A picture really is worth a thousand words

My camera is always with me, quite literally, through the good times and the bad times.  Like everyone, I photograph my vacations or my family and friends, but I also photograph events that aren’t always so pleasant.  When my son, who has chronic lung disease, contracted the dreaded Swine Flu last October, my camera was with me.  There’s nothing worse than seeing your child, or any loved one for that matter, so critically ill and not being able to make it better.  The only thing I had complete control over was my camera, so through my lens I documented what was occurring.  It helped me tremendously but more importantly, as my son became better it helped him, too.  I let him take pictures which gave him a sense of control.  He took pictures of his nurses and doctors and of the medicine that he had to take; I took pictures of him and tried to use my photography to say for me what I could not put into words.  I didn’t know how people would react to my pictures of that event, but after viewing them a friend’s words said it best for me, you have such a gift for explaining emotion through your photography.  It was then that I realized that was exactly what I was trying to do.

Not all photographs have to be of such a serious event for us to experience the emotion of the moment.  Please share with us those photos of yours that strike a chord of emotion in you.  We’d love to see them.

keeping it light

My feet are good at keeping me grounded. I plant them firmly and move forward one step at a time when life gets heavy. Sometimes I'm so focused on putting one foot infront of the other {busying myself with stepping around the weight and rocks} that I forget there is a lighthearted side to life.

My mom keeps an umbrella in the side pocket of the driver's side door {just like me} I made a mental note of it on one of our excursions together during my visit home. It's not too often that I use props with photography. In fact, the opposite is quite true as most of my photography comes about like spontaneous combustion. I glance again at the umbrella and think to myself, "hmm. That could be fun." 

It was windy that day, and bitter cold at the edge of the earth. {Have you ever tried holding a travel size umbrella on a blustery day?} My prop umbrella had turned inside out twice already from the gusts of wind and I was starting to turn into that 3 year old stompy child version of myself that shows herself periodically. I was becoming increasingly unhappy with my mock photo session by the sea, things were not going as planned. Then for some reason I randomly started jumping with my remote in hand.

My laughter was contagious and my mom began laughing too, just watching me be a silly goof like the kid I always was before life got so heavy. I jumped and jumped like a six foot leprechaun clicking her heels. The sun seemed to shine brighter with our laughter. We kept laughing all the way home.

This photo still makes me laugh.

