Life’s Sweet Ordinary — through my lens

“My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.” ~Jane Austen

I came across these women in Sydney, BC — talking, engaged in great conversation, enjoying the weather and their coffee. I love when people are engaged in this way. This photo is a perfect candidate for desaturating the background. If I get around to doing it, I’ll post the result at a later time.

All Images are Copyright © Diane M. Schuller. It is illegal to copy or download any of these images. All Rights Reserved.

If you’d like me to come to your home or office and take some candid shots, please contact me by checking out the page above titled “Alberta photographer” or visit my website. I look forward to hearing from you — we too can engage in some interesting conversation!

{Available to come to your home or office in northern Alberta, places such as: Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge, Wembley, Hythe, Spirit River, Valhalla, Sexsmith, Claremont, Peace River, Grimshaw, and many more points in northern Alberta.}

How often have you come across someone who is a total stranger to you, yet you want so desperately to hold them? While in Sydney, BC I was strolling along the harbour walk when I noticed this man. Something about the way he was ambling along, caught my attention. He wasn’t walking in a strut as most of the walkers and he wasn’t boldly forging ahead as I had been. There even seemed to be a hint of grief on his face. He stopped and leaned in this manner holding like a statue. I fumbled with my camera bag, trying to quickly get my camera out, hoping my lens would catch him and that he’d still be in the same position by the time I quietly moved toward him. I had only a fraction of a second to catch him and this is the sole shot I got off — he moved away the moment I took the photo. I felt as if I may have intruded somewhat. What was on his mind; more importantly who was on his mind? I was and still am holding him in my heart, even if I didn’t reach out to him.

All Images are Copyright © Diane M. Schuller. It is illegal to copy or download any of these images. All Rights Reserved.

If you visit the online photo site, Flickr, you will have read that Flickr keeps track of individual’s photos that others find to be interesting. Here is a peek at what others are currently finding of interest on my photo stream at Flickr:

Well, and maybe a little frustration sprinkled in as well!

The day this was taken, was really a normal run-of-the-mill-out-for-a-walk sort of day. But this just as easily could have been a photoshoot. This gal, an English Springer Spaniel, is a sporting breed. They’re bred to hunt game birds and she has that all down pat with loads of built in instinct. She had treed the Ruffed Grouse and initially was waiting ever so quietly and patiently, looking at me, looking up at the bird, back at me, and so on. Trouble is I was busy taking photos of the grouse and not shooting it, as she was hoping I might, so she could then retrieve it.

After she felt I had spent more than enough time doing nothing, she decided she was going to take matters into her own paws. It made for a great photo and using a few muscles in different ways than she’s used to. Thank goodness for Mother Nature, for dogs that get the exercise they need, and for always having a camera at hand!

All Images are Copyright © Diane M. Schuller. It is illegal to copy or download any of these images. All Rights Reserved.

 I’m a pleasant & reasonable person, so if you wish to use one of my images please simply send me an e-mail. Then we’ll see what we can work out okay? In the meantime, thank you for respecting my copyright and for doing the right thing.

 If you’d like to purchase this as a print, if you’re looking for some special prints for your home or office, or perhaps would like me to take some photos of you and your family/pets, please contact me and we’ll work something out that is just right for you!

{Photo taken NW of Hythe, Alberta Canada}

I have always been drawn to bodies of water: mountain streams, lakes, rivers, the ocean, or a trickling creek. On my last trip to Victoria, BC here in Canada, I took hundreds of photos of all manner of things on or near the water. When I was wandering along the boat docks on an overcast day, the reflections captured my imagination. This is just one of the many images I captured through my lens that day.

All Images are Copyright © Diane M. Schuller. It is illegal to copy or download any of these images. All Rights Reserved.

I’m a pleasant & reasonable person, so if you wish to use one of my images please simply send me an e-mail. Then we’ll see what we can work out okay? In the meantime, thank you for respecting my copyright and for doing the right thing.

If you’d like to purchase this as a print, if you’re looking for some special prints for your home or office, or perhaps would like me to take some photos for you, please contact me and we’ll work something out that is just right for you!

Several months ago I came across the Shutter Sisters blog/website in two different ways: from a link at one of the blogs I had happened upon and visiting some of the photographers on Flickr. I didn’t have to read any further than the first entry to become hooked and feel a strong affinity to the concept: a group of women, led by Tracey Clark, sharing their love of photography, their remarkable images, and themselves.

In fact, it’s thanks to reading an insightful post by Maile at Shutter Sisters that I finally found the perfect term that fit with my passage through this amazing life: “sweet ordinary”. It refers to those moments, often small and ordinary, that really are the most significant or those we should be embracing before they are lost. The look in a stranger’s eye, a glance by a child, laughter, a quiet meal together with loved ones, the way a mother holds her child, and so many more. It is those sweet ordinary moments my lens seeks to capture.

I’ve since joined them, visit often, and participate in their creative and inspiring photo challenges. It truly feels like a sisterhood even though my connection with other members is solely over the Internet. I’ve learned from them as well although the focus isn’t on the technical but on sharing the emotions and inspiration.

The reason Shutter Sisters has become so important to me is that, not only do I live in northern Canada, but I live in a remote rural area far from any major city (6 hour one-way drive). There is a smaller city only an hour away but there is still a disconnect with the urban lifestyle. Shutter Sisters has filled in a gaping hole that I was needing. Now at the click of my mouse, I can read what other shutter sisters are doing or feeling, I become inspired by reading their stories or viewing their photos, and like a reliable boomerang they happily return to visit or comment on my photos.

So, if you love taking photos, whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’re bound to enjoy a visit to Shutter Sisters. Hop on over and enjoy yourself — let them know I sent you.