Surrender... my word for 2015

by Susan

photo courtesy of Dr. Holly Oxhandler

It's not 'surrender' in the 'defeat' sense of the definition... it's more of a... letting go. 

Life throws us challenges... some good... some great... and some... not-so-good.  Those challenges can be brought on by ourselves, family members, friends, co-workers... and people we don't even associate with. 

There are challenges that make us better people. 

There are challenges brought on by others... that test who we are. 

There are challenges we bring unto ourselves.

There are challenges to our well-being, our health and that of loved ones.

There are also those challenges that when we see people we love and care for, make poor choices. 

Now, back to my word for 2015.  Surrender.  It came about one day, last month or so ago, in a conversation with my daughter Holly.  She wanted to share her word for 2015, which was surrender and thought that maybe it would ring true with me too. She's got a lot on her plate... and she knows that I do, too... but the reality is, I think we both bring on a few more things than we can actually handle each day.  So she shared her word, surrender. And let me tell you the minute I heard it... it was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulder.  Surrender became something I would repeat nightly, under my breath as I closed my eyes. I realized that there were some things in my life that I could control... and things that I could not. I realized that repeating this word... helped me sleep.  Repeating this word brought clarity and new found joy. 

To me, surrender isn't about giving up at all.  It's not about defeat.  It's a calming word during a challenging time. It helps make clear choices.

With that said, I'd like to thank all of my FOL sisters for the conversations, the joy, the time we had together in Galveston. You see, this is my last post here at FOL. So, thank you ladies... thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this inspirational and creative group.  I've loved being a part of this group and wish I could stay, but due to an exhaustive growing work schedule and travel, and family members needing me more than ever at this time, I've had to let go of some things... and FOL contributing member is one of them.

Life brings challenges, the good... and the not-so-good.  When it gets overwhelming, maybe you too will find the clarity... the calm... the serenity of this one word, surrender... take a breath... and let... it... go...

*Special thank you to my daughter Holly for the image above. We both have this same mug that sits on our desks as a gentle reminder throughout the day.*

xo ~ susan

Don't Forget to Add This to Your Holiday List

by Susan

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and oh... I'm really hoping so here.  You see, it's about 1:00am and after working 12 hour days, no weekends off... I'm scrambling here to put together a post.  Ugh! Let's face it, I'm beat.  When my family sees this post they will pretty much just laugh it off and be like...'YOU'RE (???) telling people how important it is to practice self-care?' ... and then the laughter would come.  BaaHAAhaabahaha....... humbug.  :(

So, with that little introduction said, I'm going to practice a little self-care and get some sweet sleep.

Here's wishing everyone a most beautiful, healthy and happy holiday! Cheers to all of you! 

Nighty night.

Happy Holidays! ~ xo's

The Light Within...

by Susan

As we focus this month and celebrate the 'season of light', let's remember to take a moment to focus on the light within... kindness, compassion, love, forgiveness... and so on.  Capturing those moments, during the holiday season and beyond... is priceless.

For two year old Callie, she feels the light within as we collect leaves, pinecones and berries to share with the rest of the family.  Callie is just a small child, and yet as she picks little red berries, finds fallen leaves or stumbles upon pinecones, she runs to show me before placing in her paper bag.  Little Callie shares her discoveries with me, notices my big smile... click goes the camera shutter... and I've captured a unique and different light... the light within.

{'the light within' is my little reference to a higher power that helps us all to be better, kinder & more compassionate human beings... }

How will you capture 'the light within' this season... and all year long? Whether it's good deeds, a kind word, paying it forward, and so on... try to photograph another's light, as well as your own. Print it out as a gentle daily reminder.  You'll be glad you did. :)

~ peace

Finding the Positive in the Negative

by Susan

Negative space... the area in a photo giving the subject a little... breathing room. 

How ironic is it that in life, when we are given a little 'breathing room' ourselves... our minds begin to unclutter, decompress and slowly rejuvenate. 

Negative space gives room to breath.

Negative space gives room to grow... to create... and to renew.

Negative space opens our minds... which in turn helps us to refocus.

Negative space isn't 'negative' at all. 

There are so many ways to find your 'breathing room' and clear your mind.  For instance, take a hot bath... go for a long walk... ride a bike... meditate... practice yoga... and on and on.

For myself, I enjoy running.  During this time I do not listen to music... but simply unwind by listening to my breath.  I guess you could say it's a form of meditation for me. My mind empties in a matter of minutes and becomes... clearer.  I am the leaf and my space is the running path ahead of me. It's vast... and I embrace it with joy!

So, my question for you today is... can you relate to that photo and the message behind it?  And if so... how?  

 

Staying Connected...

by Susan

 

"Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey.  At other times, it is allowing another to take yours."

