i love to jump

1. jump, it's my birthday, 2. jump, 3. jump, 4. 193/365 - i just like to jump, 5. 132/365 - bench monday - autumn sunshine, 6. bluebells!

I love to jump and leap...

I'm often drawn to take a jump shot if the location excites me... it almost demands it.

Do you like jump? have you tried it? I know that it's not everyone's cup of tea. But if you're tempted, why not have a go?

Here's how I do it - Place your camera, aligning the framing you want... fix your focus point... set to self-timer... move into position... and only jump when you see the countdown finishing, and just before the shutter releases, so you're in the air. Sometimes magic happens and it works. Sometimes you have to try again. It comes with practice and it's all about playing & having fun.

Do you have any jumps shots you'd like to share, we love to see them!

served

Morning, noon, night, we are fortunate to have some kind of bounty on our tables. Whether it's a home cooked meal, a late night snack or a glorious night out where the food is graciously prepared and served with a smile, there's something about food that not only satisfies hunger (or thirst!) but also serves as instant subject matter for the next quick pic.

I have never before captured so many table shots as I do now that I have taken up mobile phone photography. It's as if I just can't help myself. And why should I? Creative bursts come in the most unlikely places...like at the dinner table.

Snap a shot from your table today. Show us what's being served or what you're serving up. Make our mouths water.

wonderland

"This is what a Utah winter looks like," she told me as she drove me from Salt Lake City up to Park City, Utah. I marveled from the passenger side as huge snowflakes poured out of the vast bucket sky.

Click, click, click.

Through the windshield I snapped image after image of the landscape that surrounded us. Amazed by what I saw. It had rained all day until all of the sudden, it turned to snow. And minutes later, a total transformation from all gray to winter white. I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like it. We could have been on the moon for all I knew.

It was a long and harrowing drive for most of the people on the road that afternoon but not for her. And even if it was, she wouldn't let on. Apologizing all over myself for the amount of time I was stealing from her day and for the traffic and for the weather, she urged, "This is the magic, Tracey. I wasn't going to let you miss the magic."

And I didn't. Those 24 hours were filled with picturesque views, real winter weather, my camera, big boots, bright lights, warmth, inspiration, and friendship. In a word; magic.

Share with us today your wonderland. When you gaze outside your window, what magic awaits you? Let's see the landscape that surrounds you today.

leaping into february

Welcome, February!

This month provides us with a leap year. It's also the start of the great dreaded month of February in New England: when Vitamin D diminishes, when our woodpile slowly retreats back into the woodshed as we keep our home warm day after day and night after night. Winters are long and February is the peak of cabin fever (so I hear) yet this is me: outwardly (and somewhat annoyingly) positive about this month.

The day I took this it was warm, 35 degrees and sunny. I ventured out in long johns and actually broke a sweat running through the snow from camera to snow fort to snap this shot. All the while laughing, right? This is what I love about jump shots. They change the chemistry of your mood.

This month we are introducing leap as our One Word for the month of February. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to defy gravity. Leaping can mean taking steps in new directions, trying to adventures, stepping outside of your comfort zone.  Leap however you see fit. Leap because it’s scary. Jump because it makes you smile. Leap because it makes your heart race. Leap into life with both feet because why not? Jump because life is not about stagnation. Leap in the face of new adventures. Leap and then leap again.

Won't you play along with us this month? Show us what leaping means to you. Be sure to enter your images in the OWP flickr pool and check here daily to see if your photos have been showcased!

beyond the boundaries

Have you ever been asked to shoot a photograph of a subject that you were resistant to? Or perhaps someone requested a specific style of photograph that you didn't think you could achieve?

I have found that quite often that little voice in my head is intuition at work. The voice might say, "Not a good fit" or "Just say no". I am usually really glad when I listen to that voice.

But there's a fine line between intuition that's going to save you from doing something you might regret and the voice that speaks less of self-preservation and more out of fear. Fear of the unknown. fear of failure. Fear of being pushed beyond our comfort zone. That voice sometimes sounds similar to the voice of intuition but it's a totally different voice. Telling the difference between the two is something I'm beginning to better understand.

I was recently asked to shoot something that felt, well, challenging. The voice in my head asked, "Can you even do that?". Hmmm. It wasn't a big deal at all and nothing important was riding on my decision so I felt no angst about it but it did get me thinking. I mused on the request for a while and kept myself open to the idea. Before I said yes, or no, I tried it. I decided to turn the whole thing into a postive experience, challenging myself in a playful way to try to shoot through a new lens.

Needless to say that it worked like a charm! By allowing myself to be gently pushed past my boundaries, I not only captured some fresh photographs that I love, I was actually energized by the whole experience.

What happens when you push beyond your own boundaries? What does the voice in your head say? I would love to hear your thoughts and see your images!