Keep it light today, will you? Something silly, something contagiously funny, a well timed jump, or just a priceless expression will do the trick. What makes you laugh?

~~~~~

And speaking of light hearted fun: be sure to check out the latest addition to our Shutter Sister featured photo list! {Click on 365 to explore daily features from the Shutter Sister 365 flickr group} Yay! 

Musings on Project 365

On the 1^st January this year I embarked on a project along with many others around the world – Project 365. Overall I am pleased I kept with it but I have had so many emotions about it – I have loved, enjoyed, despised and been excited about it. It hasn’t just helped me to record my year – it has been so much more than that. The project has helped me learn more about my camera - getting it off the auto setting and learn about the world around me. The project has helped me to realize that sometimes I need to slow down, stop, smell and photograph the roses. By taking a photo a day I have learnt that I want a creative career. What I was studying was not making me happy and giving me a ‘buzz’ like I was getting from picking up the camera, editing, being creative.

I think it’s important when you decide to do a project like this to surround yourself (online and in real life) with people who will encourage you to keep with it. I have made so many incredible and wonderfulfriends on Flickr this year and couldn’t have done it without their fantasticencouragement and support. Posting my photos to flickr made me accountable in a way, and on those days where I didn’t want to take a photo – I did. Because I knew that even if it wasn’t my best shot, my friends online would still tell me that I was doing well. It was those days where I didn’t really want to pick up the camera, post the photo, tag it, and sort it into sets and groups – that got me down about the project. I like things to be perfect, but this project has helped me to realize that not everything needs to be perfect, that things can be imperfectly perfect. Those shots taken late at night because I almost forgot – they are still a record of my life and they show that on that day, that time, I was busy, stressed, tired. And that’s okay, because that’s life.

If you are thinking about starting this project – go for it! And you don’t need to start it at the start of the year; you can start anytime! But its important to remember a few things– you will not look back in 10, 20 or 40 years time and think about how bad a certain shot was, you will look back and be thankful you recorded your year. So those shots that you might take at 11pm because you almost forgot? Its okay, you are just recording you were busy. But do try to shoot something in the morning, do not wait for the perfect photo opfor that day – it may still come, it may not. It’s also important to remember that if you need a break from uploading, tagging, and commenting on flickr – that’s okay too. Flickr can be tiring and unplugging can be good – I know that unplugging has helped me to get excited about the project again and get back that ‘buzz’ from just picking up the camera.

I definitely recommend Project 365 – I look at the world differently now, I look through the lens differently; I look at my life and myself differently. But most importantly, I found myself and my true hopes and dreams.

As we near the end of the year, are you nearing the end of a photo a day? Or are you nearing the beginning of a new journey of a photo a day?

Photo and words courtesy of Honorary Sister / Guest Blogger Kylie Townsend (known and loved as Radiant Reflections on Flickr).

If you're considering taking the 365 challenge you can also read Stephanie's tips from last year or Tracey's confessions (where a lot of sisters left comments full of support and super ideas too). Thanks all!

EDITED TO ADD:

Since we last wrote about the 365 Project, we started a brand new Shutter Sisters 365 Flickr group for those involved in the project. Stop by and visit and if you're a 365 participant, join the group! Who knows you might even be featured on our new 365 daily page here as well! See you there!

The Place Where You Stand

“What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing” --C.S. Lewis

I didn't think much of it the day I snapped this picture.  My sage guide wanted his feet photographed, and I obliged, not knowing at the time that in less than a week this holy man would take me on a trek to the top of a mountain where I would see my longings, my failures, my hopes and dreams in a whole new light.  Epiphanies are like that--unexpected, otherworldly, startling for reasons you can never quite understand.  Thank God, I had Stephanie with me that day to help me recognize the place where I found myself standing--the very center of a miraculous circle of divine support and Love.  I imagine I will never have a moment in my life like that ever again.

Maybe one of the reasons why I love to photograph feet so much is because I like to examine what grounds us and how our feet touch the earth--this same earth that continues to uphold and support us wherever we are, wherever we go.  You can be confused, light-hearted, shaken or full of joy--no matter.  It's always good to be aware of the place where you stand and who it is that stands with you.

Today I'd like to invite you to replicate this photograph either on your own, with someone you live with or with someone you trust.  Show us who stands with you and where you stand--whether it be the linoleum of your kitchen or the macadame of your driveway.  Let us see you standing in your home or on the earth, acknowledging in a new way that you are not alone.

Photo birthday parties

A few months ago I started offering birthday Photo Parties at the studio. They've been so much fun, I thought I'd post a little "how-to". Because it really is a simple idea that anyone could implement at home. If you're interested in creating your own little "Glam Girl" party, start with the invitations. Let people know what you're doing, and what to expect. It's up to you, but I'd limit the number of guests from 6-10. This will preserve your sanity, and also make sure there's enough time for everyone. You can purchase or use your own dress up clothes, or have guests bring their own outfits. Then grab a couple friends to help you with makeup and hair. When the girls are all dolled up, it's time for their little Glam session. You can shoot against a bare wall (like I did in the photo above), or purchase a backdrop. If you don't have a soft box, just place it near a bright window, and shoot away! The little divas have so much fun posing and playing! Then afterwards, you could either print photos for your guests as a party favor. Or, upload them to a site like Shutterfly so they can order and print whatever images they'd like. You can also assemble them into a book at Blurb, so you'll have a permanent keepsake. This photo was taken at my daughter Emily's party. They had a blast, and I love that I have so many fun photos from the day. 

What about you? Do you have any photos of the little divas in your life?