.

Reflecting on the past and reflecting on the future play equal parts in my annual soul pilgrimage. One is no more important that the other. In fact, they seem to work together in a perfect alchemy. Looking back, I am reminded of what has been. Looking ahead I can begin to forge my path into the future. Whether I choose to bring what the last year held along with me into the next is never certain. It’s different every year. And I guess that’s not really the point. The point is the time of reflection itself. Slowing down, being contemplative, breathing deeply, holding onto gratitude, shedding  tears, getting rest, listening, musing, and paying attention to every feeling, every memory, every whisper. That is where the true magic of reflections lie.

Today I encourage you to take the time for reflections, whatever that might mean to you and seek out ways to translate that into your images. Literally or figurative, let’s reflect together and share our findings as yet another way to Elevate the Everyday.

sunrise sunset

Sifting and sorting through the many images of starts and stops of each day, I was delighted and inspired by how much beauty the sunrise and the sunset offer. But for me, the start of the day that most touches my deepest soul are the sunrises that begin when I see pictures like this one. It's my own personal view of sunrise and it's as refreshing as seeing the first light peek over the highest mountain top.

But, of all the photos taken, of all the various subjects and times of day, my guess is that sunset must be the most photographed experienced to date. I have a feeling the inspiration that will come from the images we share today will be awe-inspiring, whether they are of sunrise or of sunset or both.

Share with us the very start to a day or the very stop...the time when nothing else matters but beauty and all the possibility a heart can hold.

the great outdoors

After five well-deserved, care-free days on a family camping trip, it was too much of a challenge to pick a single image that summed it all up. The great outdoors has so too much to offer; especially when time in this kind of picturesque locale comes only once in a while.

The thing about a trip like this is the simplicity of it all. There's nothing required except the ability to take it all in; one deep breath in and one breathtaking view at a time.

With summer still fresh in our minds (and hearts) my guess is you've got some lovely images in your recent archives you can share today. Or perhaps you're communing with nature as we speak. Whatever the case may be, today we are celebrating the great outdoors. Share your shots with us and tag them #sselevate.

something orange

Hanging in the warm summer sky over an Orange County landscape is the inimitable Orange Balloon of The Great Park. Approaching the large metropolitan park, formerly a Marine Corps Air Station, the balloon is one of the most surreal sights I have ever seen. No matter how many times I visit, I am still delighted by the beauty, enormity, and color of this curious work of whimsical art.

As we continue with our month of elevating the everyday, share with us today a pop of orange that stimulates your senses! Tag your images #sselevate and play along with us.

And because this image is taking the theme of elevate to a whole new level (literally), why not give away another copy of the book Elevate the Everyday. Leave a comment here between now and midnight on Sunday for your chance to win a copy. Marilyn won the last copy. Maybe you'll be next!

Embracing Family

 

With this month’s prompts all being inspired by Elevate the Everyday, I have been delighted by all of the images and comments you’ve shared. Obviously the contents of the book are near and dear to my heart which makes your responses that much more meaningful. Thank you so much!

Today, as you visually translate the poignant prompt of family, I am beyond excited to share with you that today’s post and prompt has even more collective energy than usual. Today, Shutter Sisters has the honor of being one of the stops along the way in the Blogust Blog Relay for Good. That means that each and every one of YOUR comments today will translate into a $20 donation to Shot@Life (also near and dear to my heart) to get vaccines to children who need them most. Yes, $20 per unique comment, up to a maximum of $200,000 to reach 10,000 children. WOW! And not only will your comment count on today’s post here, it will also count over on my personal blog as well. In other words, with 2 simple comments today (one here and one on my blog), you are inadvertently giving $40 to Shot@Life. That’s donating all of the vaccines that two children need for a shot at more family time. And that is pretty awesome!

And because we share our support, encouragement and responses through visuals around here, be sure to add the #blogust tag to your images too (in addition to #sselevate) to help show your support and spread the word so that other shutter sisters (and brothers) around town know to come participate too. The more the merrier when it comes to social good, wouldn’t you agree? And speaking of other shutter sisters, Anne Geddes is a part of the campaign as well. We're in good company.

So be sure to leave a comment today, go hug your family and take your camera with you to document it! Then tag your images and help spread the good word. We’re a part of something very special over here and we want everyone to join us! That's how we do it here...together!

To keep up in the Blogust relay, check out the calendar of bloggers so you can follow along all month long to help us reach our $200,000 goal!