minding my nest

practicing the art of an ordinary life

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My Valentine

My Valentine

My dear husband is man of few words. He’s not one to gush about his feelings or make effusive displays

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AROUND THE WEB

Regular Contributor to Focusing on Life.

Story Teller for Ali Edwards Design Team

Currently Teaching at Big Picture Classes.

My Portfolio - Kelly Ishmael Photography

Every afternoon around 4:00, Daisy sits on the rug Every afternoon around 4:00, Daisy sits on the rug by the front door and barks up the stairs where I sit in my office. Reminding me that it’s time to go walk. No matter how cold or wet or gloomy the weather is. (I mean how can you say no to that face.)

Most of the time I take my camera. You know me…always on the lookout for a little magic. And that day it was the reflection of the bare trees in a puddle of melted sleet. I loved how it told the story of the day and the season.

Photographing reflections can change our perception of reality. And in today’s installment of my photography series, I am sharing the story of how the act of changing my focus helped me change the story I was telling myself. And brought me a little more peace and hope in the process.

You can see all the posts in this series via the link in my profile.
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#asseenonmywalk #ethereal_moods #still_life_nature #transfer_visions #tv_allnature #tv_closeup #jj_justnature #raw_allnature #moody_tones #inspirenaturenow #charming_nature #kaieverydaymagic
I spent a lot January cleaning up and making space I spent a lot January cleaning up and making space in my physical surroundings which almost always translates to the feeling of having a little more headspace. And I’m happy to have the space and time for other kinds of projects now.

Also, this is your friendly reminder that fresh starts don’t have to happen on January 1st. It’s not too late. You didn’t miss the boat. 
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#gatheredstyle #foreverfaffing #loveliest4 #astilllifestyle #floral_faffery #still_life_gallery #tv_stillife #jj_still_life #tv_living #global_ladies #transfer_visions #tv_neatly #tv_flowers #tv_retro #etherealmoods #moody_tones #moodforfloral #moodyflorals #curated_nature #ihavethisthingwithflowers #stylingtheseasons #petalsandprops #floralperfection #thefolkpr0ject #blissfulphotoart #creative_florals
When I’m feeling uninspired in my photography pr When I’m feeling uninspired in my photography practice (or let’s face it - even a little bored if I’m being perfectly honest), one of my favorite exercises is to create a photo essay. Which is what I did last Friday when I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. (swipe to see more of the story)

Simply stated, a photographic essay is telling a story through a series of images. And similar to its written counterpart, the goal of a photo essay to communicate ideas to those who will view it. 

Understandably, my use of the word “essay” might trigger your PTSD from having to write papers in your high school English class. But I promise, this is way more fun. And keeping with the food theme, here is my version of a “hamburger essay” only translated for photographers:

🍪 Choose a theme (the subject or focus of your story) 
🍪 Take a variety of shots (include close-ups and different angles)
🍪 Cull your images (five to ten is usually a good place to start)
🍪 Add some text (this could be longer or shorter depending on the story you want to tell)

Finally, make your photo essay about something fun! Document the process of something you love doing. Document a day in your life. Go on a little adventure and tell the story of what you saw and felt. 

In the same ways that writing an essay improves our communication skills, photo essays can help us develop our visual storytelling skills. From organizing our ideas to promoting critical thinking to observing different perspectives, photo essays are powerful tools for creating stronger, more compelling images. And in the process, we learn more about ourselves and grow as photographers.

So here is your assignment should you choose to accept it - create a short photo essay this week and share it. Tell us a story about your life in photos. (Feel free to tag me in it if you’d like!) I promise it will be fun. And the good news is that no one is going to grade it. It’s an easy A.

PS. A huge shout out to my uber-talented OG photography friend @kellykardos whose beautiful food photography was my inspiration for this exercise.
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#cookies #foodstories #tv_living #tv_foodlovers #photoessay #heresmyfood #transfer_visions
Slim pickins. That's about all I can say when it c Slim pickins. That's about all I can say when it comes to finding things to photograph on my evening walks with Daisy.

The other months of the year offer plenty of inspiration and lots of beauty and interest to turn my camera lens towards. This month though…without that photographic low-hanging fruit (so to speak)…well, not only do I have to look a little harder, I also have to challenge my ideas of what beauty looks like. 

But when I do, there is still magic to found. 

Opening my mind and my heart to new perspective has always been the birthplace of hope and peace in my life. And it’s the story I’m sharing in this week’s installment of the Learning to See photography series on my blog. You can read more via the link in my profile.

#asseenonmywalk #ethereal_moods #still_life_nature #transfer_visions #tv_allnature #tv_closeup #jj_justnature #raw_allnature #moody_tones #inspirenaturenow #charming_nature #lovelydeadcrap
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10 Things 31 days 50 Stories 52 Weeks of Pinspiration! blogging crafts creativity faith family friends gardening holidays home Learning To See life memory keeping Nature photography recipes Summer Magic The Week in Photos travel Uncategorized

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