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Entries in self-portraits (39)

Friday
Nov232012

the art of us

 "All communication begins with an intention, and your intention determines the quality of your life."

- Danielle LaPorte
Today, think about social media and your place in it. Think about your own avatars and how (and what) we communicate through these visuals. What if there was a project that was created with the hope and respect rooted deeply at its core? What if the intentions were to connect everyone through the lens of their camera and through the social networking sites that define this time of our lives? 

A new project is about to be born. The Art of Us. This project strives to connect all of us together in a gallery of avatars. It's aesthetics and people and social media and truth. Because this is how we relate to one another. Every day. This is our world in the twenty-first century. This is what our kids witness while growing up. This is how our parents wrestle with new technology. 

This is us. 
This is our culture. 

So, there should be an importance in this, right? We should be more mindful of what we put out there. This is the art of us! We want you to tell your story and share your art through the image you put out to the world, your avatar..  your profile picture! 

Recently, a profile picture exhibition project was brought to my attention. Be Art. A great idea, I thought... afterall, this is our world, this is how we relate, this is how we share bits and pieces of our days, our triumphs, our struggles. Our profile pictures are tiny pieces of art, tiny reflections of self, our voice put out there in square pixel format for all our the world to see. But upon further investigation, to be honest, it wasn't at all what it seemed. Looks can be deceiving! And further conversations were had on the topic. You can find those conversations here.

I know that art is subjective, but it seemed that the implied party scene of avatars shown with their video were supposed to represent this period in history as the "art" of today. And, well, that's not MY voice (nor the voices of my peers.) So we'd like to offer an alternative for everyone out there. This is the tiny seed that was planted and grew into a project about to be born. 

When I realized that I didn't want the Be Art project to represent any tiny bit of who i am as a person who uses social media... it opened a space in my heart for offering an alternative. The alternative is: The Art of Us. You see, there's a reaction that comes from shock value. and then there's a reaction that comes from light and truth. I personally think the world should be focusing on positivity. On how we can lift ourselves up with respect for each other and hold ourselves in the best light possible. 

I teach classes on self portraiture. It's a big part of my existence as a photographer, as an artist, as a mother partner daughter sister. i recently wrote a feature article in DP Magazine on self portraits and was pleased by the like minds that reached out. and in the words of DP Magazine's editor, Wes Pitts, he shared the same perspective. “One of our favorite articles in this issue (DP Magazine Oct 2012) is by Meredith Winn... who offers thoughtful ideas for creating more interesting and authentic self-portraits. Though social networks are gratuitously littered with snapshots of people making silly duck faces, we’re refreshingly reminded that self-portraiture can be a truly personal, elevated art form that’s not contrived out of sheer vanity, but rather emerges from honest experience and introspection.”

So, can we start a new revolution? Who's with us?! Can we create art as a form of activism? I think there's so much power in photography. I feel really strongly about harnessing the power of it and using those super powers for good, not evil. Photography and self portraiture need not be defined. But there is a responsibility that comes with wielding a camera (and pointing it at ourselves) there is the hope for depth, there is always a path for human growth and self-awareness that holds true, even in the face of opposition.

We believe in the power of photography.
We believe that nothing is ordinary
that everything can be seen as art.
We believe in the power of positivity.
We believe that cameras are tools of expression.
We believe we can be the change we want to see in the world.
We believe in beauty
(that an authentic representation of self can empower the masses.)
We believe in respect
(that when we share what is genuine we find others of like minds.)
We believe that your masculinity, your femininity, your weakness, your strength
are all worthy of being documented.
We believe we are all complicated, messy, beautiful human versions of self.
We believe this is the art of us.
We believe this is the art of you, too.

Today, share your thoughts. Do you have a passion about this? Or are you wondering what's the point and how can one person change anything anyway? We'd love to hear from you today.
Wednesday
Oct172012

playful you

"It is a happy talent to know how to play."- Emerson

Today's one word prompt is whimsy. Whimsy can be a tricky thing for us "adults".  As children we were once endless fountains of play, pretend, imagination and fun.  We paid little to no attention to what we looked like,  or who was watching.  None of that mattered. All that mattered was the play.  As a mom I get to witness this wealth of carefree-ness each day in my children,  I spend hours photographing their play and joy.  Photographing myself in that same spirit of play was so much harder. What would I look like? (Why did i care?) Someone might see me! (maybe it would make them smile) So little by little I began to practice being more playful in front of my camera.  Capturing myself in moments of joy and whimsy through self portraiture.  Some days pulling in my little muses for a little photo fun. They are the masters of the silly faces!

