one sweet shot - april 2008

 

A few years ago I had the pleasure of virtually meeting Sheri Reed of Mamazine. We were both blogging for ClubMom at the time. Since then we have had our share of online collaborations and I have grown to adore her. I know, I know, I haven’t even met her in real live person yet. Such is the nature of Blogville. None the less, through her poignant words and her totally fresh and inspiring photographs, oddly enough, I do feel like I know her. Don’t you love when images speak volumes about a person? I have been eager to gush about Sheri for quite some time and when I saw this delightfully and intriguing shot of hers, I couldn’t resist featuring it for this month’s One Sweet Shot.

And here’s a list of more links that should keep you sufficiently busy on this fine Sunday:

Camera Shy Momma is honoring another shot by Sheri (storygoil). Great minds Meredith, great minds.

Anna is honoring this shot by Nanako Koyama.

L. Michelle is honoring this shot by Lanne at Life Blogged.

Jenny Rebecca is honoring this shot by lawatt.

Ruth of Sparkle Thots is honoring this shot from valska.

Aimee of Greeblemonkey is honoring this shot by gorgeoux.

Strawberrygoldie is honoring this shot from BeeBee Mod.

Maggie of And the Duck Said is honoring this shot of Carrie’s at Barely Controlled Chaos.

Rachel is honoring this shot from Amanda Yeager.

Paige B. is honoring this shot from CherryVanillaStudios.

Stephanie is honoring this shot by n.elle. (sorry this one was wrong but has now been corrected)

Nicky Thomas is honoring this shot from JustMakeIt

Sarah Ji is honoring this shot by Mama Rosa

and Amanda is honoring the shots in this post from Polkadot Photo.

Thanks everyone for playing along! Have yourself a sweet Sunday!

Where Truth Resides

I could capture her in her perfection.   The bold silver of her hair or the light magic of her eyes when she's listening in close to every word you say.   With any luck, I could take that image and make it shine even more with my fingers at the keyboard, as her years and her flaws slip away.  I could do all this and make you see her, make you love her, make you understand who she is without any imperfections holding you back from the truth. 

 This is my work, I tell myself.  To eliminate the distractions.  To take the flaws of the photo or the subject and minimize them until all you can see is the beauty.  This is why we have the tools right?  This is what it means to be an artist in a digital age.

 But what if the beauty is in the lines that show with each passing age?  What if the magic of knowing her is to see the way that love (and sorrow) has made her face worn and kind?  What if the only way to know the truth is to make the imperfection plain?

I worry I am using my photography to tell a story about my life that isn't always true.  I wonder if I am clicking away all the rough edges, only to make pictures that tell half truths of my raw, messy, beautiful life.   How would things change if I used my post-processing skills to highlight all the places truth resides when things are anything but perfect?

Show me the photos where beauty shines in the absence of perfection.  I want to see your real life--the one that celebrates what is true, no matter what.

get on the floor

One of the best ways to shake things up a little bit it is to take a photo from an unexpected angle. In our daily lives we tend to view things from about 5 feet up (give or take several inches…I know, I know). But try laying, squatting, or kneeling on the floor or ground with your camera and notice the difference. It’s a whole new world from down there! Those of you who have small children are probably not strangers to kneeling down and getting on their level, whether it’s to take a picture or to give a hug. That’s a great way to capture your little ones in their environment.

But there are a lot of other subjects that look amazing when shot from down below too like buildings, nature, and streets scenes. And there are a few different ways I tend shoot from the ground. One way is to get down low and then shoot up at something, like the shot above or this one from southhollisqueen. I also love the look of a super low, parallel-to-the-ground shot like this one from veridianblue. Or there’s the less extreme, but effective technique of kneeling but still shooting slightly down on a subject like jen_maiser did.

Okay, I’ll let you in on a little secret. You don’t always have to physically get down on the ground for this to work. You can use Sarah's Just Shoot It technique and hold your camera closer to the ground or actually on the ground and hope for the best. If you’re anything like me, it might save you from having some seriously sore thigh muscles the next morning.

So get on the floor and show us your results in the comments!

I just like to take pictures

For years, I've spent entirely too much time thinking about what I want to photograph and how I want to photograph it before I actually get behind the lens. Part of it stems from being an art school student, where I not only had to develop good composition and technical skills for my grade, but also had to attend critique once a month. In a room full of my peers and teachers, I had to discuss what I was trying to achieve in the photograph I chose for the session.

Being under the microscope like that made me start questioning what I was shooting and why. I almost stopped taking pictures all together, because I thought I was incapable of any artistic vision. But I stuck with it, and as I matured a little those college years, I started to realize that a lot of artists need "concepts" and "statements" and "hype" to get them noticed. I'm not that kind of artist. I just like to take pictures.

When I was asked to take part of Shutter Sisters, a part of that insecure girl from art school resurfaced. I asked Tracey if I could just post once a month instead of once a week and blamed it on my workload. In hindsight? I think it was because I was afraid my photos weren't strong enough for an online critique.

Then something Maile wrote really resonated with me, and just last week Sarah-Ji said 'just shoot it'. So I listened. And I captured moments like this. Shots that just... happen. Occurrences and surroundings I see every day and have missed as great photo opportunities. I'm having more fun with my camera then I have in ages.

What about you? What got you interested in photography? And how have your images changed since you first got behind a camera?

The Details of Friendship

I was lucky enough to share some of my weekend with a handful of dear friends. This much needed girl time was like food for my soul; a time to slow down, to catch up, to unwind, to take in, to savor, to be present, to give and to receive. I rarely take my camera to these kinds of gatherings because I can get preoccupied with the photo part and I have learned to allow myself (and enjoy) being camera free. But lately, looking at endless photos of friends basking one another’s company, I have longed for my own visual treasures of my soul sister experiences. Needless to say, I took my camera this time around in anticipation of capturing the day in a way to help me relish and relive our time together.

I used the self-timer for a handful of gems (the kind of shots to go straight into a frame) and quickly clicked a couple more of things that caught my eye—pods I gathered from the patio, Lucy the dog and a few charming vignettes of my friend’s home. We were outside for while and although the light was harsh and somewhat uninspiring, I shot the photo above, just a quick click, with little thought in the midst of light and easy conversation.

When I got home and got the images up on the computer, I was delighted to discover this shot and how it made me feel. How can a just simple little detail of a friend stir up such rich feelings of gratitude? Is it her signature well-worn clogs and the playful way her toes point slightly inward? Or perhaps it’s the many layers of slightly ruffled fabric, skirt on skirt, and the textured hint of her brimming basket? Or maybe it’s her bare skin, being nourished and warmed by the vibrant sun of the perfect morning. It must be a little of all of these things and how they weave a story together, strand by beautiful strand, of our day, our friendship and how blessed I am to have women like this in my life.

Do you have a photo to share with us that stirs your soul, reminding you that life is good? You know we'd love to see it.