  This month as we celebrate gratitude, one thing sits heavy on my mind... staying connected.  It seems that this time of year, more often than not, the majority of us feel that need and longing to reach out to loved ones... to connect with our family and friends, who are... so far away.  

 

There are so many wonderful ways to stay connected with loved ones!  Pick up your phone, make a video call... or better yet... make a special video for your daughter, son, husband, wife, mom and dad... so they have it forever. There will be days when you will want a video at arms reach... days when you just need to feel present in their life... to feel connected.

“The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers & cities; but to know someone who thinks & feels with us, & who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.”  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe  

Stay connected. Grab your phone. Make a video. Hit 'send'... and then maybe... just maybe... you'll get an instant video reply... an instant connection... to make that long-distance-gap just a little bit easier on your soul.

Worth a Thousand Words

by Susan

 At first I was going to just title this post, 'No Title' and then realized after writing the post... I did indeed have a title. After sitting at this computer for the past several hours going through tens of hundreds of photos, all from our FOL Galveston trip, I was at a loss as what to 'focus on' for my post.  My brain seriously felt... fuzzy... like I'm still trying to process everything from last weeks gathering... too quickly.  Does that make sense?  Have you ever had that moment when you have soooo much to talk about that you just don't know where to begin? That's where I am... 

 

We've all heard the saying 'a photograph is worth a thousand words' right?  I was finding it difficult to find the words to express my gratitude (and it is beyond great) for this past gathering... so I'm going to let my photographs help me out here and speak for themselves.

Carol and Kelly - ready to go! And yes, we did travel like this... well... once. :)

Kelly and Leigh... one, two three JUMP! Not bad at 7:00am in the morning!

To my FOL sisters... thank you, thank you for all the inspiration, laughs, tears, hugs, early morning rises and late night talks... and on and on.  I love you all and will always remember our time together!  ~ xo's

Fall's Beauty...

by Susan

'a fallen leaf is nothing more than a summer's wave goodbye' - author unknown

October is here and we are full swing into fall...  and nature gently reminds us of this.  The once green leaves turn to golden yellows, burnt oranges and reds.  These two leaves are magnificent... and all I can see here is pure bliss, joy and two happy souls. 

With that said, I'd like to pull a quote from our monthly focus page and share with you. 

- "for the month of October, as we enter the twilight of the year, let's focus on finding the beauty in the letting go."

With that quote in mind, I searched for the image above throughout my insane stash of photos... looked and looked and then there it was... the two leaves appearing to be waving, dancing, holding hands... celebrating the last HOO-HAH of the season.  Winter will be here soon and mother nature instinctively knows this... and uses captivating colors to remind us. 

There is beauty in the letting go... 

Go out there... find the beauty.  It's all around you just waiting to be discovered.  ~ xo's

Visually Speaking

by Susan

I'm so excited about our monthly focus theme! Yeah… I picked it, so I'm a little biased. With that said, have fun with it this month.  See which words and quotes you tend to gravitate towards, whether it's adding them to an image… or capturing with your camera.  Sound like a challenge? Hope so… because with every challenge… we grow. 

We all know that a photograph can speak a thousand words, take us to another place, put a smile in our heart or bring a tear to our eye.  When we put that photo/art out into the public's eye, it is our hope that the viewer gets what we are trying to say, visually.  Sometimes though, we may need a little help. By just adding a few words or a quote, it can completely transform our image and the emotions that may come from it.

For example, the image below started off as a random handful of picked berries that I placed into a heart shape. It didn't really make-you-feel anything.  Once I added 3 simple little words, 'you are loved' my message to the viewer became clear and positive vibes went out to the universe...

Then there is the message of Ghandi… so powerful yet… so surreal.  If you could hear how the image spoke (that image below) the day I was photographing it. The tall soft grass made a gentle sound as the slight breeze moved each wispy piece from side to side.  Ghandi's quote brought this image, and what I was feeling that day, to fruition.  

Just as there are images we add words to, there are also those images that start right with word art from the get-go. The image below was a fun-filled day at the beach with my family and at the moment, all I wanted to do was hold on to this fantastic day… forever.  It's a great little pick-me-up on those not-so-great days. You know the ones I'm talking about…the shitty days… 

Yes… I said 'shitty'… and hopefully it made you chuckle.  If not… well… refer to the image above. :)

In all seriousness my friends… have fun this month with your photography! Add a few words, relay a little message and share! You may touch another's soul more than you know… 

~ play along with our monthly focus and share your images in our flickr pool! maybe you will be our next 'focus on you' this week! 

'Interpreting...Yellow'

by Susan

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform the yellow spot into the sun"

~ pablo picasso

A quiet question to ask yourself today… which one are you?  

'be still'

by Susan

'the quieter you become, the more you can hear.'  ~  ram dass

A simple, quiet message to focus on… today.

