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.

Capturing a place in time

I´m spending some time at home in Brazil, and believe it or not, even though it all feels really familiar to me, I´m still feeling nostalgic towards the life I left here over 15 years ago. Things have changed a lot since then. The streets and beaches are more crowded now, the open fields gave in to more buildings, small business were bought by coorporations... Isn´t it like that everywhere anyway? Don´t take me wrong, Brazil is still as vibrant as ever. (No matter what happens, there is always going to be samba playing and a wild force driving everyone and everything here.) But as I try to trace my steps along a path that has long faded, I keep thinking that I wish I had taken more pictures back then. Don´t we always shoot away and then inevitably, still wish that we had more pictures? Especially those images that tell our story and show us where we have been. We can never have enought of those...

So today I invite you to be your own memory catcher. We usually focus on special moments, but today, let´s capture and share places. Show us where you are and how you want to remember it 15, 20 years from now.

Main Street

The emergence of shiny new shopping centers and franchises over the last 50 years has no doubt taken a toll on some of the quaint downtowns of small town America. Many rural areas struggle to keep their original downtown areas viable while new chain restaurants and strip malls pop up near the highway or closer to new housing developments. I can't deny responsibility for being among the population of convenience-seekers that contribute to this issue. But it does make me sad to drive through towns with so much potential and see that they are 75% abandoned. Yet, some Main Streets are thriving and have found a way to preserve that original charm, while keeping the amenities modern and fresh. So I often wonder why certain towns are able to revitalize their downtown areas, and others struggle.

In either case, I never get tired of photographing these historic spots. Brick streets, original lamp posts, antique signs and charming benches can't be replicated with the same vintage feel. And those old downtown buildings have seen so much over the years. I know I'm not alone in feeling like I need to capture these areas before they are gone or unknown to future generations. I would love to see your images of small town America and hear your thoughts on what makes a successful revitalization.

landmark

Every city has its share of important landmarks, but certain iconic spots seem to be more photogenic than others. This is certainly true about the "passageway" in downtown Omaha's old market district. It's a must-see for anyone, but especially magical for photographers. I've been there countless times and still find myself reaching for my camera. Tourists love the passageway for it's shops and restaurants, but photographers are drawn in to the combination of rough brick, luscious greenery and twinkling lights paired with the daylight flooding down from the skylights. With surroundings this beautiful, a photographer can't go wrong. So if you're ever in Nebraska, the Old Market passageway would be one of my top photo-worthy recommendations.

Do you find your camera drawn to certain landmarks in your city? Give us your recommendations so we can take advantage on our next road trip.

how i spent my summer vacation

It's the standard title to the classic back-to-school assignment.  An essay scrawled in No. 2 pencil. Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic for the comfort of classrooms because my son is starting kindergarten in less than a week. Maybe, even now as a grown woman, I still have a hard time fitting all of the summer experience onto the front and back of a single loose leaf page.

Over the past 17 days my head has been in the clouds.  Literally.  I have never been so adrift in space and grounded in reality at coinciding times.  Airplanes, subways, cabs, and trains touching me down in the time warp space where reality meets the virtual world. I could not have imagined a more beautiful place to be.  Face to face, embraced in strength, standing in a circle of empowering women, soaking up inspiration, bending at the waist in howls of life altering laughter, hand in hand with truth, eye to eye with what the future holds.

Awash in beauty.

I spent this summer traveling. I spent this summer being real. I spent this summer walking, putting miles on my shoes. I spent this summer taking in everything around me.  I spent this summer learning to be in the moment.

How did you spend your summer? As this month is coming to a close, look through your photo archives and discover what stands out as the most memorable experience. Then share with us your back-to-school essay in photo form!