looking up and standing your ground

Preparing this post I found a letter I had written to myself just shy of a year ago. I like letters, so I hope it's ok that I share parts of it with you.

...It's going to be a big year and not just on paper. I can feel it inside. Deeper than the obvious. Let me lend you some advice from a previous version of yourself who wasn't scared and didn't worry about being safe or doing the right thing. Hike up your skirt and be bold. Don't worry about getting a little dirty and taking the long road - easy is for the weak and boring. You are neither of those things. Remember stripping buck naked, setting the timer on your camera and jumping into that pool beneath the waterfall in northern Laos? Do that everyday for the rest of your life. Don't forget how that felt. Do whatever it takes to get the shot and don't be a chicken. Stand your ground a be true to what you believe is right. Tell people how you feel and be gracious in humility. Think with your head too, your heart can be kind of a dumbass sometimes. Keep looking to the future, planning for what might come next while being alive in the moment. And after all this, get off the fricken computer and go hug that man you love!...

When Tammy and the other muses invited me to be a part of the anniversary posts I felt that same rush as the first time they asked me to be a part of the muses in the beginning. I feel honoured to be a part of this alumni. I even got a little teary thinking back.

Of the ladies that I mused with every week, I can't say enough about you. I love you all. Big-boob-squishy-hugs love you all, you pushed me everyday to be a better photographer - I thank you for taking me in and can't wait to follow you into your new endeavours. To the new muses, be bold, hike your skirt up and jump into that water. I can't wait to see what you will come up with here.

I have new digs at blog.ampersandgrey.com and would love for you to find me on Facebook.

p.s I like you

Michel of Ampersand Grey

348:365 canoe by misty croney

good morning light

I don't know about you but Here Comes the Sun is pretty much the best thing I've heard since September. Man winter was a long cold mean bastard this go around. (can I say bastard?) Where I'm from, in the cold dark tundra as Maureen likes to call it, we don't get the longest garden season, but we survive. We decided we would get a jump on the growing season this year so we planted some seeds inside this month. I do a lot of time lapse so when Matt suggested I do one of our early garden, I had to oblige. I hope you don't mind me sharing a movie with you. This time lapse is over a period of eight days and is complied from over 900 photos.

Happy Spring! Hope you all have an amazing summer!!

Michel -xox
wishfulthinkingblog.com
and soon!
ampersandgrey.com

{16/52} April Child by farmgirl in flipflops

whatever makes you nervous

I read recently that whenever Michael Jordan steps onto the golf course his buddies always ask him what the bets are on the match, his standard response is "whatever makes you nervous."

I love this. This is what I'll bet on myself this year - whatever makes me nervous.  Not comfortable, not safe. Nervous.

Making this deal with myself has lead me down some pretty great paths already but one thing I must do is make this road a little less cluttered from distractions. I am launching a full force photography & design business this year - not just going with the flow like years past. I am getting married! I have some big things coming up and I need to focus on quality time with my loved ones. After my 365 is over I will not be spending unnecessary time online. I will be promoting my life with healthy choices and taking what I've learnt this year to push further into my career.

So where does that leave us? Well I will no longer be a regular muse but an on call and sporadic one instead, I will pop in here and there as the other ladies might need a break from their regular posts. One of the things that pushes me to be a better photographer is this community and the land of flickr. Something that I am so very grateful for. Soooooo, who's going to be my replacement?!? This is the exciting part!!!!!

Christy of Urban Muser is going to take the gig. yay! We are so very excited to welcome her on board with us. Her take on life in NYC is amazing & she will be sure to add some spice to this amazing group of ladies.

thanks for everything,
we'll see you soon!

Michel of wishful thinking
michelfeist.com

looking by Urban Muser

grateful in numbers

I made a promise this year - I Michel Feist do solemnly declare that this, the year of two thousand & ten I will post three hundred & sixty five photos to thy blog. 

In my brain, at that time it felt like it was that big of a deal. no joke. William Shakespeare himself said the words in my head. Looking back on it now it still seems like an impossible task. I definitely had some bumps along the way but am in the home stretch now (45 days left) and I'm getting all sentimental. Everyone has a different reason for doing 365's and mine was simply to become so comfortable with my camera and its settings that it would eventually become an extension of my arm. Oh and perhaps have some fun along the way. What I didn't count on - but was pleasantly surprised by - was the people I met along the way. This last week I have been grumbling about this project, unhappy with the lack of light, pouting about the photo block I've been "enduring" when all the while have also been looking back in retrospect with complete gratitude. If one thing is for certain - I definitely wasn't alone this year. People all around me were cracking me up, documenting their real lives, telling great stories, chasing amazing light, making amazing portraits and reminiscing great memories of travel. Thank you all for allowing me to join in this path with you. Please share with me images of your own personal 365 or thoughts on it today. Are you planning on doing one this year? how bout' a 52 project if every day is too much?

