all change!

We've loved musing with you here; the themes, the everyday beauty pictures, the black and white and let's not forget the musings. And while we will still be featuring pictures from these pools, it's time for some changes.

Have you seen our new Mortal Muses Film Friday and Mortal Muses Mobile Monday flickr groups yet? These are just a few of the new ideas we've already shared with you this week at the Mortal Muses.

We also have a new muse to add to the mix, Debra who I know will add some new energy to our pages. She's from Canada and has recently returned from an epic trip to Paris with four cameras. Yes, you read that right. FOUR! She's our kind of muse!

But we have more to inspire you; we want you to be as excited about photography as we are!

So for the next few weeks, we're going under construction as we get things smoothed out on our new website.

Watch out July! Here we come!

kirstin of fleeting moments.

imagine it...

I have a personal goal that I've been trying to reach for a long time. For years it's been just out of my reach--sometimes I get close and it just slips away.

A friend recently told me to try and focus on exactly what it is that I want, manifest it in my mind, and that these good vibes would have a positive influence on my quest. "Visualize it every day; concentrate on it and good things will begin to happen," she said. So I tried it, and I think it might be starting to work.

So I got to thinking, maybe we could all use a little of that in our lives...

~Imagine the perfect job.
~Imagine finally having that baby you dream of everyday.
~Imagine finding love in the perfect partner you've been searching for.
~Imagine moving to a new place that is better than your wildest dreams.
~Imagine reaching new heights and goals with your photography or other art.

~Imagine all the good things that can come with change, because when we change, we grow.

When I saw Redzenradish's photo in the flickr pool it jumped right out at me. Maybe it's a sign, I thought, "something awesome coming soon". Yes, I can feel it. Can you?

~Christy {Urban Muser}

coming soon by redzenradish

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

there is a season, turn turn turn

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven. (Lyrics by The Byrds)

As a psychologist and a photographer, the idea of change is often on my mind. In my "day job," I get to witness, assist, and take part in people making choices to create change in their lives. And as a photographer, I find myself documenting my life or the lives of those around me, attempting to capture a time, place, or moment before it changes. As someone who also is enamored with shooting film, the idea of change and photography takes on a different meaning. When shooting digitally, you get to see right in that very moment the image that you captured. But when you shoot film, the process of finishing the roll, sending it in for processing, and getting the photographs back takes time. Thus, it is inevitable that the moments captured have most definitely changed since you photographed them.

For example, when I photographed this beautiful magnolia tree in my neighbor's yard, Spring was just upon us. The light rains and the opening of blossoms of this season was in its infancy. Yet when I got this roll of film returned to me as photographs, Spring had started turning toward Summer, all those blossoms had fallen, and it hadn't rained in what felt like weeks. I wonder when Red Kiwi Photography shot her film photo of these multicolored flowers? What season was it for that moment, and what season is it now? What changes happened in the time that lapsed from when she clicked the shutter to when she held that print in her hand?

What season are you in? What will change before you know it?

Meghan of Life Refocused

roses in stereo by red kiwi photography

milestones mean change

Our home has been going through some changes recently. Big changes. Both of my kids are hitting milestones and its joyous and frightening all at the same time. The youngest just celebrated her six birthday and with that right of passage comes losing her baby teeth. The bottom two came out around the holidays well before her birthday, I know this because Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy were both involved in leaving goodies under pillows. You can see the baby teeth have been quickly replaced.

A few days ago one of her front "toofers" was becoming unbearable wiggly. Can you recall that feeling? My daughter could simply not stand one more wobble out of her loose tooth.  She wasn't able to eat without it bothering her so she begged me to pull it out. How hard could that be I thought. Well let me tell you it was not an easy extraction. The tooth was clearly not ready when I yanked it I could see that it wasn't exactly a pain free experience for her. She immediately touched the gap with her tongue, cue the  tears. She absolutely lost it. She stared at the bloody tooth in her hand, "momma that doesn't look like a normal tooth", she cried. I told her that we probably pulled it too soon but assured her that by the time the tooth fairy came the tooth and the gaping hole it left behind would be all better. Her face began to soften but she didn't smile. 

She alternated between a forensic examination of the tooth and looking at her new smile in the mirror. I don't think she was prepared to see those changes. I myself had a hard time looking at her and not seeing that the face of a young girl had now replaced my little girl.

This little one doesn't do change very well. You can see it in her wrinkled brow. I know change is not always easy but it's usually necessary to make room for new things to come, including permanent teeth.

I say embrace change.


