The Nap Series

 

When my son Max was about 7 months old I was so keenly aware of how important nap time was. Not for him, but for me. I needed Max to go take his nap so I could eat my lunch, decompress, have an hour or two dedicated to “ME TIME”. But Max didn’t get the memo. He would stare up at me and laugh and laugh while I thought about all the things I wish I was doing instead of rocking him back and forth for what felt like an eternity. I finally realized that this nap time business wasn’t going to go away. I needed a way to shift my swirling thoughts back to the present moment.

I decided to bring my iphone to bed and once he fell asleep I took a photo of the two of us in whatever position he ended up in. Seeing that first photo, I was hooked.  When I saw how the light was falling on this frustrating situation my mind quieted. My heart burst open at the sight of the two if us, peaceful and content, tangled together in a compositionally pleasing snuggle. I started to notice deeper clues about our relationship that showed up within the photograph. Our closeness, and our deep connection was revealing itself to me in a way I felt inside but had never really seen in this way before.  The Nap series was born.

Two years later, I am so grateful for the collection of Nap photos of the two of us that document a time in our lives that is short lived and so precious.  I didn’t realize that I was trying to leave a situation that was truly incredible. What was the bigger lesson for me? Don’t leave before the miracle happens. Use the camera to shift perception from mind to soul. I remember this whenever I find myself frustrated, stressed out, or in fear. Bring it back to the present. Grab your camera and see with your heart.  Creating this nap series has increased my ability to “see” in ways I didn’t expect. It continues to help me connect more deeply with the preciousness of these fleeting moments.

Photo essay and words courtesy of Catherine Just. You can view a larger portion of the nap series on Catherine's blog.

What better photo essay to share when our prompt is "bed"? Share with us how you get cozy in your bed today and tag your snuggly shots #sselevate.

shadow play

Summer, or any day with good sun or light, is an opportunity to play with shadows. Shadows can bring out such a wide range of feelings and emotions. For example, shadows can be all about fun. I remember being a kid and playing “shadow tag,” a game like regular tag except the person who was “it” had to tag the next person by touching her shadow rather than touching her body. It was great fun to try and get your shadow away from the person who was it! Shadows can also be mysterious or distorted, full of curiosity and intrigue. Think about the dark and almost scary mood a shadow can invoke, particularly shadows cast from streetlights at night. There’s much room for play and creativity when shooting shadows.

While taking our regular evening walk the other night, I was struck by the shadow of my family in the street. The golden light of the late day made the sidewalk and street a beautiful orangish-yellow, and the low-hanging sun made our shadows long (check out our legs!). I loved the profile of our pup, Parker, and the way his leash was slack in my partner’s hand. I wanted to remember this moment, so I grabbed my iPhone and captured this shadow portrait of my family, elevating the very everyday walk we take together. 

Today, seek out some shadow play with your lens. Elevate your everyday and share it with us. Don't forget to tag your shots with #sselevate. 

Image and words courtesy of Meghan Davidson of Life Refocused at www.meghandavidson.com 

shutter sisters share a moment (in real time)

Today is the day! Get out your cameras and capture your summer moments with us as you are living them today, in real time.

Tag your images via your favorite social media platforms (below are some Instagram gems) with #ssmoment and #hdmoment and watch the collective visual magic unfold.

Just by sharing a moment with us, and leaving a comment sharing what your summer moment looks like here today, you'll be entered to win a $100 Visa card, courtesy of Haagen-Dazs to use for some more summer fun!

Thanks for sharing your summer moments with us today!

::

please add the direct url to your 'share-a-moment' photo below.

1. Erin	2. justine gordon	3. Daily Practice	4. Kate	5. Carito	6. Karen Marie
7. Viv Halliwell	8. Robyn	9. UpGemini	10. Debbie Ealer	11. melissa	12. Gabriela Bout (gamaraca)
13. Gabriela Bout (gamaraca)	14. fro	15. Linda	16. Paige B.	17. Jennifée	18. smallroots
19. Emme	20. Jeri Taira	21. Meg	22. Roban	23. Laura	24. jan@twoscoopz
25. Liberty	26. claudia	27. Siobhan Wolf	28. Siobhan Wolf	29. lynne	30. Lynne
31. life in eden {amy}	32. cathy~mycornerthoughmylens	33. anngeedee	34. La Cámara de Mamál	35. La Cámara de Mamá	36. Lynne
37. Chelsea	38. Brigid korce	39. melissa	40. melissa	41. melissa	42. Dori Melton
43. Meghan @ Life Refocused	44. geetlee's nook	45. Puna@LifeSignatures	46. Penelope Pink Skates	47. Deb Taylor	48. Jennifer Hagedorn Dizon

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

let's share a moment between us

You may recall earlier this month we mentioned sharing a collective moment together, as a special way to celebrate this month of moments. You know, kind of a sisterly thing. That moment will be taking place one week from today.

Please join us from wherever you may be on Saturday, July 28th and share a moment (or lots of moments) with us...all of us...together.

Beach day, pool side, water park, road trip, bike ride, county fair, picnic, ice cream shop, whatever your idea is for the perfect summer moment, we want to share it with you. Kind of a like a big group hug, through pictures.

Want to join us? YAY! All you need to do is take pictures of you doing whatever it is that you're doing next Saturday, July 28th and share them via your favorite social media platforms; instagram, twitter, facebook, flickr, etc and tag your images #ssmoment. And because this summer sister moment has been made possible with the help of  Haagen-Dazs, we'd love it if you also tagged your shots #hdmoment too so your photos can be considered for the Haagen-Dazs 50 Summer Moments e-book, coming out in the fall. Fun!

Then, we would love to round up all the best photos from your day, in the comment section on next week's post so be sure to check in and leave your links. We just might be giving away a goody or two that day, just for kicks!

Please grab our "share a moment" button (check it out up there on the left) , show it off around your corner of the web and let everyone know you'll be sharing some time with Shutter Sisters next weekend. It'll be one super-awesome collective summer moment!

You in? Sweeeet!

magical moments

 

There is nothing better than sisters. When we get together there is always love, laughter and if we're lucky sometimes even a little pixie dust. Spending time recently at Walt Disney World for the first time during Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was a dream come true. Upon arrival to the Magic Kingdom, our inner child(ren) was awakened and we were instantly transported back to being young girls. Giggly, happy, enchanted little sisters embarking on a magical journey together just like we did growing up at Disneyland. When childhood wishes are granted, with the help of a fairy godmother you can't help but to believe. Believe in the magic of family. Believe in the magic of Disney. Believe in the magic of the moment.

........... 

Words and photo essay courtesy of Jessica Fuselier and Becky Silke, 2 of the three sisters of Disney Sisters. Sisters, as in real live sisters, by birth. The third sister? That would be me. I had to miss the sister trip to Walt Disney World but reading this story and seeing these pictures really made me wish I hadn't! Sniff sniff. There's just something about Disney Magic...and sisters...swoon.

I can't tell you how excited I was to have my sisters share their images here like this as our first official photo essay. Yes, we're kicking off a new feature here at Shutter Sisters. Photo essays. So fun! If you've got a collection of 6 images you'd like to see featured here as a photo essay, give us a shout. We love hearing from you and sharing your work.

As for today, let's see your magical moments, Disney and beyond. You know, those moments that make you feel like a kid again. Don’t you just love those?

P.S. Tag your images #ssmoment.