~ xo's

'Simple' PS Summertime Tip...

by Susan

Happy Wednesday!

In keeping with our theme this month 'simplicity'… here is a simple and fun photoshop tip that I'd like to share with you.  C'mon… you've got a few minutes to spare… come try this out!

In the image above, you will see a parked cruiser bike, my niece in the background, and lots of blue sparkly water.  What you don't see is what the image looked like prior to a little photoshop… magic! 

With that said, let's take a look at the original image below:

Notice the difference?  The sun was directly overhead and well… kinda flat.  Not much light reflecting off of the water.  So I, and my handy assistant photoshop, helped out mother nature and tweaked it a bit.  Voila! Sparkly water! 

If you know photoshop, this is really a very simple adjustment to your image.  

If you are a newbie to photoshop, there are some great classes online.  Some of my fav's can be found at kimklassencafe.com and Lynda.com.  You can also find free video tutorials on you tube… free! So, go learn, have fun, and play around in photoshop!  And as always… we'd love to see your final image in our flickr pool and instagram! ~ xo's!

Simply Said...

by Susan

Short. Sweet. To the point.  

With simplicity being our focus this month, I've decided to also scale my post down to this simple image and quote… but one that gives great thought.

With that said… what is your gift? How do you give it meaning… purpose?

Such a private question… an important question… to ask yourself.  

Ponder away…

~ xo

Finding Simplicity...

by Susan

'Out of clutter, find simplicity.'  -  Albert Einstein

{this months theme: simplicity}

That's me, in the airport... waiting.  I'll be there again next week, the week after that and so on... and so on.  There is a reason... a purpose...

"Life is simplified when there is one center; one reason, one motivation, one direction and purpose." ~ Jean Fleming

Life is busy... especially when trying to simplify it.  Simply put, I'm exhausted from trying to simplify life.  Working long hours, weekends, traveling... and keeping up with writing... is taking it's toll.  Do I quit... give up... let exhaustion win? Not if I keep the goal of 'simplifying life' a priority.  To simplify life means getting through all the clutter... the flights, the shows, the maintaining of 2 separate studios across the country.  One day, the 2 studios will become one, in one location, one workspace... less clutter... simpler {sweet sigh}.  It's been a work in progress and it's finally happening. The vision is a reality and all that hard work will have paid off to make life a bit more simplified... for everyone involved…

Finding simplicity... making one's life less chaotic and simplified... takes a lot of hard work.  Achieving a life of simplicity is far from simple.  Think of people who work all their lives for retirement... so they can afford for life to be... well, you know... simplified. 

To do: Name 'one center' of your life where simplifying could benefit yourself and those around you. Write it down... make a goal... achieve it. Remember that simplifying isn't always easy. Maybe your goal is to retire by age 60 and that will take a lot of hard work, saving money and patience. Maybe it's living simply in your home, which also means working-to-clean-up-the-clutter.  Either way, have a goal, write it down and begin living a life towards simplicity...

... and the 'rest' will fall into place... pun intended.

Make a Wish...

by Susan

'Every dream fulfilled begins with a simple wish'

This is going to be a very simple post today folks.  It's a quiet question between you and you alone.  Ask yourself… "Have I fulfilled my dreams… listened to my wishes… worked diligently to make them come true?  Am I living an authentic life right now… using my God-given talents… the talents that make me… you know… me?  And lastly, what more can I do to turn my wishes into fulfilled dreams...

Here's to making all of your wishes become fulfilled dreams… one by each-little-one.  Write them down… make a plan… visualize your wishes coming true.  All it takes is just one little wish, one little heartfelt thought… and you are on your way to living authentically… a life full of fulfilled dreams… the way it is intended to be.  Never, never, never give up your dreams.

The Dance of Repetition

by Susan

OK, let me just start off by saying that I 'love-love-love' {pattern} this month's theme.  Patterns are everywhere!  In our photos, nature... our surroundings... in the way we conduct our lives... and yes... even in the way we write {... pattern}.

As far as photography, patterns are right in front of you... so take notice!  There are patterns of identical repetition with an uninterrupted flow... like the photo above. The pattern and color repeats itself in the tiny leaves and it flows.  But what happens when you just add a bit of color to a repetitive set?  You break the pattern!  And in photography this is known as capturing the interruption of the flow of a pattern.  It's as if the subject is saying... notice me, not the others, just like the image below.

Whether you are photographing an image that completely fills the frame, giving it a much larger feel than it actually is…

... or photographing a small cluster of a repetitive pattern... with a small break in it. {that little upside down toothpick}

Just try to focus on bringing out the best in the patterns that you see... and take your best shot.  You know... repetitions in everyday life sometimes can be... well... repetitious.  I say, open your eyes and see the beauty in the repetition around you. You'll be amazed at how beautiful the dance of repetition is... in photography... and... in life.

xo's...