Roid Week motivates

I don't often pick up my polaroid cameras. Some people have a real knack for making magic with them, seeing the shot and just knowing it is right for their sx-70 or land camera. I find it a medium that lends itself well only to certain subjects. I like film and digital's ability to be controlled, so I can set up a shot and know it will come out a certain way, the way I'm envisioning and designing in my mind. But as I do admittedly also enjoy film for the often unexpected results, I embraced the one click of the polaroid this week and let my inner control freak take a nap. It simply meant seeking out the quiet moments and calm subjects that allowed me the time to nail that tricky land camera focus.

A few of my fellow muses joined me, motivated by the Roid Week 2012 event, and here is what developed! In the end, I'm glad I was reminded to dust off the old 420 land cam. Did you get in on the action? Share a link to your roid week fun in the comments!

Summer by Debra (manifeisty on flickr)

Gladstone by Debra (manifeisty on flickr)

Paris from the Eiffel Tower by Meghan (Meghan Davidson on flickr)

Letter writing by Meghan (Meghan Davidson on flickr)

kitchen, 6:42pm by Cara (tumbleweed.in.eden on flickr)

Sunday. by Christy (Urban Muser on flickr)

parked by Lindsey (modchick on flickr)

tower 7 by Lindsey (modchick on flickr)

Happy 'Roiding!
~Cara, of cararosephotos

Mosaic Muse ~ Film Friday

1. Basket Envy, 2. Poppies, 3. N is for Neanic, 4. chipped paint, 5. l is for little legs (and light leak), 6. M is for Music, 7. parker posey palleschi in portra, 8. Adventures in Film~Torn Ilford Roll~Reflecting on Life, 9. hello out there

mosaic muse: mobile monday.

We're so excited that you've been contributing to our new Mobile Muse flickr pool! It's been helping us keep the mojo going when it comes to getting our new Mortal Muses site up and running. Speaking of which, we plan to unveil all the action in early to mid-August! For now, keep the good stuff coming into the flickr pools! We'll see you later in the week where we'll share some of the incredible work that you've been adding to the Everyday Beauty group and our new Film Friday flickr pool. Have you joined yet? If not, stop by today for your chance to have your shot featured on the blog. 

Happy Mobile Monday!

xo-

the muses

1. {289:365 1v.2} Big, big sky, 2. I'm not sure why I've always insisted on blow drying and straightening my hair into submission. #airdry #waves #hair, 3. The morning show-thunderstorm edition. #morningwalk #beach #portaransas #myskyshot, 4. {day 194} welcome every morning with a smile, 5. Elsewhere entirely, 6. Summer magic, 7. Untitled, 8. Reading in bed at the hotel., 9. At the beach today.

a change is a chance.

He turned to me and said, "So I guess that means we are moving to New York state." My love had just been offered a job as an assistant professor at a University in central New York and that was that for living in Lawrence, Kansas! And while we'll always be Jayhawks, I welcome the change. I don't have a job yet, and I'm leaving a really great job to move, but I'm looking forward to a new place. Because that is what it comes down to when you are faced with change: your attitude is what makes it easy or hard.

I was just speaking with some friends who are facing seven weeks apart for work this summer. I told them that they need to view it as an opportunity. Yes, it stinks, that's obvious, but I asked them to think about all the things it would give them a chance to do...spend more time with family, catch up with those friends you've been missing, start that hobby or project you've been putting off, read the book you've saved for a rainy day. Silver lining, lemons to lemonade, however you want to put it, a change is a chance to see what you are made of, start new or fresh, simply live differently for a while. You just might end up liking it or learning something, right? Why stagnate? You might be so complacent in the way things are, and think, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' But I am willing to bet you may be pleasantly surprised at the result if you go into a change with a positive outlook. I think that must be what Meeganz did in her approach to the photo below. Well, it's a run down house, but how can I really make the photo of it shine, she may have asked herself. And check out the clever result she produced!

Keep it positive!

~Cara of CaraRosePhotos.com

muse university: change

If you are anything like me, you are not content to maintain the status quo. I'm always looking to make improvements, find better ways to do things, and simply try something new or else I get bored! With photography, it is no different. Once I learn how to do one technique, I'm on to the next. Conquered, mission accomplished, been there, done that, where's my next challenge? It started two summers ago when I first saw shaped bokeh, you know, those little stars and hearts that were all the rage? I was like a dog with a bone, determined to figure it out, unable to try anything else until I did, frustration be darned. But once I figured it out, I put it in my arsenal, and moved on to the next new technique.

