Had to photograph my submission to the 2010 Annual Box Show at Gallery Route One in Pt. Reyes, CA. I was in a good mood -- I had finished my box and was getting ready to drive through the country roads to take it to the gallery. Of course, once I caught myself in the lens, I took advantage of the situation for Mirror, Mirror photos!
"I shot a set of reflections last May, saving them for June’s challenge, but forgot about them. I was actually going to re-shoot, just as I had planned to for my previous May submission. Well, we know how that went. Only two clear images came out of the set and I’m not particularly impressed with my casual appearance or my White Castle Belly, which became emphasized with a few triangles of light shining through the trees right on the tummy. I nearly mistook the splatters of light as chocolate stains from a batch of brownies. Despite those misgivings, I am pleased with the way Paintshop Pro sharpened the image, making it suitable for this month’s submission." -- Jesse
I made my annual solitary pilgrimage to the Marin County Fair this year. I usually spend a few hours visiting the farm animals, the arts and crafts section, and the fine arts exhibition. And of course I sample the cotton candy. I like the heat, the smell of the animals, the stimulation of sounds, smells, tastes. Can't spend a whole afternoon, but like the few hours I'm there. This year, I took another photo of myself in one of the fun-house style carousel mirrors. And in the fine arts section, I took a photo of myself in the glass of the amusing and slightly horrifying mixed media piece "Our Toxic Habits", by Jennifer Sohn of Mill Valley, CA, containing hand-quilted frogs in bejeweled colors and funky fabrics. I seem to be frowning at a bronze bust also reflected in the glass. 
Lastly, I unintentionally caught myself in the glass of a very cool monoprint called "Water Ballet" by Bernard Weiner of San Francisco. I really liked the feeling of the manta ray moving through the water, it communicated a mystery and a cool, cool seduction.
Ralph's submission and its subject drove me back into my folders to find this one, which I took at the San Francisco's Exploratorium last year. This was one of the mirrors in the Reflections exhibit, and it breaks the image into 1000 pieces. Talk about a feeling feeling of fragmentation, disjointedness, and discombobulation. But I think this image is very much about life. We are the sum of our parts, aren't we? All the little bits and pieces of form, matter, and energy -- pulled into a thousand pieces in this world of so much stimuli, so much knowledge, so much responsibility. Yet there seems to be infinite power when the pieces come together and line up to form...you. Perhaps there is magic to be found in that.
Back in April 2007, as I was out for a drive with Virginia and Munro, I noticed an eerie little cloud of smoke or fog on Mt. Tam. I tried to get a good capture of the Ghost Fog while we still had a view of it, or before it disappeared. I was so mesmerized by this lucky sighting, that I failed to noticed that I captured an excellent reflection of both myself and Virginia. -- Jesse
Well OMG the year is half finished, or half begun! I was getting ready to go out for the day -- looked at myself in the mirror and noted my post-performance spastic fried hair and dehydrated skin and thought, I can't take a photo of myself looking like this! Then I thought -- what the hell -- time is wasting -- let's go for it! So what did I do? Take a picture of myself in curlers. I'm just not getting younger, I haven't figured out how to reverse time, and I haven't headed to the plastic surgeon. And I don't have an in house hairdresser, personal trainer, and man servant. So this is what you get. And it's really not so bad -- color is everything. And check out the curlers!
Munro and I were hiking the local trails a few months ago when I took this shadow picture of us on the trail. I love how my arm has reached out to stop him mid step in order to catch the shot. Also the trails were covered with tree blossoms I guess apple...it's like a fairy trail. I like the idea of following my inner pixie down a trail! Yet we booth seem so Paleolithic! Munro is really as slim as me -- I don't know why his shadow looks so bear-like!
It's the first of May and I got 'Carloed' last week.....
I attended the Spring Petaluma Antiques Market on the 25th of last month. The morning air was cold and brisk, yet by 10:30 the sun was shining so ferociously, people were stripping off their coats and hats. The winning find of the day for me was a small vintage Samsonite lady's suitcase -- in a cool mint green with cream handles and edges. It matches two other pieces of Samsonite I have purchased at other markets -- soon I'll have a complete set!!! On the way back to the car I stopped in an antique and collectibles shop occupying a 3-story Victorian. I moseyed around inside, then turned around and saw this mirror. Very humorous don't you think? And appropriate for this blog!