My numbers and the numbers running through ewitsoe's head are of completely different heartache. The only thing they hold in common are that they have brought each of us to find gratitude. I urge you to read the story that follows this image. It took my breath away.

keep on keeping on muser peeps!
michel of wishful thinking

The special significance of numbers and the magic they truly hold

autumn's sparkeh

If you recall I received a postcard from Summer earlier this year -  she dumped me. It was sad but it needed to happen. I was becoming way too dependent on her anyhow. I quickly rebounded to a handsome fellow called Autumn. ohh he was dreamy and knew just what to say. He was full of charisma & held unexpected elegance & spontaneity. In the morning we would be bundled up in wool, romping though the grass with toques on only to have the afternoon shine down the sun's warmth leaving us stripped to bare skin holding hands by the lake.  But alas he was just passing through with the carnival again this year and needed to get back on the road. I am alone once again. I have a feeling I am going to hunker down in this solitary season for awhile. I think I need some me time. If my relationship with Autumn taught me anything, is was to follow the light and get yourself some bokeh brilliance every chance you get. You never know when the next twist of light will come to give you a beautiful blurry sparkle.

I wonder what kind of love affair my Autumn had with Ciscolo. This image is breathtakingly gorgeous - I can only imagine the day they had together.

keep on keeping on muser peeps,
michel of wishful thinking

delicious autumn 154/365 by Ciscolo

peeping toms

I am a sucker for night photography - it gives me the excuse to be a bit creepy and sneaky. I normally go through my day trying not to stare at strangers. mostly. There are some pretty weird people out there - so I do my best. But at night? anything flies. No one can see you and you can peep away. Now before you call the fuzz on me and think I'm a total creeper, I am only peeping on people in public spaces [geesh]. I see a lot of photos of street photography shot during the day and I am just WAY too chicken for that. I prefer to peep at night under my cloak of darkness. like the silent night creeper. happily clicking away - hidden tightly in the bushes.

Its not that I think baresilver is a creeper too but her shot Seattle Night captured a moment of total strangers without their knowing and now she's gets to tell a story that otherwise wouldn't have been told. There's something cool [& sneaky] about that in my books.

keep on keeping on muser peep[er]s!
til next time,
Michel of wishful thinking

Seattle Night by baresilver

inspired connections

I feel overwhelmed with the abundant generosity and kindness swirling around the interwebs these days.  I have made so many connections online in various forums in these past few months I feel so blessed - I can't even begin to explain it. The ladies you see here everyday on this blog for instance - sharing their lives with you - we have never even met each other (outside of Kat and Suki's day in Paris) - in real life. And every day I am so inspired by their love for sharing and passion for photography and learning. Perhaps you don't find that as fascinating as I do - but it really blows my skirt up! I feel so connected with each of them and I have never made eye contact with any of them. Ten years ago this would have never happened. Facebook wasn't invented. GAASP!  Five years ago there was no flickr!  How would we have found each other?!?

Two years ago I found myself meandering uninspired though a photography group on facebook. That was until I came across this image. Something about it really jumped out at me. I decided I had to send this person a message telling them I was really amazed with their work. So I sent the message and she promptly replied. She was warm and sparkly, I was immediately smitten. She invited me to join the group and share my work. The photo I am sharing here was one I made for a weekly challenge in that group and was later published in two different magazines. This was the push for me to pursue what I loved, for me. The rest would just have to follow.

Next month I get to meet her - the beautiful Macarena, and I am so very excited. I hope I don't say something stupid. Who am I kidding I am totally going to say something stupid but thing is, I think she'll like me anyway.

see you soon muser peeps!
Michel of wishful thinking

'ironclad' by maki fotos

______________________

Oh yay! I love give-aways!!!! I am so excited to give away a 5x7 archival print of your choice from my blog - I may or may not toss a little snail mail surprise in there too.

