mosaic muse {looking out, looking in}

1. what happens if...., 2. Looking Outside, 3. catography, 4. Dear Agfachrome... (+1), 5. a glimpse of creativity., 6. i promise: the last batch of photos from, 7. "luev", 8. hmmm... what's for dinner?, 9. afternoon light, 10. Outside looking in., 11. Untitled, 12. 83/365, 13. The enclosure of yourself, 14. how wonderful is modern technology?, 15. At work, 16. the shoot outtake

I love a good story! For a story to work, there needs to be a scene created and characters developed. I was struck by all the stories I saw in the images in our Flickr pool for this prompt. The images left me wanting to know more of the story.

Enjoy the compilation of stories in this mosaic, and share more stories with us in the linky this weekend. Looking out, or looking in.

 Kat of Kat Eye Studio


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looking in as an outsider

I recently went on a trip for a few days to city that had me feeling like a real outsider looking in. Everything about this place was dramatically different than home. Most noticeable was the color palette. Temperatures outside low enough to obliterate any a hint of green, this was not the land of palm trees and manicured lawns. Camera in pocket I set out to looking to capture images that would bring back those memories some day.

At the base of this beige monolithic brick and mortar hotel there was was a row of windows offering a glimpse through a busy hallway into the windows of a toy store. The glow of the lights and carefully color coordinated displays were a magnet to the young and old.

I called this How Much is that Monster in the Window.

Using windows is one of the easiest ways to frame and draw the eye inwards. You may find yourself leaning in for a closer view of what lies just beyond. Center focus helps direct the eye as well. 

When I searched for an image to feature from the Mortal Muse Flickr Group I knew quickly that my choice was Montacute House 2 by Gitte Morten. I was immediately drawn in past the moss covered opening and into a courtyard with tiny bokeh people I could just barely make out. There was also another layer to this photo that I loved the darkened doorway. Reminds me of a secret door that you just can't resist to find what's behind it. Thank you Gitte for sharing this image with us.


Lindsey | the modchik

looking out to be present within

 "If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us." ~ Daisaku Ikeda

While searching through my flickr stream the other day, I came across this image from last summer, which, coincidentally, I'd entitled "Looking Out & Looking In." It made me realize that I have a propensity for taking self-portraits that usually never see the light of day. Little, spontaneous snippets of my life, caught in some sort of reflective surface like this one taken in the glass of our front door. A summer dress. A happy dog. He's looking out, and I'm looking in. Truly a moment to remember, and one that fortunately made it out of the archives having been shot for last year's 365. Under the caption, I'd written, "Took this one last night just after the sun went down, and right before Maj went crazy when a bike rode by!"

Catching memories like this one, serve as a happy reminder that I'm blessed with an abundance of beautiful moments. The funny thing though, is that I often forget about them. As much as I try to be present, to live in the moment and see the everyday beauty around me, I can get lost in thought, caught up in the daily grind of life's mundane realities: bills to pay, a house to be cleaned, a dog who requires more exercise than I do! So as a photographer, I'm fortunate that regardless of where my mind might wander off, my natural instinct is to record what's around me while its happening, often leaving a trail of random self-portraits to follow throughout my archives. A catalog of self-expression in puddles, shop windows, rear-view mirrors, and sunglasses.

When I came across Bettie New's image below, coupled up with the above quote, I knew she has these photographic reflexes too. Hopefully, I'll keep remembering to record my own "love of life" while the world continues to remind me of the beauty that's always right beyond my lens. How do you remind yourself to be present? 

Holly ~ Soupatraveler

looking beyond the window panes

The past week's weather, in my part of the world, has been a bit all over the place...warm one day and cold the next. If only I didn't have to work on those beautiful days. However, on even the gloomiest days, I can't help but to allow my imagination to take over. To pretend for even a tiny moment that Spring has arrived. To imagine children playing on grassy knolls. To people watch as the locals go about their daily routines.

But alas, it is not spring and the streets are bare...as portrayed in ~ania♥'s photo below. People watching must be done in the memories of another time. Yet, these windows allow our hearts and minds to look beyond these window panes...at least until our feet are willing to walk outside. 

