inner connection & self reflection

Perhaps it is just the time of year or the change of a season, but at this time every year I notice that I am far more self aware. I tend to see the bigger picture just a little bit clearer.

I have fun with reflections on my blog a lot; with people, on the street, downtown, at the coffee shop, of birds and night walking.

Needless to say this theme and I got along swimmingly. But as I try to do each week, I wanted to take a new photo to share with you and with all this self reflection going on here - I chose to make a self portrait (mostly). Fittingly enough, I chose to pair it with another selfie in urban muser's shot.

How do you reflect on the changes of season or connect with your inner self?  Show us some photos of your inner connection or some words on how you are reflecting these days.

til next time,
michel
xox

convex reflection by urban muser

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And the winner of Lucy's giveaway, a lovely copy of The Sea Day By Day by renowned marine photographer Philip Plisson is Kyria!  Please email us your address so we can send your gift.

reflecting on love

This past week I have been reflecting on my life, who I am, and who I want to become.  It all boils down to this man.  Who I am today is because of him.  Don't get me wrong, I know I am a strong independent woman, but I am a better ME because of him.  He supports and loves me unconditionally and his strength and faith are unwavering.  I am grateful everyday for him, his love and our family.

I love this image from Oh beautiful world.  I wonder if this is her love?  Either way, it is stunning.  I hope you all take some time to reflect on those you love and how they have shaped you into who you are today.

April :)

untitled by oh beautiful world

a moment's reflection

I've had such fun with reflections this week and it looks as you all had plenty too; the symmetry the reflections can make, the hidden stories they can tell, the self-portraits, even the play on the word reflection. I've shared my enthusiasm for reflections with my daughter and we've taken pictures in car mirrors, shop windows, ponds, barbecue lids and even spoons. We had particular fun at the opticians; so many reflections in so many sunglasses! But this was my favourite picture of the week. I love the colour of the water and the way the splash is reflected. It wasn't just the reflection...it was the way it was framed by the dell we spent a good hour playing in last weekend.

I chose Jamie{74}'s picture because I loved not only the reflection but the bokeh framing it, trying to tell its own story too.

Alas, it is coming to the end of a great summer and this week I hope to capture some of those last few moments before autumn is truly upon us. I look forward to looking at all of your pictures too, keeping me on my toes as ever!

kirstin
x

we belong to the light by jamie{74}

mirrored arches

I found this theme to be quite challenging. When I think of a reflection shot, I immediately think of a water shot, mainly a larger body of water. And there are so many more places to look for reflections than ponds or lakes. Windows, mirrors, shiny metal, polished stone, small puddles, or even the faces of people reflecting the emotion of an event. Rural views of reflections are mainly found in water sources. City locations offer endless possibilities, in some cases entire buildings offer up reflections of the architecture around them. Once I opened up my mind to the opportunities, I began to see reflections everywhere. 

I looked around on the internet for some help and information about shooting reflections, and found a few tips. When shooting a landscape reflection I learned that it’s important to get maximum focus by using the smallest possible aperture, and the use of a polarizing filter will clarify the reflected image and intensify the colors in the image. With that information in mind, I decided to head to downtown St. Louis and shoot the Gateway Arch. It had been a rainy day, which made for lots of puddles for reflections. However, there was still a layer of cloud cover, no blue sky shots today, unfortunately.

I did, in the end, get a reflection of the Arch taken from one of the reflecting pools on the park grounds. Guess what I left at home? Of course, my polarizing filter.

I love how this photo by Karen1448 has a similar mirrored arch reflection.

If you have found this theme (like me) to be a difficult challenge, I encourage you to go out and try it again. Look for reflections in your daily life, once you begin to look for them, you’ll really see them. Reflections are everywhere and offer unlimited opportunities for creative and unusual photos.

see you in the flickr pool

♥ maureen

reflection 3 by karen1448

opposites attract

How are you reflected in what you choose to photograph? What glimpses of yourself do you offer to the world, even when you're not actually in the photograph?  Do you ever find yourself drawn in two directions at once?  Given the choice of opposites, how do you reveal yourself?

Are you:
Ocean or lake?  (Salty? Fresh?)
Sky or canyon? (Stormy? Deep?)
Valley or mountaintop? (Verdant? Breathtaking?)
Countryside or cityscape? (Moonlight? Neon?)

Today, I'm drawn to both the beach and the city.  In my photo, I am millions of golden-silver lights reflected on the September sea.  And dotintime is an endless indigo cloud-filled sky reflected on a busy city street.  Seemingly opposites, they're really  just two unique reflections of the same skies above.

What words describe you and your photographs?  Do you find polarities in your images?   Leave us a comment and tell us what's reflected back when you look at yourself through your camera's eye. 

clouds by dotintime

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Oh, and one last thing.  To encourage you to share a bit about yourself in the comments and answer the question I posed above, let's entice you with a giveaway!

Leave a comment here or post a comment on our facebook page and you will be eligible to win a lovely copy of The Sea Day By Day by renowned marine photographer Philip Plisson.  The book, published by Abrams in 2003, features 365 of his photographs depicting the sea in all its many moods. 

