Bluebird Chic ambassador Monika Hanley of Internationelle encourages us all to take a step back this spring and to look at our photography and ourselves in a whole NEW way.
“Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives.” –Mary Ann Brussat
I love this quote and try to remind myself of it whenever things inside seem monotonous or tedious.
Going outside is truly transformative during springtime and forces you to see the changes that time brings. Along with the natural world, experience a personal spring, a time of renewing yourself and blossoming into the season.
How we can renew ourselves along with the rest of the world around springtime?
In a time ripe with change, freshness, and a feeling of restarting, Spring is the ideal period to step back, look at your world, re-assess what may not be working, and move forward boldly. Along with the rest of nature, people are also in a period of renewal, and certainly more willing to go outside and be inspired by the nature that surrounds us.
Look closer.
I love getting close to my subjects but one thing I’m discovering more now is perspective. It’s one thing to get close to a flower from above, but another entirely to zoom in from the ground up. Photography gives one the ability to look at ordinary and extraordinary items in new ways, and that’s the beauty of perspective.
Spring is such a golden time for macro-photography because Spring itself is full of tiny movements of life: buds on trees, tiny plants making their way out of the ground, flowers about to open, and seemingly the whole world coming back to life after winter. This pre-Spring moment is full of beginnings everywhere you look and goes a long way to renew the spirit and ready your soul for opportunities to come.
One of the things I love to challenge myself with when I get tired of shooting a certain object or location is to look at it differently. Instead of focusing on the blossom, zoom in on the leaves. Instead of framing a shot with beautiful tree branches, see if you can use exposed roots to shoot through.
Look again.
The idea of the self-portrait is very personal, but also such a great chance to show who you are through your own art and lens.
Along with a natural renewal, take a new look at yourself with fresh eyes and have yourself a little photo shoot. You already know how to capture others, the places and times for best lighting…use it on yourself and give yourself the chance to get to know you…through your own eyes and talent.
More ideas for embracing renewal this season…
For inspiration, maybe do something different to welcome this renewal period.
- Get a haircut or trim those winter split ends, have a fresh-faced shoot if you usually wear make-up or vice versa.
- Experiment with new types of light.
- If you’re used to shooting during Golden Hour when the light is optimal, try shooting at twilight or even just using street lights through the window for a dramatic silhouette.
- Cover your lens and shoot through items for interesting effects (cling wrap for a cloudy dreamlike portrait, branches for framing, nylons for soft focus)
- Wear a lot of black? Shoot in a colorful environment wearing colors you normally wouldn’t. I definitely feel different when I put on a red dress versus my standard uniform of black leggings and over-sized black sweater.
Allowing yourself to feel renewed along with the season will go a long way toward motivating and inspiring your creativity for the rest of the year!
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