"So, do ya see me???? LOL, does this remind u of a 'where's Waldo?' As u all know I love taking macros... and this was one of my first orchids which I ended up putting in my bathroom because of the light and humidity... I was concentrating on the water drop and noticed after taking the photo that I was somewhat hidden in the background reflection from the mirror....." -- Chrissy
Spring has sprung here in Northern California and the days are growing warmer, brighter, more colorful. Although this past Sunday you would never know it was spring. My girlfriend Shara and I decided to go visit the Alameda Antiques fair, which hosts the first Sunday every month around 700 antiques and collectibles vendors. The weather had dropped by 20 degrees, it was overcast and windy and there were maybe 100 vendors. But we were brave and bundled up and we quickly scoured the stalls and found a few treasures. One of the vendors had this terrific mirror display on the side of their van, and mirrors were scattered in front of it. I like how the mirrors pick up on several parts of my body and how the blue pickup is featured in two of the mirrors on the side of the van.
"This photo was taken while I was waiting to go into the Cliff House in San Francisco for a Sunday brunch. I liked the photo that you can see inside the restaurant and the way the reflections behind and seeing through the windows into the restaurant and beyond into the ocean makes an interesting collage. Like my life it's a jumble with a pattern. Something that it's hard to get a handle on at the moment." -- Judy F.
"I had actually taken this last month... just fooling around...I noticed how my legs looked similar to the tree's 'legs'.... That tree is no longer there... It was a double eucalyptus I had cut down this week... It was bittersweet to have 6 trees taken down... 6 years ago they all started out as 5 gallon trees... Now the 'forest' will be transformed into a more feminine garden...As Shelley said, 'no more phallic symbols, now its time for more femininity...'" lol--Chrissy
I took this photo at the Jimtown General Store in Napa earlier this year. I just love this deli/store. The shelves are packed with nostalgic novelty items like ball and jacks, crocheted doilies, mason jars of jellybeans, Blackjack gum, Magic Fish, Chinese finger twisters. The Jimtown Store is a colorful, creatively motivating environment that brings back the positive memories of childhood. Plus the deli makes a mean olive tapenade/brie sandwich! The store's back room is filled with antiques and folk art, so I was moseying around, completely and satisfactorily absorbed in my own brand of dusty heaven. I grabbed this photo in a mirror -- I liked the way the light was shining into the room through the window. I like the way it landed on my face. I look peaceful. I felt peaceful. It was simply a wonderful moment.
"My reflection upon the reflection on my monitor screen of my drawing of my granddaughter and myself deep in the background reveals how distant our relationship is. She lives in another city totally involved in all the things teen agers do these days. I live an hour away totally involved in my life. Distance and self-involvement is the reason I'll never know her and she will never know me. Drawing pictures is the only way I know how to bring her closer--and that's not good enough." -- Linda R.
Shadows are not true reflections, yet they give an interesting, often fairytale-like perspective of oneself. The definitions of shadow as a noun include: "a hint, image, or faint semblance; a remnant or vestige; a reflection; the Jungian archetype (the shadow self) that represents man's animal ancestors or primal instincts." In Jungian psychology, one learns to embrace the dark side of the self in order to integrate it and heal the psyche. I invite you to bring your Shadow Self into the light of day!
"I took this a few days ago and my main goal was getting a shot of the water that had gathered on my table outside... I've taken many water shots from different angles that have fooled an eye or two! lol.... But I noticed the refection of my sycamore tree which will soon be cut down because its over taking my yard.. Its choking my African Sumac tree so I will have to sacrifice those huge leaves...." -- Chrissy
Here is my entry for March! It is March Madness for basketball, and I am a Kentucky Wildcat Fan as you know. Here is the Le Chaval Midway Boutique "wildcat collection." Can you see me and the railroad signal in the back ground. Midway got it's name and was settled by the man who built the railroad. It is located half way between Lexington and Frankfort KY. Midway is a very peaceful place with artsy shops, leather goods, and very nice cafes with outdoor porches, for dining! -- Billy H.
Aaaah, spring is almost here -- well it is here on the West Coast! I'm soaking up sunshine, green grass (left over from winter rains), flowering apple trees, redbuds, jonquils. I have a bit of a tan left over from our vacation in Mexico, and I'm dancing up a storm these days -- so all in all, I'm feeling a bit more youthful these days! This photo was taken in a fabulous store in Salyulita, Nayarit, filled with Mexican folk arts. This tiny, hammered tin mirror hung on one of its walls -- La Corazon -- the heart. Framed by love, it is a reminder that I love and am loved -- no matter where I am in the world.
