Kat Eye Studio

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Ready for Launch

Three… Two… One… Blast off. Time to launch back into real life. After a glorious eleven days off of my regular schedule, today I go back to normalcy. What a wonderful break! No schedule to follow, no real deadlines to worry about. I went on several hikes, read a bunch of books, hung out with my family and worked on photography projects. I spent a lot of time in my pajamas, I will happily admit. Heaven!

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As much as I loved the time off, it’s always good to get back into a routine. I do best with a regular schedule. I’m feeling a bit rusty and creaky in the routine this morning though, even with my blogging, so I’ll be short and sweet.

If you are launching back into reality today too, I hope your reentry goes well. It’s my time to launch… I’ll see you here tomorrow.

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Celebrating One Year – Photo-Heart Connection: December

Simplicity. Peace. Beauty.

That’s what I see when I look at this image. A brief moment in time captured, expressing something wonderful.

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I also see a landscape. And I scratch my head quizzically, wondering, “When did I become a landscape photographer?”

The answer whispered to me: When you stopped telling yourself you weren’t one.

Oh, yeah.

When I threw out the rules for my photography and starting to follow what brought me joy. When I let myself have fun and play again. When I threw out the need for perfection and pixels and began to create with a terrible, low-resolution iPod Touch camera.

When I stopped defining myself.

That’s when I became a landscape photographer. And a painter. And whatever I feel like being today. Tomorrow it will probably be something different.

Because you know what? None of the labels matter. It’s just me and my art. Approaching each day as it comes, with openness and joy.

Well. If that doesn’t conclude my transformation of the last few months, I’m not sure what would. From the fear of change in October to the emergence of November to this acceptance that arrived in December. Completely unplanned, somehow my monthly Photo-Heart Connections tracks this dramatic transition to a new approach to my art. As I worked on my “eighteen months” project I was a bit shocked to discover that I hadn’t picked up my dSLR at all between October 22nd and December 14th, when I went out for my night shoot. I mean, I knew I hadn’t picked up my “big” camera for a while, but there was something about seeing it right there in Lightroom that was a bit shocking. And you know what? I didn’t care. Because I’m having so much fun with all of this! I’m going with it.

This month concludes the first year of the Photo-Heart Connection. It’s been an amazing practice! I’ve gained so much from it, as well as the community of people who have joined me this year. The guests posts from the last week have shared some amazing stories of connection, and I am truly honored to be able to play host to such a wonderful community of artists. I’m excited to continue for 2013. Who knows what will emerge?

To celebrate a new year of the Photo-Heart Connection, I’ve created a new button that better expresses my feelings about the whole practice. You can copy the code from the sidebar here.

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And as a second part of the New Year celebration, I am going to give away a small matted print of this image, entitled “Windblown,” to one of the participants in this month’s Photo-Heart Connection. All you have to do to enter is to participate! So, what is your Photo-Heart Connection this month?


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Eighteen Months

Today wraps up 2012. It’s a time to look back at the year. Lots of best and worst lists have been generated. Year-in-review articles abound. But lately I’ve been thinking bigger than the last year, looking back at the last eighteen months. Because tomorrow it will be exactly eighteen months since I moved home from Italy.

This has been on my mind lately because the last couple of months have brought a dramatic shift for me. I’ve settled in. At home and work and in my photography, the shift has been evident. 2011 was the year of transition, half in Italy and half in the US. I thought by the end of 2011 I was “here” but I wasn’t. Looking back, I can see that for a long time, I’ve had one foot on each continent. I’ve quietly pined away for the scooters and the subways. The international travel at a moment’s notice. And really, who wouldn’t? It was a fabulous experience. A dream come true.

But slowly, surely, as 2012 progressed I’ve woken up from the dream and found myself here. And, maybe surprising myself a little, I’ve discovered “here” is a fantastic place to be. I’ve shed my old expectations and stopped looking for Europe through my camera’s lens. I’ve embraced the place I am in and found what brings me joy. I can see this last year was about releasing the past. I’m all here now.

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As part of this shift, I felt that I needed to find out who I am as a photographer since moving back to the US, so that I can move forward. When I was preparing and printing photographs for the Fall Festival in September, I actually got tired of looking at my photographs from Italy. I never thought that would happen! So for the last few months, I’ve had in mind this project, to go through all of the photographs I’ve taken since moving back to the US, and find the best ones. I felt the urge to get myself organized and build a more recent collection to work with.

A few days ago, I started with 19785 photos, whittled down to 2752, then to 290, to 160 and finally to the 86 highlighted in the video. (Don’t worry, the video is short – less than three minutes.) They are an eclectic bunch… from small towns and big cities to the scenery of mountains and ocean. But they all have one thing in common, representing steps on my journey to find myself in this place and time. They’ve been there for a while, slowly building over eighteen months, just waiting to welcome me home.