Sometimes, you get to the point where you know you need a change, but you aren't sure where to go or what to try next, you just know that what you are currently doing doesn't feel as satisfying anymore.

Here is a list of things to try to change the way you look at things, and maybe find some new inspiration:

1. Change your perspective. Try shooting from down on the ground, or from above your subject.
2. Change your composition. We all fall into the trap of letting our autofocus points control our compositions. Use manual focus or autofocus lock on your camera so that you can focus with the autofocus point but then move your camera, within the same focal plane, to recompose the overall frame. You might come up with a really unique composition, for example, your subject in the bottom left corner, with tons of negative space in the rest of the frame.
3. Change your focus. If you always shoot autofocus, try manual, and vice versa.
4. Change your subjects. Shoot something you've never shot before, maybe something that seems boring even! You'd be surprised at how you might see it in all new eyes once you start photographing it!
5. Change your exposure. Again, if you are using auto a lot, or using aperture priority, your camera is programmed to get you an ideal exposure that is perfectly balanced. Add some mood by underexposing, or add some glowy light by overexposing.
6. Change your choice of weapon. Try film if you shoot digital all the time. Try your iphone for more candid possibilities.

I hope this helps to motivate you as we transition from spring into summer and have to find inspiration in new places!

Happy Snapping!
Cara of CaraRosePhotos

what can black and white do for you?

Spring in black and white? Seriously? This was quite the challenge for me! How about you? Spring is all ABOUT color, isn't it? But the more I got to thinking about it, the more tangible it became, because spring is also about the lengthening of the sun's presence on our days, making it all about light. With that, my task became immensely easier to approach. And when you are able to focus on and see the light as you compose your shot, it generally does make photography immensely easier to approach. My subject often transcends the object itself and just becomes the light, which in the end makes for more interesting and sometimes technically better composition. Looking to the light for guidance, it simplifies the task at hand, as black and white itself also does, simplifying the number of elements to compose in the shot. I envision a really cool comparison study of how composition might change in the same shot when viewed in color verses black and white. Certainly I know that when shooting in black and white, my choice of subject has to change from the pretty, colorful scenes to those with interesting lines and elements. Ok, enough photography dorking from me today! But do you know what I mean? I'm pretty sure mayte_pons gets it, judging from her photo below. what I was grateful that this theme helped me simplify and get back to basics again. We all need a reminder of that now and then!

spring in black and white by mayte_pons

Happy Snapping! ~Cara of Cararosephotos.com

olfactory.

As photographers, I'm sure we all have a strong visual sense.
My sense of smell is the one that always amazes me.
I've heard it said that your sense of smell is the most powerful in terms of bringing back the memory of something. The smell of pipe tobacco will always bring me back to Massachusetts, the same way that one perfume will always make me pine for Christmas (no pun intended).
Lilacs, like htekmo's below, gardenia, honeysuckle, and ginger. Pizza, garlic, cinnamon rolls, and pancakes.
These are each associated with individual and distinct memories for me. And with just one whiff, they can whisk me away to the past. It's an incredible phenomenon.
How about you? Show us the smell or maybe even the memory if you can!

happy snapping!
~cara of cararosephotos

lilac love by htekmo

i am free

I am free, I said.
Free to be whoever I want to be at any given time. Wild and crazy? Subdued and poised? Quiet and moody? Joyful and positive? A dancer, a baker, a writer, a teacher, someone who wears flowers in her hair (like Angela)?...

Once a girlfriend asked me to go out to a club dancing, which I'd never done before. Seemed like a fun idea, and something I'd never had a chance to do. My then boyfriend said "You don't go dancing. Why are you suddenly a dancer now?"
Because I can be. Because now is as good a time as any. Because there's a first time for everything. And because a dance does not a dancer make, anyway! (...As I proceeded to quickly learn from that experience!)
Recently, I found myself swept up in the frenzy of March Madness. My parents said "Since when are you a basketball fan?" shocked that a mostly anti-sports person could be so into college basketball.
Since now. Because I can be. Because now is as good a time as any. Because there's a first time for everything.

If I lived by all the prior and often narrow definitions of myself, definitions that are often, I might add, decided by others, I'd never open myself up to new ideas and never have many of the memorable new experiences that make me who "I am" today. The very things that are now part of my repertoire of self had to start somewhere.

We rush to define ourselves. We are told when we're young that we are still "finding" ourselves and that our goal should be to "know who you are." As if, some day, when we get married or hit 30, it is all figured out and never changes, and that all decisions from then on should be based upon who we think we are at that moment. How does it allow us the ability to grow, change, develop new opinions and ideas if we just settle in and don't continue to learn about who we are or who we could be?

