adventures near and far

At this very moment my family and I are far from home enjoying a new landscape and discovering uncharted surroundings on our first adventure of the summer. But alas, you all know full well that you don't have to travel to find wonders both big and small.

This is the last week of our month long Sundays at Home series. Truth be told, I hate to see it go. Perhaps it will be something we decide to bring back time and again. What do you think?

In the meantime, go ahead an leave your comments here for your shot at the last random drawing to win the book America and Home (custom cover and all). And be sure to leave us a link to some kind of wonderful discovery you made at home. Magic is everywhere and you don't even have to leave home to find it. Show us what's going on at your place.

Congrats to Maine Momma Kristen who was the winner of last week's drawing.

The Wii Fit Finalists

Well sisters, here they are fit as fiddles; the three Wii Fit Photo Contest Finalists (shown here in no particular order).

Because I fit...by Beer Momma

BW by Jenny Kim

She would sleep in a box. She would sleep with a fox by Christina

Aren't they perfectly fitting? We think so. As were all of your fantastically fit submissions. Thanks to everyone who played along.

Now, what comes next is up to all of you. To participate you must choose your favorite shot of these three. You only can vote for ONE of these shots and you must place your vote in the comments on this very post. Feel free to share the contest with friends and family too. Anyone and everyone can vote but you must comment here to get your vote counted. You have until 5pm EST on Thursday, June 19th to vote. The winner will be announced on June 20th.

Come on everyone, one of these fine sisters of the shutter is going to win a Nintendo Wii system and the Wii Fit to go with it! It's up to you to decide who runs away with it so...if the vote fits...cast it!

to honour and protect

 
They only live for ten hours, you know, or three days, or barely a week, or something like that, said Justin to me gently, puzzled as to why I stood there with the ailing butterfly in my hand. And I thought well then that's a lifetime, and a whole new way to think about ten hours or three days or barely a week.

You are good and beautiful and perfect, I whispered to the butterfly as he wriggled faintly, beaten by a broken wing. He seemed to be listening. You go on to be an elephant or a brook trout or a tiny baby boy, and have fantastic adventures of a whole new kind. You take your glorious yellow with you, thread it into your next soul so we all can admire it forever.

This morning I went back to the hosta and he'd been blown by the wind into its stem forest. I righted him, delicate as he was, already having lost the moisture and suppleness of life, and spoke to him again but this time he was elsewhere, and all that seemed left was just his shell.

But I know better.

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Today, share with us a vision of something that's moved you deeply - no matter how small. 

fragile moments of exposure

Dr. Robert Nix always wore bow ties to class.  Long and lean, he moved with confidence and grace – the gentleman of the fine art department. I loved his class. He taught me how to make photographic images through a pinhole in a box made of wood. Under his direction and encouragement that semester, my love of photography blossomed. He retired a year later. It's hard to imagine that was nearly twenty years ago.

Last Friday we reconnected. I had been looking forward to this visit so much and anticipated grand visions of our exchange.  I sent a link to a slideshow of my best images to him prior to my visit in hopes of a thorough critique.  I visualized us sitting side-by-side at the computer screen where he (clad in his bow tie) would be pointing and talking and instructing, and I would be listening and taking detailed notes...and...we'd talk about aperture settings and shutter speeds and tricks for tweaking light... and as a result, his aging photography student would find her focus.

But I got so much more – immersing myself in his home for just a few short hours. I met his talented and loving wife, Harriett – a painter and collector of antique dolls and art. I studied sepia-toned portraits of his parents and his parents' parents on the sideboard. We admired his endless stacks of National Geographics and his rare collection of Daguerreotypes and tintypes on the wall. At my insistence, he shared some of his own amazing black and white framed prints packed neatly in boxes below the pool table, down in the basement.  I marveled over the texture of his wooded landscape bromoil print and his explanation of this early photographic process. We ventured into his woodworking studio where he demonstrated his circular wood sculpting saw before he gave me a precious blond bowl carved from pear wood. And then he showed me his new Singer in the spare bedroom and introduced me to the art of making bow ties.

Yes, we did sit side-by-side at his computer screen and he did share a very thoughtful critique of my images, but this experience paled in comparison to what he had shared with me that day.  Looking back, I realize that I had come to his door in search of confidence. And as we neared the conclusion of our time together, his parting advice gave me just that:

"You've got a great eye. A good heart. And you believe in what you're doing. You don't need anything else."

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Where do you turn for advice? or confidence in your art? Tell us about someone who has influenced your path or share an image that makes you feel proud of yourself.

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.