untold stories

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Maya Angelou

As our month of stories comes to an end, I can't help but wonder about all the stories that are still lodged inside each one of us, patiently waiting to be told. I'm wondering if you are like me, and perhaps you've just scratched the surface in terms of what you need to say and shoot. I mean, I am not even talking about whole life stories here, I'm just sticking to this month still...

As I pondered on my September, I remembered moments when I felt excited, in love, sad, challenged, hopeful, out of words...  To each of these moments, there was a story attached, of course. But sadly, I'm now only carrying the weight of memories, because those stories remain untold. So I wholeheardly agree with Maya Angelou's quote above, and I would like to add that maybe, if we all told more stories, then maybe, we could all walk lighter in this world...

At least we've got a good start here at SS, right? :) And since we still have time (lucky us!), how about we share one more image, and tell one more story that needs to be told today? Share with us today a photograph that tells the story of your September/ or your life.

 We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU! All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. And be sure to keep shooting your own stories and adding them to the OWP Pool on Flickr where you have a second chance at winning one of those $100 Paper Coterie giveaways.

*image taken with sx70, Impossible Film PX70 Color Shade.

creating a story

"She carries a lot of suitcases but all of them are empty because she's expecting to completely fill them with life by the end of this trip & then she'll come home & sort everything out & do it all again." ~ story people

Have you ever imagined a shot before actually taking it?  An idea born in your mind at first, but then with a little creativity, perhaps a few props, have you ever just gone for it and composed what you imagined?  I am not someone who composes a lot of shots. Somehow I feel silly doing it, or perhaps it just takes too much time for my short attention span brain, but once upon a time I actually did it. If you could have seen me you would have gotten a good laugh.  I had no tripod.  I had no remote.  (those are my feet in that shot, I swear) What I did have was his burning vision in my mind.  I had recently gotten this vintage argus camera, I had found that red suitcase on the side of the road. (I am an admitted sucker for old things, lost things, & found things. I feel they hold stories all their own.) There was this lone abandoned cabin that set back off the road.  That was the place, those were the props, and now all that was left was me gathering up my courage and risking looking a little silly to compose this shot.  I gathered some bricks and rocks to prop up my camera at the height I needed, I turned on my timer, and ran back and forth more than a few times til I got just what I wanted.  Oh, and that cabin?  Yes it sits back off a road alright, off a major road, with a gas station across the street, with people pumping gas... I can only imagine what they must have thought.  I know they saw me, they were staring.  I am sure the conversation might have gone a little like this, "What the heck is that girl doing?!?!"  "She keeps running back and forth to something and jumping up with that suitcase!" "Poor thing, she is has lost her marbles."  Let them think what they will, at the very least I am sure they all had a good laugh at my expense, and a good story to tell when they got home. No matter, I got the shot I envisioned.  I am still proud of this shot and the silly story behind it all these years later. 

Show us a story you composed in your lens.  Have you ever had a vision and just gone for it?  If not, are you inspired to try? Go ahead!  I can't wait to see what you come up with. And who knows, you may just gain a great story as well as a great shot.

. . . . . . . . . .

Don't forget to leave a comment here today! With your comment comes the chance to win a very special September gift; a $100 gift certificate courtesy of Paper Coterie in honor of the Everyday Storytellers and our One Word Project this month; story.

the lost years

 

After watching the Kelly Corrigan video about capturing life's everyday moments, I realized that digital photography has changed the way I document our lives.  I can scan through thousands of digital images of a freckly 12 year old, crazy dogs, and weekend adventures in Florida. 

But there is a glaring hole in the family story that makes me teary-eyed.  Like most of you, I missed capturing all these same activities with my older child.  We have an occasional photo from an old film camera or school photos but that is the extent of it.  No heartwarming shots of silly toothless grins, skateboarding with friends, or camping at the ranch.

I am now making it a point to seek out moments with my him before he heads off to college in January.  Quietly, I snap away as he strums his guitar, plays the piano, or falls asleep on the sofa.  I can not fill in all the lost years but as I hold these photos in my hands, I can see the little boy that he once was and the man he is becoming.

Take a few moments today to capture your loved ones as they go about their day.  Don't let even the simplest of moments pass you by.  You won't regret it.

We are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU! All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.

Circus Act

As artists we are inspired, and then we are compelled to create. Over a year ago my approach to photography evolved when I was introduced to the work of Shannon Sewell. After hosting a workshop with her, and through trial and error on my own, I learned the life-cycle of a styled shoot. Here are a few things I consider once I decide to go ahead with a concept.

OBJECTIVE
                Knowing I’m about to spend hours on a project, I have to have a good reason to make it all worthwhile. I love planning, shooting, editing, and looking at the story-like images that are created from a themed shoot. So really if nothing happened with the images from there, I would consider it a win. With the circus shoot, however, I knew I wanted to try my hand at getting published online. This objective was the force that made me put in the necessary time and energy to make it exactly how I envisioned.
                Identifying an objective, and evaluating it throughout the process, also helps me decide what is useful stress and what is just distracting stress. For example, for this shoot I found myself getting side-tracked by the backdrop... should it be a tent, an arena, garlands, lights, what if I didn’t do a backdrop at all, should I sew one or buy one... and on it went. It gave me such a creative block that the backdrop almost derailed the whole shoot. I had to keep reminding myself that I wanted the outcome to be an identifiable nod to the circus without taking it too literally. So I threw out overly complicated options while still getting the structure and color pop that I wanted.

