November Others, Mirrors, Self Submission from Chrissy

"My image will be considered out of the box...My reflection I found in a water drop on a leaf....I took this back in August and noticed how the droplet reflected the blue sky...Abstract isn't it? such is life, and I can be at times...also the sky is the limit for everyone, you can choose any path or not...I am at a time in my life where I am choosing out of the box...and I'm enjoying it.." -- Chris

Others, Mirror, Self Submission from Robert

"This is a photo of Helga's niece Zena. This was not a posed picture, as I recall. Just a happy accident that revealed a moment of time in a girl's life where she is hovering between childhood and womanhood, wistful, expectant, poised and forward looking. I think the photo reminds me of an innocence lost, the beauty and power of the Feminine, and the my own journey forward to follow and flow in grace." -- Robert

Others, Mirror, Self : New Mirror, Mirror Category

In light of the photo that Billy submitted of his granddaughter and one I just received from Robert P., I am announcing a new Mirror, Mirror category: Others, Mirrors, Self.

As photographers, amateur or professional, every photograph we take reveals something of our self. It reflects something we are interested in, something we might desire, something that gives us pleasure, something that reveals a deep feeling about ourselves.

So in this category, Others, Mirror, Self (thank you Robert for the name) you can submit a picture of someone else mirrored in a reflective surface. You do not have to be in the frame, but you need to have taken the picture. And most important, I would like you to share what this picture or this person reflects to you about your self.

I look forward to seeing your submissions!

P.S. You can use recent or past photos in any of the Mirror, Mirror categories.

November Mirror, Mirror Challenge Submission from Jesse

"The girls don't look too happy having to pose for pictures in the bathroom. They should be proud to show off their new sports bra-looking Comfort Harnesses. But maybe they knew these wouldn't be very professional shots -- I forgot to clean the toothpaste spatters of the mirror!"-- Jesse

November Mirror, Mirror Challenge Submission from Robert P.

"This picture was taken in the men's bathroom of a German restaurant this summer. There was this wacky slide show advertising that was rear-projected into the bathroom mirror so I wanted to capture this strange, curious, insidious? form of advertising on camera. So I took a picture of yours truly. Just as I did so, the VIP advertisement came up in the mirror. Coincidence? In my own eyes, I have always viewed myself as a very unimportant person. But the mirror held a different view of me. So my own reflection contains a commentary from a foreign source that was simultaneously outside me and inside me. My moment of Zen for the day." -- Robert P.

November Wild, Wild Card Submission from Billy

OK, technically this isn't a Mirror Mirror photo, but Billy sent me this today...and ah, shucks, it's so sweet I had to put it in. It's a photo of Billy's granddaughter, and yes I do see her reflection Billy. Besides, if you had widened the shot just a hair, I bet I would have seen her grandpa reflected in the window, too!

November Mirror Mirror Challenge Submission from Judy

"This picture has a special meaning for me. Just before I came to California I had a formal photo taken. In that photo I was wearing the blouse I'm wearing in this picture. After I got to California, my weight increased and I put the blouse away. A few weeks ago I was cleaning some things out of the attic and found the blouse. What a pleasant surprise to find that once again it fits. So I decided to help remind me of my goals by wearing it to Thanksgiving dinner. It worked." -- Judy F.

November Out and About

I went over to a friend's condo to photograph all of the beautiful bouquets she received for her birthday. The day was one of those unbelievable California fall days. Her Sausalito condo faces the San Francisco Bay and the light, which comes through her plate glass windows, makes everything look and feel magical. I am not sure how this photograph happened except I was across the room and turned and looked back into a mirrored wall. The wall is reflecting the Birds of Paradise bouquet and the Sausalito hills...and me. I love the blurriness of this photo, the aqua hills, and the pinky red of my shirt and the flowers. I feel alive in this photo, as I did in the moment I took the shot...alive and filled with the mystery of the existence of magic in the moment.

Mirror, Mirror November Submission from Julie

I took this picture of my husband and me on our first night of vacation at The Edgewater in Seattle. We were sitting on the outside deck enjoying the sunset and I noticed a perfect reflection of us in the window. I like this photo not only because it captured a beautiful moment in time, but also because this moment perfectly reflects my love of photography, the ocean and my husband all wrapped together in a lovely package. -- Julie S.

November Out and About Submission from Billy

I took this at Keeneland (race track in Lexington, KY) today! It was an absolutely beautiful day! 70 degrees and no wind or humidity Life is good in Kentucky this week! -- Billy

November Mirror, Mirror Challenge Submission from Chrissy

"It's been about 2 months since I have posted a photo.... I've had some bad Karma happen and I've been distracted by it.... Took this one today, hopefully u can see me... My favorite RayBan Flight sunglasses... They happen to be mirrored which definitely hides the expression in my eyes which for the past two months have been experiencing shock, sadness and fear.... I am better now, things are looking up....As someone said to me " Find your zen".... so that's what I am doing..." -- Chrissy

Mirror, Mirror Wild Card November

While waiting for my plane to Philadelphia last month, I came across this exhibit of resin disks created by Fred Eversley. There were seven of them in varying sizes and colors. I walked up to them and saw my reflection and thought oooooo Mirror, Mirror! I liked how the disk transformed the bland airport view into something magical. And I was in the middle of it! Here's the other photos.

