Looking up

"Excuse me while I kiss the sky." Jimi Hendrix

Perfect Blue. Fiery Red. Filled with stars. Dark. Bright. Cloudy.

I believe the sky is a portal into our divinity.

It reflects our moods, it shows the uncertain nature of our existance...

It holds us all together under the same dome. All the same.

All granted the same beauty, the same immenseness...

Vast. Far beyond.

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Today, take a break from your daily hustle and from the pressure to stay grounded.

Do yourself a favor. Stop everything and just look up and marvel.

Then of course, shoot some pictures and share them with us, please.

universal language

Perhaps I could have tilted my camera a bit higher to get this couples’ heads in the shot. Honestly, though, they were strangers, and what I REALLY wanted to convey through this image was the feelings evoked by witnessing the simple act of someone putting their hand on a loved one’s shoulder. There was something so comfortable and familiar about this woman’s casual display of affection that I couldn’t help but smile.

The people, places and memories we capture in our photographs are as unique as we each are. However, the emotions evoked by seeing such images are often universal, whether we are the photographer who witnessed it first or a viewer of the photo seeing it through the photographer’s lens.

Today, share with us your images that speak a universal language that we can all understand and communicate.

the next step

Have you been craving creative time? Are you ready to explore your newfound love for images and photography? Are you looking for some mentoring to help you take your photo skills to the next level? Are you interested in connecting with other photographers to play together?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to join me at The Makerie in Boulder, Colorado, this coming Spring! The Makery is a cozy mountain retreat designed to inspire, encourage and nurture your creativity. I'll be teaching two photography classes that are deeply rooted in all the goodness we share here at Shutter Sisters! It does not matter what equipment you have, if you just picked up the camera, if you have been shooting for a while, or if you are already a pro. My classes are focused on supporting you while you take the next step, whatever that may be for you. Perhaps the step you most need to take is to simply show up and embrace your love for photography! That is more than enough, isn't it? So if you want to recharge, feel inspired, learn some new tricks, and enjoy connection... Come play with me!

In addition to the workshops, there will be wake-up yoga and/or hiking, as well as healthy, local, organic yummy foods as part of the weekend. This is also a green production with an emphasis on recycling, re-purposing, organics and natural materials. So you can't go wrong, sister. You just can't. It really is that good! And I would absolutely love to meet some of you in person!!! :)

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So tell me, what is the next step for you in your photography?

And if you are inclined, share with us whatever image you are most inspired and moved to share today. Yep. I am sure whatever is inspiring you, will inspire us as well!

he Makerie is a creative retreat for anyone. Whether you are a skilled crafter or have never picked up a paintbrush, we offer something for everyone. We believe with all our hearts that everyone is creative and our cozy mountain retreat is designed to inspire, encourage and nurture your creativity. Each of our sensational teachers will offer unique workshops at the Makerie, and we can’t wait for you to take a peek at the wonderful variety of offerings!

 

BLOCK PRINTING | COLOR | EMBELLISHMENT | JEWELRY DESIGN 

KNITTING | PAINTING | PATTERN DESIGN  | PHOTOGRAPHY   

 RECYCLED ART | SHOE MAKING | YOGA 

In addition to the workshops, we will provide wake-up yoga and/or hiking, as well as healthy, local, organic (where possible), yummy foods as part of the weekend so you feel nurtured all around. Our creative getaway makes special efforts to be kind to the earth, as we strive to make thoughtful choices
in the event planning process, during the event, and in the classes themselves, with an emphasis on recycling, re-purposing, organics and natural materials. Simply put, being at the Makerie is like being back at camp.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

taken with iphone on instagram using nashville filter

Since the birth of my daughter, my life has changed significantly, and so I've had to make some adjustments to my photo taking habits as well. The bulky SLR has been put away until I go back to shooting professional assignments, the SX70 (and it's convenient flat design) found its place inside the diaper bag, and my trusty iphone became my camera of choice! I spend most of my days now shooting the trivial, celebrating my baby's expressions, our home, how the light changes in every room of the house throughout the day, and even my silly face! I do it a lot. All day actually! It's easy and it's fun. There is no editing, no cropping, no raw images clogging my disk space, and (god forbid!) no retouching. Who has time for that? Iphoneography is completely effortless... Yet, those special moments can still be captured all the same.

Gosh! Will phones ever replace cameras? Absolutely not. We love cameras of all kinds and shapes way too much! But do we need expensive, fancy or hip cameras to take good photos? No more, sisters, no more. Shooting is indeed a lot less about technical process and a lot more about shooting constantly and training our eye to capture the beauty we see. When we shoot from that perspective, we can pick up any piece of equipment and make magic. And as it turns out, that magic can happen even with the help of a tiny little device that fits in our back pocket!

Any other iphoneography enthusiasts out there? If you are an iphone geek like me, you must check out Instagram! This little app is revolutionizing the way we take pictures! It combines the photo community aspect of Flickr, one click filters for post processing, and Twitter chatter. The community is quite supportive as well and you can automatically post your images to flickr, twitter, facebook, posterous and tumblr too! If you want to check it out and look me up, I'm @alessandracave. I'd love to follow your photo taking journey that way.

So tell me... Would you share with us the best of your phone pics with us today?

extra light

I am keenly aware that the days are getting longer now and each extra moment of sunlight in the evening matters to me. But in case I forget to take note of the extra light, mother nature has been reminding me with beautiful sunsets this week. Now that we've gotten over the hump and are moving into a new year, I feel like I can start the count down to spring (nothing against you winter, but I am not a big fan of yours). I'm getting my hopes up that warmer days are just around the corner. A girl can dream.

What's bringing you hope right now? Share your images with us.