PLAN
                Regardless of the size of each project, planning is crucial. It’s also one of my favorite parts of the creative process. I’m not exactly a control freak, but I’m also not a person who loves surprises... like “Surprise! Wardrobe doesn’t fit.”, or “Surprise! Model A’s mom doesn’t want her images shown online.” I know things will come up that I can’t control, like “Surprise! I accidentally had my assistant set up the backdrop on top of poison ivy.” (eh-hem... true story), so it’s very important that I anticipate the things I can control.

I keep a checklist to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. My checklist varies depending on the needs of each shoot, but here’s how it looked for this project...

- Models: how many, what age, where to get them, how will they be compensated

- Model Releases: Get them signed. Period.

- Hair and Makeup: who will do it, what styles for which look, which models have a hair and skin profile to match the desired look, hair accessories needed

- Wardrobe: accessories, shoes and clothing (in this case a combination of dance costumes, items from my closet and the girls’ closets, and a contribution from Lillipops Designs)

- Props: details support the theme, added visual interest, aids posing, where to get them

- Location: what will the light be like when we shoot, is it easy to get models there, is it right for the theme

- Timeline: coordinate multiple models to arrive at staggered times, what will the light be

like when we shoot

- Grab Bag: contains “floating” accessories in case I decide an outfit needs something else, safety pins, pretty much anything that might come in handy

- Print: list of models and their looks (make copies so the makeup artist, moms and anyone else assisting don’t have to hunt me down with questions), directions to the location, timeline to keep us all on track, notes to myself about specific angles or lighting or poses I want to use

- Treats: because food and drinks make everything more fun

COLLABORATE
                Most of the time I can figure out anything with the help of search engines and a hot glue gun. And then there is hair and makeup... and then I’m kind of stuck. The fact is great hair and makeup makes models look better, post-processing easier, and is a key element in completing certain themes. Thank goodness I met Courtney Peters, a hair and makeup artist with mad skills and a need for portfolio images for her upcoming website. I sent her the “character” information, along with model specifics, but ultimately I left the creativity and execution to her.
                My style of photography emphasizes details. Which is another reason I rely on assistance for large shoots such as this one. On the day of a shoot there are a lot of random details I don’t want to miss. Props need to be moved to the location, model releases need to be signed, outfits need to be put together in a specific way... you get the idea. These are all things that, when added up, can drain me and affect the quality of my work when it’s time to shoot. My friend Cortnie was a great help in taking care of loose ends during the circus shoot and problem-solving some of the planning. She also chatted with the models and their moms so that I could focus on my own thoughts.
                Collaboration with other creative people can offer perspective and insight that give your project depth. It’s also a way to spread the burden of coming up with all the ideas, props, plans, and work by yourself. But for me, the biggest reason to collaborate is that the whole process is more fun. Don’t be afraid to reach out to stylists, vendors, designers, and other photographers.

Themed shoots require extra work coordinating a lot of moving parts. After the circus shoot I was exhausted... and maybe not-so-fresh after hours in the heat and humidity. So I thought when I walked in the door after the shoot I would be ready for a break. Instead my mind was enthralled and working on my next ideas. 

What are you compelled to create? Today we would love to hear some of your ideas.

Image and words courtesy of Laurel Hogge of Laurel Photography. For more about Laurel and to see the other images from the circus shoot visit her website.

...........

Don't forget, we are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September to one of YOU!  All you have to do is share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to Win that day's random drawing.  Be sure to leave links to your story shots.  

A Story of Receiving Love

Image inspired by the work of Brian Peterson

A long overdue trip to my post office box yesterday delivered all kinds of sweet surprises. I was overjoyed and grateful for the bounty that was waiting for me inside such a meager metal box. Notes of kindness and gifts of friendship. Sweet melodies and generous offerings. And The Blossoming of the World.

I poured over the stack of papers, devouring each word, holding each token, feeling the intentions of each sender. Smiling. Nodding. Heart full of gladness.

But, it wasn’t until late that night when I crawled into bed and opened this book that I was overtaken. Every page, written for me. Each word I needed to hear. Every image soulful, simple, stirring.  I took in just a small fraction of this offering, poignantly and poetically written by Brian H. Peterson intentionally, as not to take in too much at once. I wanted to savor every page and let the words swirl around me as I drifted to sleep. And I will do the same tonight. And the next…

This book will become a classic for me. I already know this to be true. Something I will cherish and depend on like an old friend. That’s already how this book feels to me.

This excerpt, from the very first page of Brian Peterson’s The Blossoming of the World, is all I need to share with you to leave you knowing exactly what I mean—

"Suddenly I was no longer looking at the mountains, the sky. I was looking at Love, embodied in the stuff of the world. Love was flowing out from every atom of creation. Love was everywhere, in everything. In me. But not contained, not limited to me, not limited in any way, just flowing, singing, vibrating, dancing, everywhere, in everything."

Share today your story of Love.

...........

And remember that with your comment comes the chance to win a very special September gift; a $100 gift certificate courtesy of Paper Coterie in honor of the Everyday Storytellers and our One Word Project this month; story.