Don't forget to check out all the other nine days of giveaways both here and on the More Musing page.

just gettin' er done sometimes

Oh boy, have we had a busy summer. A new house with a full basement reno. Full time, freelance jobs & volunteer gigs. Friends visiting, music festivals-a-going, photo-taking & commissions. Toss in a couple of blogs & flickr just for good measure. Add some precious alone time with my man - and on my own equals a recipe for take-out only in the food department I'm afraid. I've tried to spice it up I just don't have it in me after a long week. Its a darn good thing pizza is a favourite in our house b/c we're filling up on it this year. We are doing a lot of lifting our hands to our mouths in silence after the day has ended. What I wouldn't do for one of kellyk09's uncomplicated cookies right about now.

Share with me today what your go-to food is. When you're in a pinch what's the easiest for you and yours?

til next time muser peeps!
michel of wishful thinking

Life-uncomplicated by kellyk09

in night motion

I enjoy night photography. Long before I had a DSLR I tried to use my point and shoot to achieve these long exposures - to no avail. I would toss my camera up in the air or try the "spastic move" jerking your hands quickly while you press the shutter release - nothing could capture what I saw in my head. Now years later with tripod in hand I venture out quite frequently to capture the long dancing lines of light from cars headlights and tail lights.

I pine over the image shot by deannamaire, she captured this scene perfectly. I just love it.

later mus-a-rators

michel

xox

Tis a busy world we live in.. by deannamaire

good morning humbug

I don't like mornings. So there. I said it. I bear through them but I don't bode well without a substantial amount of quiet alone time and some coffee - a relaxing ease into the day. Please don't rush me. I used to fight it, argue that I wasn't grumpy & come up with all sorts of excuses - I just didn't sleep well, (Ya didn't sleep well? it's 6freakingAM! who gets up this early on purpose?), I was up late last night..

Ah ha, that's why I don't do well in the morning, it's because what I hate most about morning is that it usually comes after a late night, which I LOVE!

Late at night when everyone is in bed, I'm alone in my office working, or curled up with a good book. I can tippy toe to the fridge to rummage for something, anything - what? There's a beer in here? Okay I can have beer if I want. Being up late is sneaky. I look out my kitchen window and everyone else's lights are out. I should be in bed but I don't have to. Oh good grief morning is going to make me pay for this tomorrow.

I should take a tip from {.erika's.} little man. Maybe I'd feel better in the morning with a Darth Vader mask on my head.

see you in a few muse peeps!
michel of wishful thinking

262:365 by {.erika.}

it's not good-bye but farewell

I found this postcard on my step this morning - this is what it read;

My dearest Michel,

We've had a wonderful couple of months you and I but now I must go. Autumn is on its way and I need to make room for him. I will never forget the sunsets we shared over the lake and that evening we strolled through the park. Do you remember that night? I will never forget it. I gave you a few thunderstorms because I know they are your favourite and although I tried to keep the mosquitoes off you this year, I just can't compete with a force like that. What is it with you and the mosquitoes?

Anyway, in a few weeks, when things start to get cold - the wind picks up and it seems unbearable - close your eyes, put your hands on your face and feel my warmth on your skin. It's not good-bye but farewell.

I will return. I promise and when I do you will forget I was ever gone.

Yours,
Summer

So its official. Summer broke up with me - I knew it was coming. I will get over it with the help of my good friend Autumn - it is a big help when he brings me the golden dancing hues like the one pix-olga captured here. Wow. Summer who?

I'll miss you,
Michel
xox

untitled by pix-olga

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

________________________________________________

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.

on the edge

Whatever the story - whatever the angle, an antique represents a memory to me first and foremost.

I don't have a lot of treasures saved in form of tangible archives, although I am in love with a lot of "things" which I know at any moment could be gone.

The love of my life gave me this old wooden box to carry around my photography equipment. It also seconds as a box for subjects to sit on, lean on and stand on. I found out this week that it was given to him on his 13th birthday by his best friend. What a legacy I am carrying around with me. I now cherish it even more.

I think that part of being an antique is the story that goes along with it. Thank you all for sharing your legacies. It has been an amazing journey to follow along with you through your favourite keepsakes.

Most times "just right" is oh so perfect - soupatraveler nailed it.

Oh boy digity doy!
I am so excited about the reflections theme - you have no idea!
see you in a few!
michel
xox

Cheers to Your Weekend! by soupatraveler

...and all the shades of grey

My favourite thing about being a part of this project is the stories you all share with your photographs. Well now I know my favourite stories are the ones told in black and white. Other than the obvious more dramatic feel of a black and white photo - the lack of "color" tells a far more interesting story to me. 