I hear it all the time: "Oh, well my sister is the creative one in the family, not me. That's her thing" or "my husband knows more about technology so I leave all that to him." Why do we let the strengths of others become how we define our weaknesses? Why do we let their abilities minimize our own? Why are we so quick to define ourselves in ways that limit who we can be? The answer, I think most of us know, is that it is just easier to take that approach than it is to learn something new, put in the effort, or open yourself up to failure, mistakes.

So,
who are you?
Whoever you choose to be!
Make it happen. If you fail, or decide you don't like it, at least you tried it on for size. At least you'll know that your self definition does not include limiting yourself.

collecting a moment of pure joy by journeyswithasimplegirl

happy snapping!
~cara of cararosephotos
p.s. I dedicate this post to Andrew and Melly and any friend who sat and discussed this with me for hours back when I was "figuring out 'who i am'."

mosaic muse {music}

1. Day 164/365, 2. parting song, 3. July 2, 2011-...and the Band Played On, 4. musical ghosts, 5. A Siren Amongst Many, 6. Tuned In, 7. Jazz , 8. february 9., 9. Light Outline, 10. Cartagena, Colombia, 11. One, 12. Worshipping Kasabian, Cardiff 09, 13. 10.12.11 - Music and Violin, 14. more guitar hero, 15. day 29/1.29.12, 16. The piano

As you can see from this week's mosaic, we all love music in lots of different forms. It takes on all kinds of special meanings for each of us! Go visit each of the featured photographers by clicking on the numbered link below the mosaic. If you see something you love, you've found yourself a great new contact! Let them know you love it in the comments!

What's your interpretation of music? Share your favorite music shots with us by using the linky tool below, which will be open until Sunday evening. We'll pick one winner at random from those of you who link up to win a spot in Darrah Parker's Slice of Life class. For more information on the class, click here. And please feel free to use the mosaic muse button on your blogs as you link up.


<center><a href="http://mortalmuses.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/6036986994_81c277cf91_o.jpg"/></a></center>

Have a photorific weekend!
-Cara of CaraRosePhotos

and the next theme is...MUSIC

Do you love music as much or more than photography?

Photography makes my heart sing by Libertad Leal

everyone needs it by Anna Gay

Maybe it is your favorite musicians, 

{music maker} by tolly p

or the music you dance to, 

“Dance for yourself, if someone understands good...” by photos=happiness

or for the memories it brings back to you,

"was i miserable because..." by anniebluesky

or just the challenge of shooting live musicians or the excitement of a live performance.

Whatever it is, we look forward to seeing your MUSIC photos in our Flickr pool.


And remember to join us tomorrow when we start musing on Charm -  as always, on the last day of the theme we'll be holding our usual linky party where you can add your own links and show us how you've interpreted Charm.


happy snapping,
cara of cararosephotos

and the next theme is....CHARM

I'm a fan of intangibles. I appreciate the ambiguity of a theme that allows us to be inspired in many different directions and conjures up many different possibilities in our choice of photographic subjects. For me, "charm" is just one of those things. It has the same basic definition and a definite connotation most could agree on, but it also is something that not everyone can really put their finger on in terms of who and what has that charm. Just what is it that makes someone or something charming? How might someone's photography charm you? And then there is the other way to look at it, as a noun. A special part of a bracelet or necklace or trinket that we hold dear.

So, muses, show us YOUR charm! Show us what you think is charming...what charms you? And now I have to stop saying "charm" because it doesn't sound like a word anymore!

Maybe it is an actual charm...

"it is later than you think" said the reaper by ~mimo~

charmed i'm sure by soupatraveler

Maybe it is someone you find charming...

...and now he is 6 by kirstinmckee

make new friends by ~staci lee~

Or a place that charmed you...

my head told my heart, "let love grow" by tumbleweed.in.eden

Whatever it is, we look forward to seeing your CHARM photos in our Flickr pool.

And remember to join us tomorrow when we start musing on Water -  as always, on the last day of the theme we'll be holding our usual linky party where you can add your own links and show us how you've interpreted Water.

happy snapping,
cara of cararosephotos

words that comfort.

