heart of a wanderer

 "Not all who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

I am not sure if there is anything I love more photographically than wandering around with my camera in hand.  I live in suburbia, but whenever I can, I take a short drive north to a more urban setting.  Though I am completely unsure if I would love living in a city full time (though I do muse on it),  I do know I feel right at home on photowalks in one.  A city is ripe with color, texture, decay, progress, noise, rhythm, diversity, strangeness, art, people, LIFE, beautiful life. That just excites the photographer in me. The shyer more reserved me seems to fall away in an urban setting. Perhaps I feel I can hide more in a city, blend with the many others slinging cameras and pointing their own lenses this way and that. Or the city is just too busy to notice me and my constant desire for a shot. Whatever the reason,  I relish the anonymity and become freer with my shooting.

This weekend I took a little jaunt north with a sister friend.  It was a bit rainy, but we were not deterred. We walked in sync, pausing here and there clicking away in between laughter and nods, never needing to say, "hey wait one minute I just want to take a shot of this", that was exactly why we were there. It is always a blessing to share time like that with someone who gets "it". When I have the chance to walk freely, uninterrupted, it opens me up to really seeing.  Instead of just moving straight ahead, I linger, look down, look up, explore more. Words seem to call out, wanting to be noticed.  Shiny surfaces become self portrait opportunities.  Puddles, a mirror for the world. All the people, faces, tattoos, hairstyles, fashion statements grab my attention.  This is when the beauty of digital really hits home.  I can walk for 2 hours and shoot 2 to 2000 shots if I want.  There are no limits, just shoot!  I liken it to a treasure hunt. A bit of a euphoric photography fix. I get home and can't wait to load my photos and click through the images of the day.  This particular walk seemed to be ripe with words.  Perhaps it was my headspace at the time,  needing, wanting, desiring messages from the universe to materialize for me.  "TRUST IT please", "FATE", and the handwritten sign above with the the words, "FIND YOUR VOICE",  left on the side of a building where a rally had gathered spoke directly to me that day. Each click I felt my heart race a little faster as I nodded internally to the words I found, yes yes yes!  I went home feeling so satisfied with the beauty I witnessed and shared that day.

What makes your heart race photographically?  What are you drawn to when given the chance to wander?

DO share!  I think how and what we see says so much about who we are.  We are the seekers. 

small snippets

Sometimes days are long and time is short. Sometimes we have more to-dos, work, and responsibility than we even have time for. Sometimes we are far too busy to muse, ponder or reflect. This is what life feels like for me these days. And when it gets like this I find it hard to pick up my camera, to update my blog or even to blurt something out on facebook. But my story being written every day of my life, whether I have time to acknowledge it or not. The things that happen, the people I meet, the places I go, the time I spend...it all means something. It's all a part of my story.

I am finding lately that it doesn't take much to document my life these days. As a matter of fact, these small snippets of my days and nights captured with a simple camera phone are enough. This is what my life is like right now. Tiny slivers of light. Stolen moments in time. Amidst a very tight schedule my story is being written.

And as you go about your daily life, whatever it looks like, yours is being written too.

Today, as we end what has been an inspiring month of stories, share a small snippet today. Something that may have only taken a split second to capture but means the world.

Today we want to give a very special thank you to Paper Coterie for affording us so many lovely giveaways and encouraging all of us to tell our stories. We are giving away our last $100 gift certificate today. Please leave a comment here for your chance to win.

the lost years

 

After watching the Kelly Corrigan video about capturing life's everyday moments, I realized that digital photography has changed the way I document our lives.  I can scan through thousands of digital images of a freckly 12 year old, crazy dogs, and weekend adventures in Florida. 

But there is a glaring hole in the family story that makes me teary-eyed.  Like most of you, I missed capturing all these same activities with my older child.  We have an occasional photo from an old film camera or school photos but that is the extent of it.  No heartwarming shots of silly toothless grins, skateboarding with friends, or camping at the ranch.

I am now making it a point to seek out moments with my him before he heads off to college in January.  Quietly, I snap away as he strums his guitar, plays the piano, or falls asleep on the sofa.  I can not fill in all the lost years but as I hold these photos in my hands, I can see the little boy that he once was and the man he is becoming.

Take a few moments today to capture your loved ones as they go about their day.  Don't let even the simplest of moments pass you by.  You won't regret it.

We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU! All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.

first day of school

Whether they just turned 4 and are starting preschool, or are young adolescents about to experience emotional and physical transitions, the first day of school is always a special moment for children and parents. Documenting this day every year helps me let go of all feelings of anxiety and fear, and just bask in gratitude, hope and pride.

How about you? Do you capture the first day of school of your kids? If yes, share your image with us today. And if you're not a parent, please share a story of one of your first days of school in the comment section below. (On my first day of school, I forgot my bag at home. Almost 30 years later, I still wake up in sheer panic in the middle of the night the day before school starts!)

We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September! Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.

Day Off

This weekend, we ran away from home, if only for a day.  It was not a day to worry about what we were missing online, on television or what was still lingering on our to-do lists.  Rather, it was a day to give ourselves a break from responsibilities, spend time together as a family and indulge in our favorite activities.

Without the distractions, we focused on the simple joys of life.  And for our family, nothing soothes our tired spirits like visiting the ranch, playing with farm animals and walking the docks of the local fish camp.  We returned home relaxed and refocused.

Today, I invite you to share some images of your favorite activities. What do you like to do when you need to escape the day?

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We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU!  All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to Win that day's random drawing.  Be sure to leave links to your story shots.