one happy word

congregate: to bring or come together into a group, crowd, or assembly; to gather

I love words. Some for how they sound when rolling off my tongue. Some because they pull out my inner 9 year old and never fail to me giggle. Others for how they feel.... 'Gather' is one of those words for me, so I was delighted when it was chosen for this month's One Word Project. I love to gather, or to be invited to a gathering. The word just feels warm, and good, and happy. Usually a gathering in my circle involves food, maybe some wine, music, kids, laughter and love. I am blessed to have beautiful friends in my life, many of them a road trip away, but when we gather it is always good. We come together, we share the load, the meal, the preparation. We laugh and linger (another very good word) I always leave full. Full belly, full spirit, full heart. When I find myself missing them I have my images of our times spent together and they never fail to take my heart right back to that day, that meal, those laughs. To gather is to love.

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All month long you have gathered here.

You gathered the light, treasures, and with ones you love. You captured nature's gatherers in spring.

We announced Oasis, and will gather together in Palm Springs this October.

Thank you for gathering here.

Thank you for sharing your words in our comments and your images in our photo pools.

As the saying goes, 'friends gather here.'  Thank you friends.

Today share one more image here celebrating all the beauty of gathering, and on Monday we will return with a new one word for April. 

grounded

Whenever I gather with friends or family... I will reach for my camera, (more often enough it’s my iphone...) and photograph us together, feet on the ground.

I love how it tells the story of who is with me and where are are standing...

I know plenty of you out there do the same, I’d love to see your "grounded gathered together" shots, and if you’ve never done one before... why don’t you try one next time you’re gathered with your loved ones.

gather

Happy March 1st!

I personally love the month of March for two reasons. The first is that I celebrate my birthday in March and the second is that spring will arrive this month. These are both great reasons to get together with friends to celebrate! Which brings me to the announcement of our new One Word for the month of March, which is gather.

During the shorter, colder days of winter it often seems easier to snuggle into our routine and spend more time at home. And while moments spent alone or with immediate family is always important, it's also lovely to connect with old friends and meet new people along the way. So as spring approaches, we encourage you to make an effort this month to have some face-time with the friends who just "get you". Or gather up a group of photography lovers like yourself and enjoy being the in the company of like-minded people. 

We all have to admit, as much as we love to gather here online (and we really really love it!) nothing beats gathering in real life. And since we're on the subject, it seems like a great time to announce our 2012 Shutter Sisters Oasis gathering. All the details, like when registration will open, will be shared in the near future, but for now just the thought of gathering again with our fellow shutter sisters is enough. Start packing your bags!

And as you gather, take the time to document some of those sacred moments and share your images with us all month long in our One Word Project Pool on Flickr (tag your One Word photos this month with the following: owp, gather, march). Your photo may be featured here!

you can.

The first step, believe you can.

Today is that oh so strange extra day on the calendar, leap day. It only comes around once every 4 years.  One extra day to let go, believe you can, and take that leap.  What leap? Only you can answer that.

Perhaps a leap into photography business.

A leap into film.

Leap into learning a new photo software.

A leap of faith and trust. (oh those can be hard)

Leap out of auto and into manual mode on your camera.

Perhaps you took the leap into a 365(+1) project this year. (I did)

A leap into posting here to our group, sharing your art, your voice, you.

Thank you for leaping, literally and figuratively, with us all month long here in our One Word Project Pool. Your participation and inspiration is vital to this community.  Just tonight while pouring through that very space I came across an image with these words...

"My path unclear,
  I leap forward into the unknown.
  Because looking back has never been an alternative."

I am so moved by those 3 lines.  They are powerful and brave. Thank you Kristen.

So, go ahead, stretch your arms way up high, let go of fear, believe you can, and leap into the unknown.  You are braver than you know.

leap frog!

Do you remember being little? Jumping was an everyday event back then wasn't it?  You just wanted to leap in or over puddles, jump cracks in the sidewalk (of you'd break your momma's back), leap off that big hill, hold hands and jump with your friends, your sibling, or hold a growup's hand and leap really high knowing you were safe. Hopscotch was an every day thing, and of course the trusty old leap frog! Can you imagine playing leap frog now?  Makes me giggle even imagining that, but maybe a good old game of leap frog is called for.  I am not sure where that urge goes as we grow, perhaps we become less adventurous, more grounded, less playful?  That is a little sad isn't it.  I fully admit I am not a jumper. Even when I was MUCH younger and a cheerleader in high school I dreaded the jumps!  It felt like gravity had an extra amount of influence on me and no one else.  I admired those girls who could get such great air with ease. 

Lucky for me I have kids who are at the ages where jumping is an everyday event.  They LOVE to jump, leap, hop.  This makes for many fun photos of them.  Jump on the bed?!?!  YES!!!!  Go for it!  But wait, let mommy grab her camera...  (lol) .... I do and they jump and jump and jump, laughing and smiling and getting great air.

So today, in celebration of February's One Word, LEAP, get in touch with your inner girl and go have a good jump. On the bed (go ahead, we won't tell), in a puddle, off a bench... Or if you feel like gravity is just not your personal friend, then share any jump shot you love.  If you are like me, and are around kids at all, I know you have one... or 20...    :)

Let's be playful today.

JUMP!

* Still need a little extra motivation?  Check out The Jumping Project.