Lindsey (aka modchik)

If only my six year old would embrace change like Kristen-mainemomma's daughter. She too recently lost a tooth but as you can see from her photo below, toothless, she had a much different take on the situation. I love how she embraces her new look and seems to embody the words Kristen uses to describe her daughter "fierce, spunky, funny, wild, hilarious, smart and beautiful." 

a change of space

My parents recently sold their 6-acre home of 22 years to downsize into a more manageable space, a lovely condo closer to town. This past weekend, my husband and I returned to help with the impending move. Although I didn't grow up here, I spent my senior year of high school in this house, summers and holidays during college, as well as several months in between job searches and travels...not to mention, countless visits home since I've been married. Through all this time, I've still had my own bedroom. It's had slight transformations over the years as my mom made subtle changes, a new chair here, a new picture there, while winter coats and wool blankets slowly took over the closet. The single bed from high school was replaced with a queen-sized one during my college years, and then traded in again for an antique, four-poster from my grandparent's home, the inevitable consequence of a death & subsequent move to independent living. The one constant has been the bedroom set made up of a dresser, tall chest, nightstand and "make-up" table. I managed to hold onto on a couple of drawers and shelves across the years filled with stacks of books and photo albums, mementoes from my travels, a wedding gown, veil and fancy shoes. For the most part, nothing drastic has changed until this weekend when we boxed up the rest of my things to bring back to Philly, gave my bedroom set away for its new life in another home and put the four-poster into storage. All that's left is a mattress, some lamps and a few chairs. 

I didn't think it would bother me. These changes. The loss of this space. The closing of one chapter, the beginning of another, and on the surface, it hasn't. Yet, as I walked around the house on Friday night, I found myself hostage to bittersweet memories and overcome with nostalgia and wishing, in that moment, that the folks would stay put, allowing me to hold on to the past before family holidays dwindled in numbers as my grandparents passed away and my sister moved abroad, or before we'd lost Max the cat (my soulmate) or Abby and Ben our canine replacements. Later on, as I lay in my Poppop's four-poster bed, I took a moment to record my thoughts in my journal and embedded my image on a memory card. After shooting my reflection, I snapped off a few random pictures of the room from this vantage point and went to bed. 

The thing about changes, good or bad, expected or unforeseen, is how they push us towards something new allowing us to redefine our space, or maybe even our place in the world. It can be like shedding our skin…or maybe daring to look "pretty in pink" like kristin~mainemomma did by adding a little something special to her hair…

...or having the courage to move forward, despite being tired, into a new job, in a new state after losing a family business of 38 years like 6ftmama…



...or maybe, as I found out, it can be simply giving away the bedroom furniture you've had since you were 10. So even though my space has changed, there's a new one waiting for me across town. And although we've lost some family members, in just a few weeks, we'll be getting a visit from the new ones we've gained. My sister comes to visit with her two children, and my parents have just picked out a puppy for their new home.

How about you? Any big changes taking place in your life now?

Holly ~ Soupatraveler 

dreaming of the future

friends forever by she dreams of {open windows}

I've been thinking about change for quite some time...specifically, November 25, 2011 when I found out I was expecting my first child. My husband and I have talked about having children for almost as long as we've been together, but until you actually see a positive pregnancy test result...those discussions are merely more than dreams. And yet, from that very moment, I started dreaming.

in good hands by photoangie

Dreaming of what my daughter will look like...imagining her personality...wondering if she will share my passion for the arts...or what type of person she'll be when she grows up. I don't suppose I have much say in many of those details, but I find myself impatiently waiting for her arrival rather than calming preparing myself for all the changes that are about to unfold.

Wardrobe Change by jessicavescera

Oh what an exciting time this is! But with approximately nine weeks left of my pregnancy, I only know a small piece of the whole story. Perhaps by the next time I see you, I'll have a more complete picture.

Until then,
Ashley of Ramblings and Photos

the next theme is...CHANGE

"Changing Horizon..." by Sunflare Orange

“The joy of life comes from our own encounters with new experiences and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different."
~ Jon Krakauer, Into The Wild

Xanthe: rolleigram by kirstinmckee

Sam Cooke once sang, "It's been a long, long time coming but I know change gonna come, oh yes it will." Yes Sam Cooke, change is coming...new seasons, new life, new ideas.

With this Ring by soupatraveler

If you're like me though, the prospect of change is a bit scary. We often get set in our ways and struggle to step outside the invisible but defining lines that prevent us from greatness.

"My philosophy..." by farmgirl in flipflops

"My philosophy is that life is all about learning and growing, and that life can be a real adventure of learning, growing, compassion, and joyfulness." ~ John Mackey

"mama, come quick, I've found a little patch of heaven." by journeywithasimplegirl

However, I think we're finally ready to step out of the shadows, into a real adventure and find our own little patch of heaven. We're not exactly sure where it'll take us, but I hope you'll join us for the ride.

We look forward to seeing your "change" photos!


Ashley of Ramblings and Photos