Like this cup of tea above, the words you see in the photo below are a comfort to me. Sadly, this is likely an old sign. If you've been following the news, Kodak declared bankruptcy in January. Luckily, there is some speculation that this action may save the company. There is lots of debate as to why this is happening (some say they relied too much on the movie film industry which is moving to digital, others say they were unable to make it in the digital camera market), or what the implications may be for other film companies (maybe nothing since every company is different in its core business and strategies). Regardless, it sure got me thinking about what life would be like without film. I'd hate for it to become obsolete and unknown as the cassette tape is to my teenage cousins. I get panicked to think I won't be able to load film into the camera my grandfather gave me, no longer stand there timing my instant prints, and put my Nikon F100 on the shelf like an antique. To me, the process and its results are irreplaceable. Digital cannot console me. No matter how "film-like" the presets may get, that is not the point, and it just wouldn't be the same. Instead, I'll be keeping an eye on this news and stocking up on my ektachrome, ektar, and portra!
Keep clicking! ~Cara of cararosephotos

the merriest of Christmases by damiec

looking out for looking in

I do my fair share of looking out for looking in. I can think of no more enjoyable way to spend a saturday morning than sitting in a cafe on a busy downtown street and watching passersby and fellow patrons. All the while looking out, I'm introspecting. I find myself pondering who they are, where they are coming from and where they are going, and why? What is their story? And what kind of story might I tell by capturing their moment with my camera? And inevitably, that gets me thinking about my own...what would I think if I were watching me? This is why I'm constantly drawn to photograph empty tables and drained glasses. Oh the stories they tell! So scenes like the one below from AnyDirectFlight totally inspire me and get my imagination going. I find they draw the viewer in to consider the story in each frame. And the bokeh allows for this by not filling in those details, like reading a book and having to paint the characters' pictures in your mind. Looking out gets me looking in, to my own imagination, as I weave the tales of that which I'm watching. As I create their stories, I often create a picture of the world I'd like to live in, the activities I'd like to partake in, or people I'd like to know. I bet I'm not the only one, either!

happy snapping! ~cara of cararosephotos

untitled by AnyDirectFlight

inspired by winter black and white.

Something I'm striving to do more is to take black and white photos. I've got some black and white film out at the developer, and I'm saving another roll of Ilford black and white for a special occasion. Or rather, one where a black and white opportunity presents itself. What is a black and white opportunity? I don't know either! But I always know when it appears. That is because black and white, to me, has a particular presence, and adds, to what would a regular shot in color, a timelessness and classic, nostalgic quality. I especially like it for portraits and for photos where the strength of the composition lies in its geometry and simplicity. I think winter is a great time to embrace black and white so I was excited about this theme. Winter can be a quiet time, and black and white can add to the peaceful quality of a moment captured. It is also a time, with the holidays, that means visiting family: an opportunity for classic, memorable portraits made all the more by black and white. When I think of winter, I see black and white images of a single bird in a tree in the snow, a warm mug of cocoa in fuzzy mittened hands, lone survivor winter grasses against a bokehed barn, bare branches against a crisp day's cold sky.  

Mamadunk enhanced the beauty of this gorgeous dog with her use of black and white. When do you like to use black and white? It's certainly helpful that we can take a digital shot and try it out in black and white in the post process, isn't it?

happy shooting!

~cara of cararosephotos.

winter izzy by mamadunk

the season without reason

With a new year comes a chance to turn over a fresh leaf, to start anew, to pick up some good habits. I've never liked New Years' resolutions: people seldom keep them, it seems a foolish charade that is more about having something to talk about and to keep you busy after the holidays are over. But it is a good trigger if you need one to start thinking about what things in your life need to change, what bad habits you'd like to relinquish, and what you could improve about yourself. Better yet, let us think about the things we did right this past year! Let's celebrate the Season without Reason* and with no holiday in particular on the horizon, let's celebrate life and our accomplishments! There's a fresh take on a New Years Resolution, say it with me, "I resolve to celebrate myself and the things I have for which I can be thankful!" I'm celebrating this fresh and inspirational macro shot from a queen of macro, Cathy423, below!

cara of cararose
**I invented this a few years back to keep away the post-holiday doldrums and depressions.

 

untitled by Cathy423

many muses musing - MAGIC

untitled by AnyDirectFlight

I know it's not just me but this time of year makes me feel like anything could happen. All that waiting really creates a magic brew of anticipation while we wonder if and hope that our dreams will come true. All the sparkling lights and gift wrapped packages, happy music and heightened goodwill make it seem like magic could really happen! Sentimental traditions and special memories swirling together with the excitement of new toys, new chances, and a new year are ingredients for a magical elixir for sure. You know the expression 'the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife?' Well, this time of year for me, the anticipation is so tasty, I could eat it with a huge spoon!

Today I'm giving away one of my "I click therefore I am" t-shirts. Please link your blog or flickr url in the linky provided below and/or leave a comment on this post for a chance to win the giveaway. (Max 2 entries per person.)