Mirror Mirror November Submission from Billy

"Here is my entry for November. I took the afternoon off today to run some errands. I stopped to get gas and two Antique Hudson Automobiles were there. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. The paint finish on this 1949 Hudson was so perfect that I was able to make an entry for November. I love cars and I was so impressed with this one. Thank goodness that some people are smart enough to save these for future generations to enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -- Billy

Mirror Mirror Challenge November

OMG Thanksgiving is almost here! What have I been doing???? I took this photo last month while visiting my sister in Philadelphia. I was waiting for her to finish in an antique store and loved this mirror that was for sale in the store. I felt calm in this photo and very comfortable with myself. I liked the sunshine coming through the storefront window, and I liked the red of the Oriental rugs under my feet.This other picture I took in front of a lady's vanity. I liked how the sunlight formed a "third eye" on my forehead, and in retrospect it reminded me that even while focusing on the form of things (taking photos, beauty and make up, objects to purchase) my spiritual self is still present.

Wild Card Mirror Mirror Submission: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I Am All Bones But I Have a Heart
Originally uploaded by beautiful my mane

"I Am All Bones But I Have a Heart"
Taken at the Reflections Exhibit at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. I am taking a photo of myself reflected back in a mirror -- you had your choice of bones, organs, or nervous system overlay. A unique way of seeing your reflection. Photos I took at this exhibit will be available to view on Flickr.

October Mirror Mirror Submission from Judy

"We all wear our masks; the exceptional professional, the happy-go-lucky kid. I like this mask; A bit mysterious. I purchased this on a trip to Mardi Gras several years ago. I've never worn it to a party but it has been on the wall in my office since my return. It captures for me the excitement of Mardi Gras, the dark animalistic nature of Louisiana and the fun of catching beads, and dancing in the streets." -- Judie

Mirror, Mirror Out and About October

Early in the month, my husband and I took a quick trip up to Mendocino for the night. Spectacular fall weather, that lazy Indian Summer sun warming up the cool air. Then coming back cutting through the Anderson Valley, we went through that wonderful (and all too short) stretch of roadway in which Redwoods line the two sides of the tarmac. There is something so awesome, so magical about Redwoods. They convey a sense of peace, silence, union with the earth, sky, and beyond. If you ever have the chance to go to Muir Woods, or be near redwoods -- do it! There is a cathedral sense that pervades the area around you, a hush even admidst the crowds of tourists. Speeding along the roadway, through these grand old trees, you still get the feeling you are driving through something sacred. The light has a primordial sense to it. Worth capturing on camera, even if it falls short in magnificence. And my image reflects the happiness I felt in that moment.

October Mirror, Mirror Challenge

Oh my. Where did the month go to?

As I careen through my life it seems I've always been in pursuit of answering the question -- Who am I? Who am I, separate from what I can see around me? Who am I, separate from what I do? Who am I separate from friends, lovers, husbands, family? People say, "You are such and such," based on all of the above criteria (and more). In the past, my tendency was to either take what people said into consideration, or to rebel and discarded it immediately upon hearing it, or discount it because it didn't feel entirely true. But I have also discovered that you have to start someplace and the someplace is acknowledging all these sides of yourself, and the answer is to continue to live in the perpetual question: Who am I?

The above photo was taken in one of my favorite Napa/Alexander Valley stopping places -- the Jimtown Store in Healdsburg, CA. I was wandering around looking at the country antiques they have in the back, and started taking some photos. Saw a good opportunity to catch a Mirror, Mirror shot. And all of sudden my husband Munro sneaked up on me, horning in on the shot. He just makes me laugh -- I think that's one BIG reason why we have been able to stay together for 30 years! We make each other laugh! So looking at this photo I can see this about myself: I have an eye for composition, I take delight in surprises, I enjoy companionship -- I love my husband!

September Out and About Submission from Sheri

"One more for September. My son, myself, my mother."-- Sheri

September Mirror Mirror Challenge Submission from Sheri

"I have been anxiously awaiting my reflection this month! At first I hated this shot, so, of course I had to try and perfect it. Upon a second look, I kind of like it. My family was at a karate graduation for my 7-year-old son. Glancing over at my boyfriend, in the lobby, I saw myself! It is a neat composition, Matt's figure is the canvas, my reflection, my mother's profile off to the side and in the background, the students and the audience." -- Sheri