Beautiful Bokeh

 

I don’t have to venture far to find beautiful bokeh.  Up a flight of steps lies my loft studio and an enchanting world of beads, bokeh, and bling.  Swarovski crystals, sequins, and beads of every shape and size sit strewn across my work table.  They catch morning light, splashing bedazzling, dancing glimmer in every direction.

Where do you find your daily dose of visual inspiration?

Images and words courtesy of Anna VanDemark. You can find more of her photography, bead, and quilt work on her blog, Alchemy of Art.

Today's prompt: Something Purple. Hashtag #shuttersisters

something green

We live in a land of extremes: snow white in winter and lush green in summer. I'd have it no other way, really. When I crouched in the grass to take this shot, it was the peak of greenness. It's a strange time in New England when the greenery around you is so intense it overwhelms your eyes. The world is awake, the ferns are unfurling, the grasshoppers are jumping. Mother Nature is in overdrive! It's like having the problem of too much love, it's no problem at all... it simply opens your heart to expansion and growth; overwhelming as it may be.

Green is one of my favorite colors simply for how alive it makes me feel. Below my feet, through the weeds, or lost in play. I paint my world green as often as I can. Today, share with us something green. Leave a link in the comments below, add your images to the OWP flickr pool, or tag your images #sselevate on Instagram.

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!

something red

People often ask me if Elevate the Everyday is about photography and I can only answer this; yes and no. Yes, it's about how to use the creative tool of photography to focus on the little things that matter most but no because even before photography there's the art of observation. And I feel like that kind of observing or perhaps better said, seeing, is even more important than the photography itself. Without the seeing, what could we possibly be shooting?

Dorthea Lange said, The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera. Eureka!

What is it that we do each and every day with our cameras? We see. When we are compelled to hold up our camera to our eye, it's because we have seen something that moved us in such a way that we just had capture it. And when we put our cameras down, we still see. The beauty, the wonder, the awesome, the everyday, elevated.

Over the years I've realized that my photography has heightened my way of seeing. Everything to me is photo worthy now. But, it's been a slow evolution, this honing of my vision. But, the best part is, the more I am open to it, the more I see and the more magic appears. This is exactly what elevating the everyday means; capturing that magic in a photograph. Something tells me, you can relate.

As you are open to all that your everyday life has to offer, watch for the magic. Today's prompt is Something Red. My guess is that it will show up everywhere. Please share what red you find with us here in the comments. Be sure to tag all of your images you share through your social media platforms #sselevate.

And check out our partner in elevating the everyday this month, Paper Coterie. They've got all kinds of magic happening over there, like a giveaway(of a camera-eeep!) and fun, free printables from some of my favorite peopleall month long. YAY!

the colorful month of june

The above rainbow photos shared via Instagram
from top left: @batteredsuitcase @bal93 @kellykardos @magnetisedbylife

Oh my! The month of June was made spectacular thanks to all of you ladies! The world was awash in color each and every single day this past month (and for that my heart is happy!) To see the OWP flickr pool overflow with color and creativity was a feast for our eyes... but you know what we found ourselves instantly in love with?! The community that was created through the #sscolormonth hashtag over on Instagram! Wowzers. The beauty you can find there is something very special. And the art that is created through iphoneography is simply amazing.

Be sure to find us there on Instagram! We are @shuttersisters and we'd love to connect with you. Our feed is dedicated to showcase you! Afterall, you are the sisterhood that is the heart of our online community. It's been so fun playing with color this month, and we look forward to having even more fun connecting now that July is here. We are thrilled to see the friendships grow over there on Instagram.

Before we wrap up our SS Color Month for June and share the winner of the Epiphane giveaway, we wanted to share a glorious collection of photos! Photos you took of your colorful world all month long! Thank you.

The above images shared via Instagram
(red) @smallroots @debmedmb @elke1403 @magnetisedbylife
(yellow orange) @garlinjake @godaona @debdidit @dcw805
(lime green) @bal93 @katmcdknits @siobhanwolf @leslieradams
(aqua) @michelle_gd @wilburandfern @texturejunkie @kellykardos

The above images shared via Instagram
(orange) @jennhaakenson @beautifulnothing @meghandavidson @leslieradams
(grass green) @miansiena @dcw805 @colorlush @batteredsuitcase
(black) @lizbehm @beautifulnothing @marina_sorr @chereap
(white) @lucyloomis @debdidit @lyahle @rnstar43

Thank you all for rocking our world with color! It was simply amazing to play along, to find old friends and see new ones pop up in our community... and to reconnect in that way we all crave. I simply love that we find our tribe through photography. The winner of the Epiphanie camera bag giveaway: Pancakemama/Ani!

Tracey returns tomorrow with the announcement of our new One Word for July.  Can't wait to tell you all about it!