I look forward to seeing your submissions for the prompt: MAGIC

Our creative holiday prompt for tomorrow is: BELIEVE.

holly, jolly from cara of cararosephotos.

And please feel free to grab the button below to add to your blog posts and sidebars!

Copy and Paste Code:
<a href="http://mortalmuses.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l637/soupatraveler/manymusesmusing.jpg" border="0" /></a>

gratitude for music

I'm sure most of you could say the same, but without music, I would not be the person I am today. The ways in which it opened my eyes, connected me with the important people in my life, and inspired me are endless. The way it can make me feel: more alive and authentic than I feel at any other time, and the way it reminds me how worth living life really is, and how limitless its wonder and beauty, I simply could not be happy without music. Recently my photography has taken me closer to the music. Shooting band photos for a Colorado bluegrass band and getting up close in personal at many a live show to "get the shot" has reinforced for me the importance and intimacy of the smaller venues for experiencing a magical live show. For that I am awash with gratitude.

And I can tell that gonzomama gets this, in her similarly framed shot below, an homage to music. Feel free to let us know how music is something for which you grateful, too!

16:30 days of gratitude by gonzomama

warmth.

Lately when I think of warmth, I think of all of you. I think of the great community found on blogs like this, on websites like flickr, of the friendships that form via the cold, hard wiring of the interwebs that become warm, safe places for good people. The encouragement and support that is very real despite never actually having met any of these people in person is amazing! All of it feels just as good as that snuggly hug, that fresh cup of coffee, that perfect sunshine on a chilly day, right? Warmth for me is not just literal heat, but a feeling you can get from kindness, from safety, from a happy memory, from a connection made. All of those things are warmth that is stirred up and generated from the people and community here and on flickr and other weblogs. And this virtual warmth sometimes transcends explanation and defies definition, but I think it comes in part from sharing. We share our hearts, we put ourselves out there and open to criticism of our art, and we get more than we could ever give in return. I think this little one of ~*suzannagipson*~'s below is a great example of that sharing, as well as perfect for the "warmth" prompt as she crouches down for warmth on a crisp fall afternoon. I bet you could all think of an example when the warmth I'm talking about has graced you with its presence! I hope so!

Warmly,
Cara of cararosephotos

11/6 by ~*suzannegipson*~

you light up my life.

Any photographer knows the importance of the light. We become observers, seekers, sometimes even commandeers of the light, co-opting it and coercing it for our photographs. It is an interesting relationship we have with the light. Like being stood up for a date, if the light isn't promising, the day is filled with less to look forward to, as it may be a day without photography. The result is having to learn how to use light creatively, to make the most out of the least light, and to see it in new ways at times. And to really make the most of it when it is in the mood to cooperate, when it is truly "the light fantastic." Tell me that doesn't sound like a romantic relationship at times? So far, light has been good to me, and so I'll keep showing it off in gratitude. Light, quite literally, is "the light of my life" as a photographer.

heavenly~flower is a master of the light fantastic. If you followed her 365, you know how well she utilized the light to be innovative and keep it going every day. She's a lover of flare, silhouettes, and backlit nature shots like her example below.

thanks for reading!

Cara of cararosephotos

dear to us are those who love us by heavenly~flower

home is where the heart is...happiest.

It has been truly uplifting to see how everyone photographically defines the place they call "home."
I'm guessing many of us learned to expand our definition during this theme. I saw lots of tabletops showing the clutter that speaks volumes about our families, and all the foods that keep them going. I saw lots of empty rooms full of personality, and lots of friendly faces and furry friends. I hope home for me soon means a furry friend of my own!

For me, it simply comes down to home being where the heart is. Somehow, that finds me in Kansas these days; quite a surprise for this east coast born, recent New Mexico resident. I know, I know, "there's no place like home (Kansas)" from the Wizard of Oz could ostensibly sum up this whole topic, but it doesn't quite do it. I've had many a discussion with friends on this very topic when we returned to our childhood homes after some time and felt different, as though they didn't feel quite like "home" anymore. I imagine that is what should happen when you find your own home, but at the time for myself and my friends, no place actually felt like a home to us. We were in a transition between the homes of our youth, and finding a home for our adult selves. Since then, I've come to learn that truly, "home is where the heart is." I always thought it a corny expression. But after calling several different states home myself, I realized that, even if it means "home" moves itself to different locations every few years, wherever my heart is happiest is where I need to make my home.  And it seems you all showed us what makes your hearts happiest, too!
journeyswithasimplegirl must certainly be happy about this surprising sight!

by cara of cararosephotos

unexpected by journeyswithasimplegirl