And after you’ve watched the video (be sure to watch in HD – it looks awesome!) then listen to this song, This is Home by Switchfoot, which inspired me to make the video. It expresses my feelings perfectly. I wish I could have used it with the video but didn’t take the time to secure permission, so I’ll share it this way.

I’m excited and ready for the new year! I’m finally home.

Join me tomorrow for the Photo-Heart Connection monthly link up, as we review photos from December and maybe — if you’re feeling adventurous — the whole year, to find the strongest connection with heart and soul. I have no doubt that starting this practice has been an important part of my journey “home” this year. Be sure to read the guest posts from the last week, sharing the impact the Photo-Heart Connection has had on participants in 2012. And then come back and join us as we continue our practice in 2013.

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Learning through the Photo-Heart Connection: A Guest Post by Kim Stevens

Today finishes the series of guest posts from Photo-Heart Connection participants. I invited them to write a post sharing what the Photo-Heart Connection meant to them this year. For the last few days I have been sharing these very special answers with all of you, celebrating the first year of the Photo-Heart Connection. I hope you have enjoyed these!

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When Kat started the photo-heart connection, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this exercise and little did I know that going back to look at my photos each month would be such a deep personal experience. One that would have profound meaning for me in each of those connections. My participation in this process over the last year has influenced me in a way that has helped me continue to learn so many things about myself and my photography journey along the way. Some have been difficult, some have filled me with anticipation and some have reminded me that I’m on the right path.

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In looking back I can see that before starting the photo-heart connection I was already beginning to feel a shift from being able to just document where I had been to documenting and saying this is how I feel about it, and the act of going back each month to find a connection with my heart has been instrumental in really recognizing that. In fact I can’t help but think that on some level it has helped play a role in it by evaluating how my own photographs make me feel.

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I have learned that I need to take more risks because the only risk to taking more risk, is opportunity and growth, both as a person and a photographer. I have learned that when I am able to fully lose myself completely in a moment where the world falls away, and when I allow spontaneity and intuition to take over, I am able to just let my heart lead the way. And when my heart leads the way rather than getting tangled up in all the rules and technology of it, my images contain more emotion.

The photo-heart connection has made me realize that for me, the real magic happens when my photograph becomes secondary to my experience.

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Kim Stevens is a jewelry artist and photographer, both of which are inspired by her love of nature. She lives in Houston, Texas and blogs at Picking Poppies and Focusing on Life.

Thank you so much Kim for sharing your experience. I love what you have found in the Photo-Heart Connection!

And how about the rest of you… have you joined in the Photo-Heart Connection yet? If not, you can join in any month. There is no commitment, no prerequisite, no expectation. You just need to come with an open heart! The next Photo-Heart Connection link up opens in a couple of days, on January 1. There is no better way to start your year. I hope to see you!

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Weaving Life’s Threads Together: A Guest Post from Zenaida Toledo

Today continues a series of guest posts from Photo-Heart Connection participants. I invited them to write a post sharing what the Photo-Heart Connection meant to them this year. For the last few days I have been sharing these very special answers with all of you, celebrating the first year of the Photo-Heart Connection. Enjoy!

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When I was a child I thought I would study something related to art, but I ended up having a professional career in the social field. I wrote and defended a PH Thesis about social development and educational planning and started to work in several international projects for development and as university professor (education faculty). I still do.

Through this process I discovered that I was a teacher at heart but my passion for art didn´t disappear so I had to find ways to channel it. I created with my own two hands, but I also explored creative thinking and this was the cherry on top of my cake.

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From outside everything seemed to be perfect, but I was feeling a strong inner unease so, in a given moment I started a path about self-knowledge and living more consciously. This led me to develop a personal journey based on mindfulness and healing.

Suddenly, I found myself with three independent threads and little by little I began to weave them to create a richer life. I used my creativity to heal; inspired by what I had learned through my inner work, I taught my students how to deal with their conflicts using social and personal skills (including creativity), and so on.

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Finally, creativity, consciousness and teaching made an interesting tapestry but I still felt that I was missing something even when I did not know exactly what. But one day, when less expected, I won an on-line photography course and I found out the perfect way to link my inner work, my artistic mood and my need to communicate.

At the beginning of this year, when I was a newcomer to that world and still was looking for ways to put together my photos and my musings in a consistent way, I found accidentally the Photo-Heart Connection project and I understood that I had found a kindred spirit, someone who had discovered the power of photos in order to get in touch with her emotions and to show them to others, so I quickly joined the project… it could not be otherwise.

