touched

Bees are a pretty big deal in the life of my one-year-old son. He has developed enthusiastic feelings for anything with black and yellow stripes but until a few days ago his only bee reference had been the ones he saw in books and toys. His tiny finger would point as straight as possible while emphatically exclaiming "BEEE!". But last weekend we found ourselves surrounded by beautiful wildflowers buzzing with hundreds of big fuzzy bumblebees. The real deal! These little workers were focused on their job and not the least bit interested in the little voice repeating the same word over and over again ("bee? bee? bee?"). And they certainly didn't mind the pointed finger reaching out to gently pet their back. What an exciting moment for a little boy and equally as thrilling for his mama.

I'm so thankful to be able to capture these small, but victorious moments. Do you have a special moment to share?

Don't forget to tag your shots #ssmoment, all July long, and join Shutter Sisters as we play along with Haagen-Dazs and their 50 Summer Moments project. (tag #hdmoment)

yellow

I love Summer.  I mean I L-O-V-E it, I really do.  Being a SoCal girl, we epitomize summer here and to me, nothing signifies summer more than the color yellow.  It's bright, cheery and exudes a summery warmth.  I've also been told that my aura color is yellow.  It is the color of awakening, inspiration, intelligence and action shared, creative, playful, optimistic, easy-going.  Obviously, those words totally describe me. (Well, if you know me, I'm sure you would agree! Heheh).  Face it, yellow is a happy color and happy it makes me.  :) 

Today, share your happy yellow photos with us.  

And don't forget to share your yellow images right here in the comment thread and in our Shutter Sisters OWP pool on Flickr.  Tag all your color shots this month #sscolormonth to be entered in the drawing at the end of June. 

 

equal day. equal night.

It's official: today is the first day of spring! The equinox, a day of equal length to night. And what a welcome day that is here in New England. Right now we are knee deep (literally at times) in mud season. And although there's still snow on the ground around these woods, the sun is shining more each day. What's it look like in your neck of the woods?

Lately, we've been finding ourselves outside more, happy for the sunshine and season. We perform circus acts in the yard with hula hoops and big straw hats. We laugh and capture the flag from unknowing opponents. Cats go adventuring into wooded fairyland and we follow along behind, eager for the after school adventure.

How will you spend your time today? Be mindful of light and dark as you move throughout your day, and please pop in here to share your images. We'd love to see what the spring equinox looks like to you!

Life Source

A group of iPhoneographers and I have been asked to participate in a iPhoneography exhibition to be hosted at Odapark in Venlo, Holland, March 4 through May 1. The theme of the show is centered around nature, which posed a bit of a challenge for me as a documentary photographer. While I'm thoroughly inspired by the intricate beauty, layers of complexity, and infinite alure of our natural environment, I am not as moved to recreate it with my camera unless there's evidence of humanity present.

As I scanned through my iPhoneography archive seeking signs of nature, I was actually pleasantly surprised to discover a recurring point of focus and fascination with... water. What's interesting is that I haven't been shooting water specifically; I've been drawn to it more subconsciously. When you open yourself up to capture visuals that move you on a near daily basis, recurring visuals or themes will likely emerge as you look back through your image archive.

What elements of nature move you most?

The Wonder of It All

I've been quiet for quite some time. Carefully selecting thoughts and turning them over. Over again in my mind. Wondering. Seeking. Questioning. Flattened by hard rains. And strengthening bit by bit. I've been tracing the paths of tiny veins to see where they start, how they divide and connect. Where they end. I've been peeking out at the distant sun beneath an extended autumn. A time when colors fade and fall. When the wind blows and sends this evidence of life into a swirling state of flux. It scratches the concrete and chills my fingertips. I miss the green.

When it warms, I'll look up and see the wonder of it all.

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Tell me how you are?