Here's the fine print:  You must be a follower of the Mortal Muses blog to win.  Comment here or on facebook by midnight on Monday, September 13th.  The winner will be determined at random and announced by Michel on Wednesday, September 15th.

Until next time.

--lucy

secret message

I had trouble with this prompt.  I admit it.  My mood over this past week, for various reasons, has bordered on snarly.  I edited what photos I managed to shoot into monotone colour palettes, which matched my frame of mind but did nothing for the photos.  My regular system of sorting and organizing files on my computer became a virtual tantrum of throwing photos over my shoulder into a heap on the floor.  I've been a delight to be around as you can imagine.

I woke up this morning knowing I needed to start fresh.  A blank piece of paper.  I took myself out for a photo walk but had trouble finding an image with which I could live.  The wind was kicking up the water too much.  The clouds were in the wrong place.  The angle of the sun wasn't working.  Knowing I was running out of time, I treated myself to a latté and sat sipping it with my legs dangling over the edge of a dock, contemplating the water below me.

The dancing light on a nearby sailboat finally caught my eye and there it was.  I raised my camera.

I had a much easier time choosing muchadesign's exquisite photo.  There were two with similar themes, and on one of them was a comment about seeing a secret message in the reeds reflected in that satiny water.

Message received.  And about time too.

Happy Friday, muses.  

cheers,
mosey

reflect_1 by muchadesign

A microwave reflection

Reflections can be a honest truth about ourselves. How we roll. What we like, and what not.
Reflections can be mirrors.. They can show you how you look today revealing your beauty in it's fullest way.
Reflections are raw and honest. Yet they never hide your beauty.

Once again I was stunned at what kind of beauty gathers in the flickr pool. This beauty contributed by Angie JJD captured the theme so perfectly.

I so enjoy looking at everyone's pictures in the pool. Keep them coming!

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Spiegelbilder können sehr ehrliche Wahrheiten über uns enthüllen. Wie wir funktionieren.
Was wir mögen und was nicht.
Spiegelungen können Spiegelbilder erzeugen. Sie zeigen dir, wie du heute aussieht und geben deine volle Schönheit preis.
Spiegelbilder sind ehrlich und nackt. Jedoch verhüllen sie niemals deine Schönheit.

Ich war wieder sehr erstaunt und scheine jede Woche aufs neue von der wundervollen Arbeit im flickr pool überrascht zu sein. Angie JJD hat dieses Thema perfekt eingefangen.

Ich liebe es alle Bilder im pool anzuschauen. Weiter so!

Love,

Suki

shower time by Angie JJD

serene green

Reflections - what a wonderful topic to begin my musings here! My favorite reflections to capture are in glass and in water, because these mediums don't reflect things exactly as they are. They are sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically altered. With water, the reflection is changed by the light above, the depth and clarity of the water, and the unpredictable element of the surface. In my image, the sunny reflections give a wonderful continuity to the trees, leaving me with the feeling of being safely sheltered on this path in a blue-green world. The ripples on the surface turn the tree reflections into an impressionist painting.

I was struck by RiaPereira's pond reflection, where the surface is glassy smooth, but the shallow depth of the pool and clarity of the water add multiple surfaces to view. I keep looking at this image and pulling out more and more details overlaid with one another. A beautiful, peaceful place to sit and look and think in the serene green. I would like to visit this place.

But for now, I'm satisfied to be where I am, talking photography with you all on Mortal Muses!

Kat

Pond Reflection *iPhone Capture by RiaPereira

a reflection of me

As artists, we approach each creative endeavour as an opportunity to reflect oneself. Whether I am playing my pedal harp, designing kitchens, or taking photographs, I try to infuse a bit of me in everything I do.

In my music, you will hear my love for inspirational and sacred instrumentals;  in my designs, you will notice my attention to detail; and in my photographs, you will see my quirky sense of humor and quest for everyday beauty.

While contemplating this theme, I emailed the question How is your art a reflection of you? to two of my favorite multi-media artists. I have included their answers for you to ponder. Please take the time to visit their artist websites. You will find that their artwork is truly a reflection of who they are.

"My art is a reflection of me because it includes colors, reoccurring motifs, symbols, images, words and ideas about identity, especially race, gender, class and culture, that are important to me. I also use media (plaster, my own photography and paint) that just feels "right" to me. When I work within these parameters, my artwork flows easily and I love the results.”  - Maria "Rinda" Ontiveros, Gallo Organico

“My art is all about Love and the path to making sure my life stays focused there. Love for myself, love for those I share the path with, love for the beauty in this world, and even love for the “unlovable”. I believe that Love is the way, and I think that shows in every piece of art I make.”  - Kim Mailhot, Queen of Arts

For a companion photo, I was looking for the reflection of a truly creative spirit and rubyt's submission caught my attention.  She is sitting in front of a large mirror. The hand mirror is actually reflecting her sly little smile into the large mirror.  I think that the end result is wonderful. Don't you?

So today I leave you with the same question... "How is your art a reflection of you?"

stay sweet. ♥ tammy lee

three perspectives, quick by rubyt

The new theme is END OF SUMMER.

You may start submitting your pictures as of today.