Along this time, looking for my Photo-Heart Connection of the month has allowed me to go deeper inside me and feel much more confident about my practice. This has happened not analyzing its technical details, but when –after the intuitive selection- I looked at the image carefully and let my spirit fly. Each of them without exception triggered thousands of unexpected reactions and awaked things that were waiting inside me to come out. Things that I needed to know. Somewhat, this process has been a powerful form of meditation. But it has also permitted me to illustrate my feelings and make them visible.

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I have loved every single step of the process every month, but what I have loved more is seeing others doing exactly the same, reading their stories and feeling how my heart was going with theirs, how my heart was feeling the connection that other heart had felt previously. This has been simply amazing.

Thanks Kat for hosting this wonderful project, it has been a true privilege being part of it. And thanks also to the project mates for their kind support.

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About Zenaida Toledo: Working professionally as university teacher, I love all things related to inner growing. Currently living in Canary Island, Spain, I own a blog where I talk about my personal journey and explore issues related to the healing power of simple things and everydayness through photos and words. Visit me at My Healing Moments. My past Photo-Heart Connection posts are here.

Such a wonderful journey Zena! Thank you for sharing with us here. I agree, the connections between the participants of the Photo-Heart Connection have been amazing.

Join me for the final guest post tomorrow, and don’t forget the other things going on in the Kat Eye Studio:

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Connecting with my Heart: A Guest Post by Marilyn Lamoreux

Today continues a series of guest posts from Photo-Heart Connection participants. I invited them to write a post sharing what the Photo-Heart Connection meant to them this year. For the next few days I will share these very special answers with all of you, celebrating the first year of the Photo-Heart Connection. Enjoy!

Discovering a Love of Simplicity

Discovering a Love of Simplicity

When I discovered Kat Sloma’s Photo Heart Connection, I knew that it was a practice that I would adopt. Photography has always been about connecting with what has heart and meaning for me. This practice reminds me that the truest art I create comes from my heart.

Picking a photo each month that best connects to my heart and soul is a reflective process that I have grown to love. Each month I am surprised by the image that speaks to me. Selecting the photo and writing the post about my photo heart connection is a way to chronicle my journey as a photographer and a human being. It brings new insights about my self, my life, and my photography.

More Simplicity

More Simplicity

The first month I participated I sat down and went through all of the images I had created during the previous month, and put my favorites in a collection. (I use Adobe Lightroom to catalog and edit my photos so creating a collection is an easy way to organize images.)

I was amazed by how many photographs I had made during the month. Sometimes it feels like I am accomplishing nothing. Just reviewing the body of work I created during the past month helped me to see how much I really was doing.

Creating for the love of creating

Creating for the love of creating

It also helps me to go back and review my work when I have some distance from it. I see different things and I am more objective. Often I find overlooked images that speak to me. The process of reviewing a group of photos made over an entire month shows me how I am growing and changing in my work.

Most importantly, the Photo Heart Connection helps me step back and think about why it is I do this work. It helps me to deeply connect my images with my heart’s desires, and helps me to learn and grow as a human being.

I now have collections of my favorite photos from June through November. As I review those collections I begin to see patterns and get a hint of my own unique voice and style as a photographer. I can see how my work is maturing and growing as I review the images month to month.

As a result of participating in the Photo Heart Connection, I connected with a deep desire of mine to go to Hawaii to live for several months and make photographs. While I could come up with many reasons NOT to make the trip, my regular monthly photo connection with my heart showed me that I COULD make a leap of trust and just do it.

Until the Water Runs Clear

Until the Water Runs Clear

I am writing this post from my room overlooking the rain forest on the Big Island of Hawaii. Rain is falling gently on the roof, birds singing in the trees, and green everywhere I look. I just began this adventure last week. Who knows where it will take me? But you can bet that I’ll be continuing my practice of Photo Heart Connection every month.

Life IS short (as I wrote in one of my photo heart connection posts)! What is your heart telling you? Don’t wait until some elusive tomorrow to follow your heart. Grab hold of your dreams and desires and make them come true.

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Marilyn Lamoreux is a software engineer turned photographer. She is currently on walkabout in Hawaii for 3-4 months, absorbing the rhythms of the island and making photographs there (escaping Minnesota’s cold wintertime). Marilyn’s website is called “Chased by Beauty” because she believes that we are all chased by beauty all the time. We just need to open our eyes to see it. You can find her website at marilynlamoreux.com.

Thank you Marilyn, for sharing your experience the Photo-Heart Connection, and the amazing adventure you have been led to. I can’t wait to see your connection for this month!

Join me for another guest post tomorrow! And don’t forget the other things going on in the Kat Eye Studio: