Round and Round

Flash Bulb Necklace by CameraShyMomma / Bowl of Buttons by Tracey in the Blurb office, San Francisco

Things are happening behind the scenes here at Shutter Sisters and we’re taking today to fill you in.

The Daily Click Book is starting to take shape and it’s going to be awesome! With over 75 images from this very community, how could it not be? We’re still not sure of the exact date of publication but we’ll let you know as soon as we do.

The next book on the list will be Shutter Walk. If you’ve submitted images into the Photo Walk Flickr pool you will be contacted soon after The Daily Click book gets wrapped up.

And we just got word that the second run of Flash Bulb necklaces are in! We are working our way through the list that’s been left at our original post so if you’ve left a comment reserving your necklace and you haven’t heard from us yet, you soon will- so keep your eyes open for our email. And if you haven't, pop over and get on this list.

There’s lots more where that came from but we’re waiting to share all the exciting details of what’s to come for another week or so. Stay tuned and keep clickin’!

Crowd Goes Wild

It’s that time again when the children among us head off into the annual ritual of structure and routine that is school. Another year older, more articulate, confident, sure. More…grown up. I am left now reflecting on the journey and what its taken to get to here—the hard work and growing pains, the exhilaration of approaching a milestone; breathing in the goodness of the day, arms to the sky celebrating where we have been, where we are now…how far we’ve come.

I can see it in my daughter’s face as we pack her backpack for middle school. She is giddy with growing up. I thought she’d be nervous, pensive, hesitant—but she’s not. She’s thrilled! And she should be.

The same should go for us. We should mindfully create a time in our own lives to take stock; look back at the past, nod in respect and appreciate how much we’ve grown as people, as women, as wives, as mothers, as friends, as photographers. No matter where we are in the journey, we have traveled to get here and our present place (where ever that may be) is worthy of acknowledgment.

Good news often greets me with words from this community—photo milestones, projects, awards, recognition. Reasons to celebrate. That’s what we’re here for. To encourage one another in our creative work. So…I urge you all to recognize how far you’ve come. Celebrate yourselves and each other as we all raise our lenses to the infinite blue sky and bask in the accolades we so deserve. Whether it be through the recognition from the public or capturing an image that sings to our own soul, what you are all doing, the creative strides you are all making are amazing.

So, out with it. Is there anything you want to say today to take that step in giving yourself a loving and appreciative pat on the back? What about those photos? If there’s a shot you want to celebrate, post it here. Today is all about bragging rights. I can hear the roar of a collective applause already!

Keeping up with the Shutter Sisters

Since our launch we have been growing sure and steady here at Shutter Sisters and there’s so much going it seemed like a little overview was needed.

First, let me honor the photographer who shot today’s featured photo, Cranial Hiccups. This was by far the fan favorite at The Daily Click with an awesome 62 comments all singing the praises of this beautiful image. Cheers Cocoa! That said, very first Blurb Book, The Daily Click will be coming soon to the Blurb Bookstore. Thanks to all of you who submit incredible images to our Flickr Pool and for voting for those that turned up over at The Daily Click this first go round. We are sifting through and tallying up the comments now that the voting process is over and those of you whos images make it into this first book will be hearing from us via your Flickr mail very soon so be on the lookout for that!

Our second Blurb Book , ShutterWalk will follow the first, featuring some of the shots from our San Francisco PhotoWalk and BlogHer weekend. If you were at BlogHer and have some photos you’d like to have considered for the book, you have until Aug 15^th to enter them in the book’s Flickr group. Even if you couldn’t make the PhotoWalk but you got some cool shots at BlogHer that weekend, you can submit.

We’re also thrilled to share that our Flash Bulb necklace designed by Blue Poppy Jewelry is becoming quite coveted item! Since our numbers are limited still we are going through the comments from the official-unofficial pre-order post and using that as our “list”. First comment, first serve kind of thing. Some of you have gotten your necklaces already and some will hear from us in the next few days. The rest of you will get word just as soon as we get the next order in. And please be sure to include your email in your comment and double check that it’s correct. If you haven’t added your comment/name/email to the post, please do! It will ensure that you will be notified just as soon as your necklace is available.

And the last of the fun news is that we are working on our first official Shutter Sisters Newsletter. We are growing leaps and bounds, aren’t we? So, now is the time to go register to get on our email list so you too can receive a little Shutter Sisters somethin’ somethin’ in your inbox once a month! More on that soon but for now, we encourage you to get on the list.

Oh, and a quick reminder (as requested); One Sweet Shot is happening THIS Sunday so please send in your OSS honorees to click@shuttersisters.com when you can!

Thanks again everyone for all of the encouragement, support and participation here. Keep the emails coming if you’ve got something you want to share with us and above all else, keep clickin’.

Grand Collaborations

View from the Navy Pier in Chicago at BlogHer 2007

As I tie up loose ends and back my bags for the weekend’s festivities I am giddy. More than anything BlogHer has become a block of time to be in the true physical presence of some of my favorite women that for the most part, I only get to spend time with virtually. It’s something I look forward to all year.

This year feels extra special though.

At last year’s BlogHer I was talking up this great idea I had of a unique collaborative photo blog for women that I had planned to launch called Shutter Sisters. People would ask for details and I remember saying, I’m not exactly sure what’s it’s going to be. I just know it’s going to be amazing. And it is truly amazing. I had an idea of what I hoped it would be but little did I know the caliber of community that has come to surround and support the blog would surpass my wildest dreams. You all have helped make Shutter Sisters what it is today. And it just keeps getting better. Thank you all so very much.

This year BlogHer for me will be an even richer celebration of sisterhood and some of the contributing sisters and many of our community will be gathering, walking the streets of San Francisco, clickin’ around town together. It feels almost surreal and I eagerly look forward to Saturday’s PhotoWalk. What’s more is that, thanks to Blurb, we will be kicking off the Shutter Sisters Collaborative Book Collection! You asked for it. You got it. The book will be called ShutterWalk and it will be full of some highlights from the PhotoWalk images captured. All participants have to do is upload their PhotoWalk Photos into the ShutterWalk Flickr Group, tag them with ssphotowalk08 and our favorites will be chosen for our book.

Since there are so many of you that aren’t able to join us this weekend, we are also going to begin the process of choosing the images for our second book. Yep. That’s two. We’re pretty ambitious, aren’t we? This is so that everyone can get into the spirit of starting our library of books. It will be called The Daily Click (crowd goes wild). The photos that will be chosen for the book from our Daily Click stream will be up to you!

Between now and August 1^st it is your job to be book curator. All you have to do is click through all The Daily Clicks and comment on the ones you hope to see in our book. The photos with the most comments will be featured in our First Annual Daily Click Collection. We can’t wait to see which photos you choose!

Once the books are done, they will be available at the Blurb Bookstore. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the best cause we could think of, Jen and Odette’s Girl Power Afrcia fund.

Thank you again to all of you for being involved here and so wonderfully supportive. It means to the world to us. Especially to me. Sniff sniff.

MamaFocus Monday

The big winner of the MamaFocus Photo Contest (a la our collaboration with Mamazine)  is this wonderful shot by Iyoyome. YAY!

There were so many stellar submissions, I urge you to take a peek at the pool and see for yourself. Good stuff.

Speaking of stellar submissions, check out  the rest of the winners of the contest-

I wish i had more arms...or wings... by kimthemidwife - first runner up

After the Migraine by Camera Shy Momma -second runner up 

Sun Spinning by SouleMama- third runner up

Such great images ladies! Congratulations to you talented Shutter Mamas! It's always nice to win fabu prizes for your efforts, don'tcha think?

And since we're on the topic of mamas (albeit totally off the subject of photography), today the brilliant Brene Brown of Ordinary Courage begins an unprecidented series for parents based on her life's work, "The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting-raising our children with courage, compassion and connection." I had the pleasure of listening to the just released CD of the same name and I will tell you IT IS REMARKABLE! A must have for any parent--any person for that matter! Seriously. It's life-changing stuff but it's delivered in the most approachable, hopeful way. Don't just take my word for it...check out Brene's blog today as she begins her series. And get the CD.

Go. Now. Read. Be enlightened.