A Wish for my Daughters

As my girls grow up right before my eyes, I often wonder what it is that they will remember from these days of our togetherness. Will they recall the silly moments, the laughter, the fun? Will they remember the chaotic moments, the impatience, the bickering?  Will it be big trips and special events or the daily routines that stand in their memory? Will they look back at the many wonderful experiences they’ve had or better their childhood disappointments? Will they roll their eyes and commiserate together about all the things I did and said that made them crazy? Likely, the memories will be a little of all of it.

I’m fairly certain that there will be plenty of things that I have said along the way that they will dismiss (both unknowingly and deliberately) as they move into adulthood but I can only hope that they embrace and internalize all the messages I have sent them, both in words and in actions, that are the most important to me; the ones that I hope that they carry with them guide them throughout their lives. About how amazing they are, about how beautiful, strong, capable they are. And that’s just the beginning. There are so many things I want them to grow up knowing.

Every once in a while I see, read or hear something that expresses exactly what I want to say to my girls. When you set a simple, sweet sentiment it to music, like in the case of this song by Lee Ann Womack, it really sings (pun intended). As cheesy as it may seem, I don't mind admitting, I cry every single time I hear this song.

“I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance.”

What messages make you weepy? Tell me I'm not alone.

A Dream In Tangible Form

The greatest achievements were at first and for a time dreams. -James Allen

Sometimes there is something that happens, some big thing (light a lightning bolt of awareness) or some small thing (a sight or smell or sound) that reminds you of the tiny seed of a dream you once had. You're taken back to the time when that seed just began to take shape and you can trace back the markers along the way; the little successes, the setbacks, and the many milestones. You are reminded of the journey and how nothing was ever wasted and that what you knew and felt, intangibly, deep in your heart would eventually be made tangible in some way.

Shutter Sisters began as a seed of a dream. And now, here I am sharing my thoughts in a hotel room at our second Shutter Sisters gathering, Oasis. Today, tonight, this week, I am reminded that this dream of mine has come true, in large part, because of all of you; those of you sharing this special time at Oasis with us, and those of you who are sharing this sacred space online with us every day. You are all my dream weavers. You have shown me my dream in tangible form. I am deeply grateful.

What do you dream of today? Share the seed and let's watch it grow together.

On finding your own way

 

In my bio you won’t find the words “I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was a child.” You won’t find the words “I’ve been an artist all my life.”

Because I haven’t.

At school I couldn’t draw or paint or stitch and if you’d asked me three years ago, when I was still working as a stockbroker, I would have told you that I wasn’t creative in the slightest. So when I decided, at the age of 32, to quit my job and go to art school to study photography it was as much of a surprise to me as it was to everyone around me.

But something was calling to me. Quietly at first, and then insistently. I was being drawn towards something that I couldn’t yet understand.

I adored being an art student, but I felt like a fraud. Still, I would try my best and hope for the extraordinary to happen. And happen it did.

One day, while sitting in the library pouring over late 19th century children’s book illustrations and lamenting my lack of ability to produce anything as wonderful, I began to wonder if I could create my own “photo illustrations.” Why couldn’t I use my camera to tell imaginary stories? Stories that had no beginning or end, but just a middle. Just a moment frozen in time, leaving the viewer to put the story in context, to create their own story.

This was the moment my series, “Tales from the Moors Country,” came into being. I took as my starting point the local myths and legends of Northern England and I created a series of silent and still stories that I submitted as my final portfolio piece.

They were all self portraits because I found that I just worked better when there was no one else around. Something I’d been waiting my whole life to share was finding its way to the surface and I couldn’t explain it to anyone else. But, more than that, I didn’t want to share it. It was such an incredible release of energy and I wanted to absorb every second of it.

Although my tutors found the work fascinating, I really think that they didn’t know what to do with me. No one could give me any advice on what to do with my work beyond suggesting I might try fashion photography, which was not an avenue I felt confident pursuing.

So I just started selling prints of my work at a local artists market. And then I added a line of greetings cards. Uplifted by the joy of seeing people respond to my work, I gained confidence and approached some local galleries. Then I tried entering some juried shows. And now, before I really know how it happened, I am a self portrait photographer.

That’s not something that any school careers counsellor would have recommended and it’s not something I could have chosen for myself when I quit my financial services career. It’s one of those magical things that happens when you just let go and allow the story to have an ending you didn’t envision.

So believe in happy endings. Believe in magic. Believe in hard work, dedication and the delicious joy of finding that thing you can’t not do. Believe in your dream. Because If a hopeless “non-creative” like me can find her own way, then I promise you, so can you.

