playing with perspective

The Shutter Sisters often write about how to give our photos an extra boost by playing with perspective. We dedicated much of our book "Expressive Photography" to the subject of perspective and the important role it plays in successful and expressive photography. It's an easy way to turn a snap shot into a more interesting and thought provoking photograph. Even though I know all about this subject, I often need a reminder myself. I love the above photo for two reasons. First, it is special to me because it is taken from my own viewpoint as I carry my little guy in a sling (which required me to hold the camera high above my head, point down and hope for the best). And second, because at first glance the shot may seem little confusing and make the viewer wonder what they are truly seeing. This can make for a more interesting photo. As always, our Flickr Group is a great resource. Here are some great examples of people playing with perspective in ways that may have you looking twice.

Have you played with perspective recently? Please share your examples with us!

bravo

There's nothing like some recognition when it comes to being brave. Sometimes we make bold moves and never even slow down to give ourselves our well-deserved pat on the back. We get so caught up in forward motion that we often act bravely with little or no fanfare. Why is that? I think courageous acts deserve some acknowledgement.

Who's with me?

From sharing stories to sharing photos to sharing support to sharing dreams to sharing our talents, the bravery of our sisterhood (and ourselves) knows no bounds.

Today, let us be proud of the strides we are making and give ourselves the kudos we so deserve. Let's here about the things you're proud of today! Consider this your personal invitation to exercise your bragging rights. Come on, let's hear it!

Bravely done my friends, bravely done.

Wait

I have been lying on the sand for 30 minutes, my eyes glued to the camera. My bones ache. My skin itches. My fingers are numb. I am starting to get cold. I am waiting. I am waiting for my subject to move. I am waiting for my shot. Most of the time, the shot never happens and those 30 minutes are added to the previous hours of waiting. 

The subject moves the wrong way. The background is not right. The light is not right. I wait for 30 minutes without a pause, and the second I break my stare, it is when it happens. Nature photography is all about waiting.

In the course of their lifetime, a person will spend approximately 3 to 5 years waiting; 35,000 hours motionless, expecting a desired outcome. We wait for the perfect moment. For the right woman, for the right man. We wait for the right conditions.  We wait for the rain to stop, for the sun to come out. We wait for the bus, for the train, for the subway. We wait in traffic, at the bank, at the grocery store. We wait on the phone. We wait for a phone call. We wait for people. People wait for us. We wait for salvation, for forgiveness. We wait for the show to begin, for the commercials to end. We wait for dinner to be ready. We wait for a package to be delivered. We wait for inspiration to come. We wait behind the camera for the perfect shot.

Francois Rabelais said: “Everything comes in time to those who can wait.” While Abraham Lincoln believed that “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustles.” Lenny Kravtiz has always waited for inspiration to write his music. Sean Lennon instead writes everyday convinced that inspiration comes with practice. Alexandre Dumas wrote that “ All human wisdom is summed up in two words: wait and hope.”  At the opposite, W.M. Lewis said that “The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.”

Nothing would ever be accomplished if we just waited for things to happen. But again, nothing would ever be accomplished if we were not able to wait until completion. Some don’t wait to start, but have trouble finishing. Others can’t seem to find the will to start, but once they do, they will finish what they have started even if they have to wait a lifetime to see the results. You can’t wait for the right conditions. You can’t wait for things to come to you. But you must be able to wait for the unique to manifest. And when it does, all those minutes, all those hours, all those years waiting, suddenly are worth the wait.

...........

Image and words courtesy of Shutter Brother Daniel Fox. You can find out more about Daniel and check out the amazing things he is doing through The Wild Image Project.

back in time

Spending Spring Break on the Sea of Cortez means capturing hundreds of photos that boast bright vibrant colors. Shooting my daughters splashing in the shore where impossibly clear blue water meets soft white sand under a cloudless blue sky and full sun offers conditions where the shots come out perfectly, just as they are, straight out of the camera (aka SOOC).

Even still, some moments captured aren't about the color of the landscape. In fact, processing them in a way that dials out all distractions is one way to allow them to say more. About childhood. About simplicity. About a place and time we can all relate to. Whether it's looking back at old vintage photographs or remembering our own retro childhood, some images we capture now can still up those distant memories and remind us of the beauty of the past.

Today, let's be time-travelers. Share with us the shots that take you back in time.

Two (or more) Is Better Than One

There were six of us, all of us friends since high school, living like pampered royalty for three glorious days in a fabulous home on the coast, no husbands, kids or troubles allowed.  It was a photographer's dream being there and my camera, along with the requisite glass of wine or cocktail, was always just a reach away. I took so many photos but just one photo alone couldn't begin to tell the story of our time together, so I chose the 4 photos that summed up the weekend the most and put it together in this collage/dyptych.  Just one look and my girlfriends and I are taken right back to a weekend that I know we will cherish and remember forever.

How about you? Have you ever made a collage or dyptych? Please share with us today your photo stories.  We'd love to see them.