Expectations (a Photowalk Follow-up)

You know when you have expectations, when you head out camera in hand certain you know what will catch your eye? And like an obliging, self-fulfilling prophecy, that’s where your eye settles. You see the bright red lanterns in Chinatown or the gang of men bent over a game board. But in allegiance to the walk, your legs carry you down windy paths and deserted back alleys, and soon your eyes relax and forget the mandate of expectation and remember only ‘to see’ and you do: you start to see what was previously invisible.

For the last fifteen minutes of my morning photowalk, I abandoned the stereotypes – as lovely and spectacular as they were – and found my eyes focused on locks and gates, on all the ‘bars in between us’ (to quote one of my favorite bands, ‘X’). I saw locks against vibrant life-affirming colors and locks protecting nothing at all. And that was how I wrapped up my Chinatown photowalk, willing to have it not be about Chinatown, only that it was because all the colors were so bold and unique.

Afterwards our groupgathered for Dim Sum and shared images. We peered onto the tiny LCD screens on our cameras, and a few insecurities rose to the surface as participants saw what others had shot and wondered how their own images stacked up. But it was worth confronting that inner voice, for the sharing was fun and enlightening: nothing like a geeky group of photographers sitting around talking equipment and goals and how we all ended up together that morning.

I did it again in the afternoon in my own hood. While I struggled to see Venice, California through fresh eyes, I enjoyed watching others discover my backyard. The best part came over margaritas and chips when a fellow photographer heard my lament of feeling a little stuck in my photographic progress and he asked, “Do you usually shoot alone?” When I nodded ‘yes,’ he said, “That’s the problem. You need to go out and shoot with others.” He looked over to his friend and added, “We often shoot together and share ideas and tips.” Point noted. And I think, ‘Shutter Sisters often functions as that daily joint photowalk, and I need to share more of my photos and process here.’

So, how did your photowalks go? Any surprises, discoveries? New friends made? Please upload your images to the Shutter Sisters Flickr group and tag them ‘photowallk’ and share your impressions in comments or in links to your own blog posts about the day.

Photos and words courtesy of Debbie Zeitman of deezeephotography who has been a fabulous resource for the Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide PhotoWalk. Thanks Debbie!

California Dreamin'

Earlier this year, on a particularly hot day in February, my mom and I ventured up to the Huntington Library in San Marino, just outside of L.A., about an hour’s drive from where we live in Orange County. We’d always heard about it and wanted to visit, but for some reason never made it there, even with all our trips to our beloved Getty Museums.

And we were absolutely blown away. “Why didn’t we come here before?” we kept asking each other. We spent most of the day there and saw maybe half of what this amazing place has to offer. Their gardens seemed to go on forever and are a treasure trove of native plants and include nearly a dozen different themed gardens. For an amateur Shutter Sister who was just starting to really explore and devour nature photography, I couldn’t get enough of wandering through them! Especially the part that looked straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Talk about inspiration. There’s definitely something for everyone – art, architecture, gardens, water features and of course the library itself. For extra savings, the first Thursday of every month is free admission, as long as you reserve your tickets in advance. And parking is always free – that can be a rare thing in L.A.!

This is one of the main reasons I love Southern California – for all its traffic and crowds, there are tons of things to do within driving distance. The Huntington is something that we’ll be making a permanent part of our Staycation schedule as well as where we’ll be taking friends and family when they visit. I can’t wait to go back and explore some more!

Photography and words courtesy of So Cal sister Trude Ellingsen, Recovering Firecraker.

Feel free to share your favorite garden shot today from near of far. Blooms always welcome here.

sights and stories of South Dakota

Rapid City and the Black Hills of South Dakota teem with places to explore (and photograph!), both funky and inspiring. Where else can you visit one of the most ubiquitous symbols of America, see a life-size Apatosaurus towering above the town, and observe the most complete collection of live reptiles in the world, all in one day?

Growing up in such a fantastic place, I considered this scenery and these places to be just another part of the everyday background. As a child, however, one place I did not take for granted was Storybook Island. I know now that this children’s park covers eight acres and is fifty years old, a fact which makes me thankful for the vision of those who founded it and have kept it going all these decades. Back in my younger days, however, all I knew was that it was delightfully fun. Drawn from fairy tales and children’s stories, tiny houses built at odd angles and life-sized storybook characters cover the grounds – perfect for scampering through and playing make-believe. My sister and I could hear our voices echo in a giant pumpkin, cross the bridge to Noah’s Ark, walk into a whale’s belly, climb up the stairs to a castle’s fortress, and rustle through the leaves to Christopher Robin’s house. Recently, I went back with her and my small nephew to this magical place. He was brave enough to stick his head inside a giant lion’s mouth to try to sneak a sip from the same water fountain that she and I drank from over twenty years ago. What a fun thing to witness!

Having a nephew is also a good excuse to visit Old MacDonald’s Farm. Here, my inner child eagerly comes out to play, petting the calves and baby goats, marveling at the downy chicks, and grinning at the piglets in their pen. I hold my breath as the billy goats walk across the hanging bridge and giggle at the pullets running pell-mell across the grounds.

There are still places to explore here that I haven’t seen yet: an animal refuge, a kangaroo ranch, the annual buffalo round up, and the wild horse sanctuary. I need to visit Crazy Horse Memorial again, see the mammoth dig, visit the baby bears, work up my courage to shoot photos at the crazy Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and encourage my sister to pose for goofy photos with the statues of presidents that line downtown. I suspect I will be busy for a long time!

A special thanks to Kristina from Medowlark Days for sharing this amazing list of things to do and see (and the photos to go with it) in South Dakota for the Your Local Pix series. I had the chance of spending some time there many moons ago and she is not kidding; it's really amazing.