"This is my wild card for the month!... Can u guess what my reflection is in??? It is in a room where most of America can be found daily........Yep I caught this shot in my bathroom... Saw my reflection on the top of my faucet....I like the concave look it gives, u can see the rest of my bathroom behind me....Ok, I promise, next month no more bathroom shots!" -- Chrissy
"Here is my entry for Feb. It was taken the second day after my daughter Andrea gave birth to twin boys. This is the reflection in the hospital room window. There was snow on the parking lot outside. Andrea was in a solemn mood and holding one of the babies. Aubrey (my
What is it about the eyes? You look into a person's eyes and you see many different things -- a friend, a lover, a mother, a father, a husband, a wife. You see states of grace, emotion, feeling. Eyes speak poetry. Eyes are called the windows to the soul. Just by gazing into your lover's eyes, you can see galaxies. Eyes can be capricious, flirtatious, weepy, blurry, angry. But maybe that's not the eye -- maybe it's the sum total of all the little muscles and frown lines surrounding the eye that conveys the emotion.
"Yes, its another mirror shot!. I had just blow dried my hair and I had noticed how much my hair had grown out... The guy who cuts my hair was right- thank you Carlo, u have me for life!. LOL. Don't worry Virginia, I AM DRESSED, tho it doesn't look it... Oh and did u notice? Kalei just had to get in the picture!" -- Chrissy
I keep hearing the Young Rascal's song How Can I Be Sure? in my head when I look at this journal page I created: "How can I be sure? In a world that's constantly changing? How can I be sure -- where I stand with you?" If you're a girl, you spend a lot of time looking in the mirror. It's such an obsessive habit: Do I need more lipstick? Do I like these earrings? Is my hem straight? Do I have too many frown lines? Am I getting old? What's missing? What's missing? What's missing? I have to consciously make my mirror my friend -- both at home and in the dance studio. The critic is so loud I often can't hear anything except the negatives. To debunk the critic in dance I often pretend that I am someone else (who is a good or "great dancer" in my book), until I get a feeling in my body that the dance lines I see reflecting back to me, are indeed mine. Sometimes I think, "Damn! I'm looking pretty good!" The close up mirror, however, is not yet my friend. I'm still working on that transformation!
Out with my Kentucky girlfriends (I've known since we were 14!) and my husband -- spa, wine-tasting and just having a good ol' time. While they were sipping the vintage, I snuck out into the rainy California day and grabbed a few pics in one of the side mirrors of an antique truck owned by the vineyard. This picture seems to reflect a few sides of my personality -- the vibrant greens of the nature lover, the teary the hopeful perspective of the blue skies.
"Me and Aubrey at the Children's Museum. She has not quite figured out the hoola hoop!" -- Billy
"My post for today for the Creative Everyday Challenge. See me peeking through this cool mirror that we found at the Dollar Store? Only $10 bucks! I should have gotten it, but really, what would I use it for? It's not like I can really see myself in it...I try not to do too many pics with myself in them; I am much happier behind the camera. Plus, my mom looks at me all crazy when I take pictures of things in stores. :)" -- Marsanne
I am feeling like I'm pulled in a hundred directions right now -- fractured. Life keeps getting in the way of art. Multiple errands to run, groceries to buy, jewelry to make, cats to take to the vet, house to pick up, business e-course that I've fallen way behind in, mortgage applications, tax prep -- there just doesn't seem to be enough time to do anything creative. And that's not really true, because I know I could take 5 minutes and do a drawing, or a collage, anything. But right now I feel fractured in a million pieces, and all I can do is stare at my art studio door, and then run off and do another errand. So I was looking through my Mirror, Mirror photo possibilities and found a couple that I took at the Reflections exhibit this summer. Perfect for the moment.
"Beauty means nothing if you're not loved. I was feeling really sad for myself this day. I wanted the reflection to be all broken up, but I couldn't achieve the exact effect I was going for. My mom says she hates this one because I look miserable, but isn't that what sad is?" -- Marsanne
"I took this earlier this month... I have this glass table outside and I love it when it rains because of how the rain gathers on the tabletop... what I like about this is that the water has reflected the sky... the droplets look like puzzle pieces... I've gotten a lot of great photos from this table, each picture different..." -- Chrissy
"Whilst taking photos of a new jewelry item the camera wanted to focus on the reflection of the outdoors more than the item itself. The camera captured the old oak trees in the mirrored reflection on this clear Swavorski flat crystal heart. I have another where it captured the bird feeder. I like my new camera. It has a mind of its own." -- Lisa
"Ok, I am making up for lost time.. I think I've 'killed two birds w/one stone' as they say... I was out today at Pier One and I saw their Xmas ornaments for 1/2 off.. I saw this Asian girl ornament so I picked up 3 each signifying my girls and me... I noticed my reflection so I figured I'd snag these and take a photo of me at home...LOL... and as for the 'wild card' I think this fulfills it.." -- Chrissy
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