Let's all share images today that remind us to believe in all these things and more....

Words and images courtesy of special guest Nicola Taylor. She can be found at www.nicolataylorphotographer.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter as @ZennicPhoto

the six questions with Sarah Louette

We are delighted today to share some questions and answers from emerging French photographer Sarah Louette.  In her words her images “aim at mirroring the feelings and emotions that lie deep in ourselves. Bliss, innocence, greed, hope and despair.”  And her inspiration comes from her “readings” and her own “reveries.” Love that!

Her images are breathtaking and it’s an honor to share with you her answers to our burning questions:

1. What's the story behind this photo?
I was on a family day out. The weather was fine and I wanted to show a shooting session to my sons. I initially wanted to take a picture with lots of accessories and colors, but when I parked the car, I noticed the way in this green field that looked so photogenic! I took my camera and gave it a try with the timer and my umbrella.

There are many birds of prey in the fields of my region, and one of them chose to pay us a visit. I took a picture of it. Later, I layered the two pictures to re-create that magical atmosphere our daily walks can have.

2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?
I've always been attracted to visual arts, but fine art photography seemed a bit out of the reach. Digital photography changed it all, because you could try new things, get it wrong and then try again without worrying about the price of the film. To me, this is an Art revolution that allowed everybody to open the doors of creativity. I remember I bought my first digital camera with a reverent bliss and I immediately used it as an artistic medium. This first camera was very basic but it became a marvelous companion.

3. What's your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?

This question is a good one because it makes me ponder my artwork. When I take a photo, I tend to recreate a dream. I visualize a kind of fairy-tale scene, something that can exist but that we barely do or see. It's not surrealistic nor realistic, it's a beautiful reality.

In my daily life, I want to live fully in the real world but without being held captive by my environment. I wouldn't define myself as a dreamer, but I'm a very idealistic person who believes in creating her own life.  My Art probably unveils my aspirations for creating beauty. 

4. Where do you look for inspiration? 
I think inspiration is a fascinating interaction between our dreams and reality. In my case, it comes like a vision. I see a picture and I try to recreate it in order to give it birth.

In my latest series though, I realized the power of the translation of my imagination. For instance, one of my images "the Shelter" was clearly inspired by Stephen King, and another one "Dancing in the Stains" by... Snow white!

5. What would you say is one of your 'signature' editing tricks, themes or style? What do you think makes an image recognizable and uniquely yours?

That's hard for me to be objective with my work.  I don't want to stick to a certain kind of picture, because creativity suffers from these artificial boxes.  Bur, our identity is always present, as long as we're true to ourselves.

At the moment, I'm quite obsessed by the silhouettes and the effects on colours and I can see painting is another one of my inspirations. If you, the viewer recognize that I have my own unique style, of course, that would be a wonderful compliment. 

6. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?

My initial focus tends to be on colours. What I am trying to improve on is my ability to sense pure and striking shapes. I think beauty is universal. It's a harmony that everyone can read. The real challenge is having the ability to write it.

7. If you could go anywhere in the world for an epic, weeklong photo excursion all by your luxuriously unhurried self - regardless of money, time or childcare issues - where would you go and why? 
I would go to South America. I have travelled in many countries in the world, but for me, it is the ultimate destination. Besides the fascinating cultures and landscapes, that's one of my very first child dreams. Being there would mean discovering a world apart and meeting an aspect of myself I would like to share again. That's how it goes, you also travel to meet your dreams. In travelling and creating, the process is often very similar.

8. Are there women out there that you consider your shutter sisters? Who, and why?

 I'd say the women of family. Without being artists, they all had a link to visual arts and they all are an inspiration to me. Each photo I take is a present I give them.

...........

If you'd like to share a dreamy image with us, or just share a comment with Sarah, we'd love to hear from you.

For more on the Sarah Louette and her exquisite work, visit her website, check out Subconscious Photography or say bon jour on facebook.

tomorrow

"Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow." -Imogen Cunningham

And it's true, it's so totally and completely true. It's what I love most about photography. There are always images for the taking, stories for the telling. No way of knowing what tomorrow holds, what photographs lay waiting. For this reason, I am never without a camera, never ever. Sometimes people think this is funny, sometimes they ask why. Because you never know, I tell them. You just never know. 

Are you this person too? Do you carry a camera with you everywhere you go? Do you wonder what images tomorrow holds? Are you as excited about the potential as I am? Tell us, what photographs do you look forward to taking? What images snuck up on you and took you by surprise?