the great balancing act

 

Balance: we all seek it. Yes, in our daily lives. Yes, in our photography. But what does it mean? That answer is probably as individual as we all are. Right now, I'm in a place with my arms outstretched, equally opposed, each hand full of light and dark. Maintaining balance is essential. So, how can looking at the world through our viewfinder teach us more about light and life and how to balance it all into a beautiful photographic package?

We've talked composition before. We've talked white space. We've talked light.

But what of balance? Balance is the feeling your photograph evokes.  Balance is what makes images look and feel harmonious. (And no, not always symmetrical. And yes, you can break the rules.) Balance, composition, space, and light: each one of these elements of photography has a certain amount of value in direct relation to all the other elements. Just like us, they are all connected. Without them the image loses its emotion, the subject falls off the page, the viewer loses interest of the subject, or the moment has passed.

All of this swirled around in my brain as I looked at this blade of grass and wondered, "How do I photograph a single blade of grass?"

More than anything, photography lends me a way to view the world. To seek light, to watch it bounce and flare and reflect. To appreciate the quiet of space and peace. To love the hold-your-breath-wait-for-it *click!* of the sought after image. What I find each and every day is that photography teaches me big life lessons in simple and small ways. I'm thankful for the learning, and I try my best to remember to carry these lessons with me when I am without my camera. This is the zen of photography. 

Today, show me how you find your balance (and not necessarily in the photographic sense, although a well balanced image is always welcome). Can you catch light? Do you get small?  Share with me a favorite moment of yours.

All that glitters

Sparkly things catch my eye. I don’t care whether it’s diamonds, shimmering water or broken glass. If it shines and glimmers, I am easily distracted and instantly intrigued. I’m not sure if this is due to gender or genetics, but it is certainly a trait that has been passed down to me by my mother (although her preference is for diamonds and rhinestones). Just try to get us through a department store without touching all the sparkly scarves while oohing and aahing over blinged out t-shirts. The more bedazzled the better.

So one recent summery morning I was immediately fascinated by these water droplets laced between the blades of grass in my lawn. All night long, spiders had been working on intricate webs in the grass. And then the morning dew came along and tiny drops of condensation formed in the nooks and crannies of their creations. The sun was shining at just the right height to light up the drops of water. Perfection. I grabbed my camera and macro lens and spent several minutes on my hands and knees in the wet grass. Now I have a photograph to check back on anytime I need a quick sparkle fix.

Please share your photos with us of anything that shines, sparkles, glimmers or shimmers. I know I’ll be oohing and aahing over here.

best face forward

When you're open to seeing the good, it will reveal itself.

What a delight to look up from putting away pots and pans in the bottom cupboard, to find this smiling face looking at me.

I enourage you today to put a smile on. You never know who or what might smile back. Of course, we'd love to see anything you'd like to share that gives you a grin.

sunday school: a little tilt goes a long way

This is a picture of sheer exhaustion.  After a fun-filled birthday party complete with jumpy castle and a Darth Vader piñata, too little food and too much sweets, we slowed down at home by painting her nails.  So there she sat in her chair, carefully holding her hands just so to avoid smudging the fresh sparkly polish, when she just couldn't keep her head up any longer and she fell into a much needed slumber.  After my initial response of a mother's adoring "Awww, my poor, tired child," I did what any sensible Shutter Sister would do and grabbed my camera.

It's not often that my girl will hold still to have her photo taken, so it was quite a treat to have the freedom to shoot away.  I took about twenty pictures from different angles and distances, but none of the images stood out to me.  On the very last shot that I took, I decided to tilt the camera a tad bit to make the framing less rectangular, and that ended up being the shot that I felt captured best what I wanted to convey, namely the haphazard placement of her hands and arms and head in a chaotic configuration that only children can happily sleep in.

This little tilt of the camera that forces the horizon to be at an angle to the bottom of the image frame (as opposed to parallel to it) is sometimes called the Dutch angle or Dutch tilt.  I have found it quite useful in adding some visual appeal to an otherwise bland image.  I try to use it sparingly, but when I do, more often than not, I love the result. 

If you've never tried the Dutch angle, I highly recommend it the next time you're shooting portraits or even a still object.  Play around with how your frame the shot (i.e., direction of the angle in relation to the subject, where the subject is placed in the composition, etc.), and you just might be pleasantly surprised.  For some great examples, you need look no further than our own Shutter Sisters Flickr pool!

Are there any other camera tilters out there?  Please share with us your favorite off-kilter shots!

girl seeking whimsy

When I think about the whimsy in my life, I default to the obvious; life with daughters. Dressing-up, imaginary play, fairies and princesses, tea parties, bubble blowing and balloons. But there are many women that not only welcome whimsy into their daily lives, they use it as inspiration both in their creative work and their style sensibilities.

A recent visit to a Trina Turk clothing boutique inspired this in me. The shop was full of splashy color and styles that were fresh and fun. Every detail accounted for, each element was deliciously thought out. My sister and I each had our cameras shooting little things here and there and from floor to ceiling the boutique made me feel dizzy with whimsy. It was delightful.

Where do you find the kind the kind of inspiration that makes your grown-up heart sing? Share with us the whimsy you've discovered lately.