When Meredith and I embarked on creating our first self portrait e-course,  we sat down and came up with a list of themes, one of them was "whimsy".  Funny thing about that theme,  so many women balked at the idea of capturing their silly side,  that "whimsy"  was just not them...  but you know what?  Once they took a deep breath, and leaped into the fun, they wound up loving some of those images the most.  Seems all we all needed was a little nudge, permission to throw off the shackles of adulthood and just be silly. 

Today I challenge you to capture yourself in the joy. Blow bubbles. Hula hoop. Make funny faces. Put on a mask. Maybe a fuzzy mustache. How about a tutu. Photobomb a friend. Sticking out your tongue and crossing your eyes is encouraged here. Get silly with a friend or your family. Watch the laughter unfold. Share your images and thoughts with me here and don't forget to tag your images, #shuttersisters.

Today get in touch with that little girl inside you.  She will thank you for it.

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Interested in digging a little deeper into self portraiture?  Meredith Winn and I are launching our brand new e-course this fall, NOW YOU : Digging Deeper.  Registration is open now.  Class begins soon.  Join us!

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Congratulations to Amy Gillard documentary moment winner of the book Lens on Life: Documenting Your World Through Photography by Stephanie Calabrese Roberts. Thanks for all of your submissions!

Tuesday
Oct022012

comfort (zone)

Note to Self:
Focus on the light
When life is hard, pick up your camera
When days are joyful, pick up your camera
Every now and then try moving towards what scares you
Stretch your comfort zone, artistically ~ metaphysically ~ literally
Trust the process; no matter where it takes you, and remind those around you that they are loved.

I tend to turn things over in my hands and in my mind... I want to explore all perspectives. I want to touch all the seams: how we come together and how we fray apart. In doing so, I search for my humanness and our similarities; through this process, I find compassion and self care.  I do this through writing but mostly through self portraiture.

What is your comfort? Are you willing to ever step outside of that comfort zone? Even just once? Today share an image of "comfort"... food, self, weather... it's different for each of us! For me, my comfort is always embracing my camera shyness and the ever present reminder of why I started down the path of self portraits in the first place. It's taken many years, but I'm happy to say that my comfort is my self. 

. . . . . . . .

Registration is now open for NOW YOU Workshops :: Digging Deeper 
(a six week online eCourse offered by Meredith Winn & Kristin Zecchinelli)
find out more details here, and register early before this next class sells out!

Thursday
Sep272012

shoes

These shoes were made for walking. Or running, dancing, kicking up...you get the picture. Check out all the fabulous shoes we are seeing today in our Instagram feed. Share yours and see it here today by tagging your shoe shots with our tag #shuttersisters.

Walk on...

Tuesday
Sep182012

when in doubt

"Leap and the net will appear." -John Burroughs

There comes a time when we all must step outside our comfort zone. It used to be that I hesitated, I dawdled in that space of inaction and nervousness. Now, when I feel myself with my toes to the edge of self doubt (and I teeter on the cusp of losing my courage) I do my best to harness those stomach butterflies and give myself the strength of their wings.

It's not always literal of course. 
Life is a constant source of choices.

Absolute certainty never comes. We always know best with hindsight, right? Yet life cannot be lived backwards. There is something inside of us; something that guides us. This I know, because this I feel.

How do you face your fears? I, personally, find myself bravest at night, under the cloak of darkness when the world is asleep. It's in that space of quiet solitude that I can harness the strongest version of myself, and I let her be my warrior. She succeeds at quieting the inner critic which leaves me room to fly during the day. (Sometimes.) There are of course other nights when I simply eat a bowl of ice cream and dream of braver days.

Today's prompt is flight. How do you take flight? Share with us your thoughts on what flight means to you, and also how you find flight with your camera lens.