Let is Snow

Snow. So many of you today are out there playing in it, thoroughly enjoying it. Or maybe you're  cursing it. Two years ago, we traveled to Illinois to spend the holidays with my parents and it snowed on Christmas Eve. It was magic, I tell you. magic. I grew up with snow but for most of my adult life, have only lived in cities where snow is a rare occurrence. I'd forgotten how magic it is. How quiet it is. How it so silently covers every little thing in sight. How it seems to make color and light sing.

Today, show us magic. Snow magic, that is. Dig up the old favorites. Or, if you have snow, get out there in it and make some new ones. Whatever the case (or whatever the weater), share a few shots of your outdoor surroundings with us here with us today as we recoup from the haze of the holiday.

october

October

by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

October will be over befor we know it. Take some time to capture the colors and share them with us here!

letting go

Each fall, I watch as the weather cools off and the ground becomes littered with yellows, browns, oranges and reds. The trees shed their leaves and turn their attention inward, gathering the energy released by the decomposing leaves and transforming it into the new beginnings of spring.

Just as the trees must release their old leaves to make room for new ones, we must let go of things in our lives that no longer serve us, especially our fears, in order to make room for new possibilities. It can be a difficult process, though. Even when I know my fears are not serving me, I wrap myself in them like a cozy, old sweater because I have grown comfortable with them.

When I don't know where to start, I pick one fear and name it. By starting with just one fear and giving it a name, I make it into something more manageable – something I can release, taking the bits of knowledge about myself that I find within it and transforming them into something new. Just as trees lose one leaf at a time, we can choose one fear at a time and let go of it. 

What are you letting go of this fall? How are you making space for the new leaves that will appear in your life next spring?

Gennifer Carragher was raised on the beach, grew up in the woods and now spends her days capturing the magic of these places with her camera and sharing her photo adventures on her blog. If you love fall as much as she does, consider joining her in Embracing Fall, her newest e-course.

self love

It is such a nice change of pace to occasionally switch up the subject of my photos. I spend most of my photographic energy on people, whether candid shots of my own family or more formal portraits of others. So turning my lens toward nature or architecture from time to time keeps me excited about the possibilities of an image.

Sometimes I notice that I lose a little motivation looking at everyone else's amazing photos. How will I ever take an original photo when it seems like everything has already been done? In the age of Pinterest, Flickr, Facebook, and numerous blogs it is easier than ever to compare ourselves to others. There's nothing wrong with searching for inspiration and keeping up with a community of like-minded people. But when we feel the wave of self-doubt approaching it's important to take a step back and remember what makes photography special for each of us.

So today I encourage you to share a photo that makes you proud & happy. Forget about the technical aspects or how it compares to other people's photos, but do tell us why you love it.

Looking Up

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.                                                                                                       ~ G. K. Chesterton

A few looking up shots from our trip to Clear Lake. There's always something to see when we stop and look up... the wide open sky, fluffy clouds, the sun, the moon, even a funky birdhouse or 2.... it rarely disappoints. Life's good that way.

Today, stop...pause...and look-up. Elevate your everyday with us. Be sure to tag your photos with #sselevate. Thanks for playing along!