Until next time,
Ashley of Ramblings and Photos

Monday Blues by ~ania♥

looking out, looking in: seeing life through our lens

Our eyes take in an extraordinary amount of information each day, but only a small portion of that information is actually processed by our minds. As photographers, we are constantly looking, even when we are not taking a photo, at the world around us, often subconsciously thinking, "How would I photograph this?" While this is a really great thing to do, we may often get bogged down in the hurry of every day life, or get in the routine of feeling a sense of obligation to take a photo and post it online somewhere, or else everyone will be asking us if we're feeling okay. It never hurts to stop and ask yourself, "I'm looking, or am I seeing?" Seeing is totally different than looking, because when you are looking, you could be totally zoned out and not even be thinking about what is around you. When you see things, you grasp the bigger picture, the entire scope of the scene or the moment.

Simply take a moment to look out your window, wherever you are, even if you're at work! Start from the ground, working your way up to the sky, and do your best to notice every detail you can possibly take in. If you spend a minute or two doing this, you'll notice things outside your window that you may have looked at before, but this will be the first time that you've actually noticed or truly seen them.

The more you look out, the more you will look in, at the inner-workings of your mind. The things that we look at, through our lenses, are a reflection of what is inside of us, and how we see the world. Even the way we process our photos or our film is our way of expressing what is in our hearts, and our unique perspective on the world.

My husband is a photographer who specializes in rural decay, so I tag along with him to see new locations, and scenes I wouldn't normally shoot. I spend a lot of time looking into room and hallways, wondering about the people who used to inhabit them.

This photo by Tara on the Wander is a wonderful representation how we, as photographers, should look at the world - with a sense of child-like wonder, taking in every detail that our eyes can see.

Anna, of Anna Gay Photography

i love a rainy night {308/365} by tara on the wander

looking for spring

Miles likes to count. He likes to have a firm grip on the passing of time. He likes to ask number questions all the time;  how long it is until I will pick him up from school, how long until lunch, how long until the night is over, how many minutes? How long until his next birthday? Next Christmas? His sister's birthday? And the thing is, he remembers, and counts down.

The weather was mild today and I opened the windows to let some fresh air in. Miles looked out wistfully and asked me: "How many days, mummy?" I wasn't sure what he meant. "Until what, Miles?" I asked. "Until spring? How many days until the winter is finished?"

I love Patty's picture. I can almost feel how much she is willing spring to start so she can begin watering her garden and watch things grow.

But it's not long now. I know we can wait. Together.

Have you spotted any signs of spring yet? Are you counting the days like Miles?

kirstin of fleeting moments.

waiting for spring by picture this/patty

looking inside myself

Over the past few weeks I've enjoyed my journey looking out your windows, behind your doors, through your lenses and even into your afternoon tea. As I saw your pattern of daily routines emerge I started to think about some of my own routines and the things that I look in and out of everyday...

And there it was, right under my nose (well almost). I bought this locket as a present to myself at the start of the new year. It has my word of the year, "believe", stamped on the inside and hangs around my neck as a constant reminder to never give up. It has become a window to my heart and my dreams. I wear it every day, opening it up and looking inside it each morning before I slip it on.  At times I find myself unconsciously running my thumb across the back of the locket where the pressed letters poke through the brass spelling my word "believe" backwards. It has become my talisman, my good luck charm. It grounds me when I need it most.

I love this photo of Deb's keys and wonder what they symbolize for her. Do they hold the promise of unlocking the door to new adventures and ideas? I hope she will use them to follow her dreams this year too.

~christy {urban muser}

"ideas can be life changing..." by deb did it

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

the next theme is... LOOKING OUT, LOOKING IN

In the course of a day, have you ever noticed how often you are looking out or looking in?

Maybe you are looking out for a friend to meet you...

Cheers to your Weekend AND Your New Year!! by tumbleweed.in.eden 

 ... or looking out at the world going by.

  Early Morning at the Window by Kat Eye View

As photographers, we look in all the time too. Into our cameras...  

leaves through Clyde, the argus by KirstinMcKee 

 ...and our subjects.

  Bottom's Up by soupatraveler 

 You might even spend time, looking deep within yourself.

  "in the moment we are timeless" by soul aperture {christina} 

Notice where you look out and look in, through the course of your day. Capture these moments and share your images of LOOKING OUT, LOOKING IN with us in the Flickr pool. 

Tomorrow we begin musing on WINTER IN BLACK AND WHITE. I can't wait!! 

Kat of The Kat Eye View of the World