As a designer I start everything in grey - grey is also my favourite color therefore it's not strange that I love monochrome photos the best. Don't get me wrong I do like a bright flaring sun, the softness of bokeh around its subject, the blossom of a flower but there is something just so enchanting about a black & white image. While in University my first year photography class was a study in black and white. we developed all the film and learnt the actual dodge and burn techniques with old school tools - a piece of paper with a hole cut out and a coat hanger with tape on the end. I'd stay in the dark room until 5am sometimes, trying to get the shot I wanted to come to life. Looking through this week's gallery on flickr reminded me of the wonderful things I loved about that process. 

I have been very introspective this week.  I tend to analyze things differently and more linearly in my head when I feel like this. I study things more like a mathematician. I see things in numbers almost. its weird but that's how I've been shooting lately. 

This photo shot by drdesigns reminds me of a photo shot in film. I immediately loved it the moment I saw it. I assumed one of the other muses would snatch it up but I am so glad they didn't. the texture, the crispness, the tone. love it! I have no idea what this thing is on that rough old piece of wood, but I just love it. and want one of my very own. 

Uploaded by drdesigns on 18 Mar 10, 2.46PM MDT.

Thank you so much for sharing your black & white stories with us, we were all truly inspired wandering through the flickr group this go around. 

Next theme is antiques.

happy shooting my fellow musing peeps! 

xox

m

this is my house

Oh boy! you guys are rocking the flickr group! You are making it so hard to pick! Great job and thank you so much for being so awesome. really. 

In my house this summer chores and reno's are a plenty. Some say work, I say photo op!

This week along with the Around the House theme I have been keeping perspective in mind - POV what ever you want to call it. Positioning yourself on the same plain of the subject can give you some really interesting results. Especially when shooting kids. Get down on your belly if you have to, if you're able and try a shot from a different angle. Place your camera right on the ground and shoot blind even. If this is something "outside your photographic box", you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Uploaded by naomiella on 16 Jul 10, 3.20PM MDT.

naomiella is capturing the most precious moments in this shot. I just love this portrait - and those paints?! Adorable. I still have a water colour set just like them. Great job getting on your subject's level.

wow. two themes down! I can't believe it. next up; 

Black and White (Again are you kidding me with all your amazing photos in the flickr group?!?). Take it away Tammy!

See you in a few!

michel

xox

Cool like a tall drink

Wow. This is just amazing. A muse? I feel pretty awkward. I'll do my best so please bare with me. To reiterate the other 8 muses' and their words of gratitude, I thank all of you for taking part in this amazing project . You inspire and motivate. I hope I can do the same for all of you. 

I have been battling with this theme in that I don't have a ritual to partake in to keep cool with the limited summer days I have in this northern climate of Edmonton Alberta. I actually relish in any warmth we get. I sweat with pride so to speak. (ewwww gross) Really though, I soak it all in. 

Although without tradition, one thing you can be sure of is I will be involved in laughter with good people during many summer days and nights. Winding down the day with good company and perhaps a glass of vino.

This is precisely why I chose this photo below. I saw the photo of  eahNC and covet the southern tradition it lends. I see this jar being shared with love. I have always pictured my 83 year old self sitting on a porch swing with my love, sucking back a lemonade or ice tea basking in the twilight of dusk. Gathering up our thoughts on the day. *sigh*. This photo has the tradition my 34 year old self some day hopes for. 

Uploaded on Jul 8, 2010 by eahNC

Oh my gosh, this brings an end to our very first theme! We have absolutely loved these past nine days and truly hope you all keep coming back for the upcoming theme of Around the House. Tammy will start us off tomorrow with our first post. 

whoop whoop! see you in 9 days. 

xox 

m

michel - what's in your bag?

michel

designer & photographer

alberta, canada

Nikon D80
Nikkor 50mm 1.8
Nikkor 105mm Micro AF 2.8
Nikkor 18-135mm being replaced this month with a Nikkor 17-55mm 2.8
Sigma 20mm 1.8
Nikon speedlight SB-600

numerous other bells and whistles with apple boxes and reflectors - tripods and monopods.

I also shoot with a Holga toy camera
and my trusty iphone with the Hipstamatic and Plastic bullet app