Superhero Photo Challenge: A self-portrait of your feet

If you haven't already discovered them, I can't recommend the Photojojo newsletter enough! It offers up tips, photo ideas and resources in a fun, unintimidating way. Their article on sharpening images totally changed my life. They did a piece recently on vacation photos with a twist, that included one of my personal faves: pics of your feet! 

As I searched around for images to inspire you, I learned a thing or two about good feet photos!

1. Feet up against the sky is my all time favorite method. You can grab or friend or go solo.

2. Cool backgrounds for your feet always help.

3. Feet on the counter totally works too (who would've thunk?)

4. Putting your feet at the bottom of the frame, or leaving a lot of space has a cool effect.

5. Simple is always beautiful.

I look forward to hearing what you discover and what creative ways you take this challenge on. Up with feet! or down with feet! Your choice.

Superhero Photo Challenge: Join us on the Shutter Sisters walk!

Who: Andrea in her superhero boots, photo by Tracey
What: Alltop Kirtsy party
Where: Guy Kawasaki's house

Shutter Sisters will be leading a photo walk at Blogher today! If you find yourself outside of San Francisco, we invite you to stroll virtually with us. Take a photo walk in your neighborhood, at the beach, the park, wherever you find yourself today and post a link to your photo here. This way all the sisters near and far are connected...

We want to see the world through your eyes and celebrate this amazing community of women.

cover shot

"Far below lay the fields green with wheat, the flat pastures grazed by horses, the darker greens of the woods." - Richard Adams, Watership Down

I'm currently reading a book called Watership Down. It was written in 1972 and somewhat of a classic (I've been meaning to read it for years). If you haven't read it, it's a fictional story about a group of rabbits roaming around the English countryside and much of the story includes detailed descriptions from the rabbits' viewpoints. It's a beautifully written book but to tell you the truth, it tends to put me to sleep quicker than most books. It's not that it's boring, but it is written in a very soft, soothing way that makes my eyes want to close. The next thing I know I'm dreaming about bunnies.

As I was editing the above photo, I immediately thought of this book. Everything about it fits perfectly with the story; the wheat (good for munching), the angle of the photo (low to the ground like a rabbit), the soft, muted colors (much like the storyline). It could be the new cover of Watership Down. I was thinking that might be a fun little project for anyone looking for a some photographic inspiration. You could choose a book and then go out and shoot the new cover. Or you could go through old photos and match it up with a book you've read. If you decide to try it leave a link to your photo and then tell us which book it belongs to. I'm curious to see what you come up with!

Superhero Photo Challenge: spell it out

A friend stayed at our house a few weekends ago and left this sweet message on our fridge when we returned. I was impressed since we have lost half the magnetic alphabet to the pantry, toy bins, garbage can and anywhere else my toddler sees fit.

This week's challenge is to send a little message to the world. Photograph someone with a handmade sign, make some chalk graffiti on your sidewalk, paint your belly with a Sharpie. Whatever inspires you!

Superhero Photo Challenge: the gory details

What you don't see in this series of photos of Ben is that on the other side of this photo is me, jumping up and down in bare feet, trying to make faces, yelling Stay on the paper! Put that down! Don't put that in your mouth! Ben! Look up here! Stay on the paper!!!

What you don't see is the terrible sleep we had the night before, how Ben cried at 2 am, yet even after I fed him he still cried on and off for several hours more. One of those nights when I needed sleep so badly and just couldn't take it anymore... I had no gentleness left. I put in earplugs and put my husband on duty.

What you don't see is Matt playing guitar sweetly for Ben next to me so that he stops and stares in wonder at the strings, the sounds, at his magical dada.

You don't see the meltdowns between shots, the pulling of the little girl's barette, the obsession with putting his finger in other kids' mouths, the crying over wanting to take the toys home, how we bribed him with grapes, the battle over putting the apple that was really a pencil sharpener in his mouth.

This is the magic of photography. And the magic of editing your photos to look back on years from now. They only tell the story you want to tell... And even though they don't always have the gory details, there is something just as true about them. The sweetness in Ben's face, his pure joy at holding a ukulele, the sparkle in his eye... all true.

But the challenge I want to pose this week is actually about those gory details. I want to see the mess, the dirt, the chaos. Give me your real life stuff.