From the Street by Kriti Bajaj

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

This collection of images from Kriti Bajaj is the perfect depiction of perspectives seen and captured from the street. Kriti writes of her travels this past summer, "I visited 8 towns/cities in 6 countries. Here are some of my favorite photos from Bruges, Belgium: a town that felt like it was straight out of a Jane Austen novel, but far more colorful!"

Today as you shoot and share, let our prompt be your inspiration as you capture your own perspective "from the street".

Photo essay courtesy of Kriti Bajaj. You can find her at Framed and Focused or on Facebook. 

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!

on my way back home

There is gratitude during those minutes following a long day of work. A lesson in cultivating a spirit of self-love, and acknowledging the things that are important to me. It's a bit strange. I cannot wait to go back to the ones I love and yet very much enjoy feeling that sense of completion, of connectedness with my self.

For the past few weeks I've developed a habit of taking photos on my way back home. I love how they reflect those moments in between the many demands and commitments of daily life, and remind me to slow down, and give thanks for everything that happens to me.

How about you? Do you have those moments during morning or evening commute? If yes, do you pull your camera and capture them? Please share with us today.

for the love of lines

I often don't know how to get inside a photograph. Do you know what I mean? I stand on the edge of an event, a protest, a gathering... and I don't always know how to best jump in. What do I focus on? Where do I choose to look? It takes me some time to get comfortable and find my focus, narrow my view down to a few frames that tell the best story.

Photography is a powerful tool. We wield our cameras with the possibility to share perspective. When I am outside of my comfort zone {gulp!} I often don't know where to begin. The job seems too big. When I feel myself in this struggle... that's when I most want to push myself with my photography and break through those walls.

I am totally drawn to the old bricks of this port city. The age and weather begs to be seen and shared. I stare up at these buildings; covered with ivy, dripping with story. My feet freeze below me as I stand for a minute trying to figure out how best to frame the shot. Shooting buildings {for me} is outside my comfort zone. They just stand there unwaivering! No chasing needed, they are proud and strong and never blink. So why is it that they make me cringe?

I think figuring out your boundaries is a great step in improving your photography. I am constantly on the lookout for the learning curve. I like its steepness. I like being schooled; and depending on the day, coming away from an event with a memory card full of garbage is a good thing, albeit frustrating. It only forces me to try harder next time. To seek inspiration.

And so it is with me and buildings. I try to come at them from different angles. To find the love of lines. To create something abstract from brick and mortar. That is the challenge. And so I seek out inspiration in different forms.

Share with us today your perspective. What lies outside your photography comfort zone? How often do you attempt to shoot it? How do you begin climbing that learning curve?

When the Background Drives the Foreground

One of my favorite things to do when I'm moving with my iPhone on the street is to connect the action or natural placement of individuals in the foreground with intriguing backgrounds. I don't position my subjects, but I plant my feet in relation to the background and then wait patiently until my subjects move into their proper places. This approach works well as it gives you a quick slice of time to assess the light and adjust your settings before your image falls into place.

In this case, I made this image of Renu Shah Bagaria and Jen Lemen with the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone 4 using Blanko film and the John S lens. I then opened the image in the Photo FX app and sharpened it before publishing it to Instagram while in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Let's see the background drive the foreground for a change today.