I promise this is not a post about a horror film, or anything scary.  There is not going to be any pictures of creepy children, dolls, or creepy children and their dolls. While I love to explore spooky imagery this not what today’s post is about. In January I chose a word that would act as a guidepost for 2018. I’ve done this in the past but somewhere along the way probably by April , I had lost sight of my word sometimes abandoning it altogether. This year I thought carefully and chose a word that I simply loved, and in doing so, hoped it might shape my mind and heart and guide my work and life and wanderings too. My chosen word was conjure. Being that I had wholeheartedly began to explore alternative forms of worshipping, I think I had thought that my word might really expand on a pagan/wiccan path that I had already started to travel. And that has happened in my life. That is something that will continue well in to the  future as that is a big topic and deserves much in the way of study and practice . Something I did over and over again throughout the year was write the word down on paper and stare at it. And the things that kept on coming up for me, was that : It’s all magic. Life is magic if you let it in. Conjuring, summoning it, wielding it, that’s the part you have to be ready for.  We are all left with marks of magic on a daily basis. The warmth that is felt on my cheek after my husband kissed me goodbye in the morning. My puppy’s paws on my lap as I sit and read a book. The taste of my daughters tears after I kiss her cheek after a hard day. As photographers, we are natural keen on noticing. We notice when the light changes , the colors change. We relish in this natural magic. How many times have you stopped the car just to get out and photograph an exploding orange to pink to blue sunset? In the natural world, the magic meter is always set to ten. There is always something happening that’s waiting to be noticed. I know you know it.

As photographers our cameras might as well be a magic wands. We can bend and change the light at will depending on how we are feeling we want to remember the scene before us. We can swap out lenses and add a filter, enhancing our magical experience. Conjuring and summoning is what we do. I am currently reading a book called Circe, and it’s about a greek witch goddess. I’ve totally latched on to this book, it was absolutely perfect for October, halloween season. I highly recommend this book .A quote that has stuck with me is : “Let me say what sorcery is not: It is not divine power, which comes with a thought and blink. It must be made and worked, and planned and searched out, dug up, dried, chopped and ground, cooked, spoken over and sung.”

Everyday magic is always there waiting to be seen. Conjuring it up means opening your heart to see it, using the tools you have before you to capture it, and bring it forth.  And the conjuring can happen in so many ways. Writing out the magic you felt, Using a camera to remember the magic, Cooking something beautiful. When you create anything, you conjure. And while I think I’ve known this, I’ve allowed this realization to allow me to honor all the ways that I create. I don’t always have to have my candles lit and my cauldron filled to be conjuring.

Below are some moments this year when the magic of the moment was felt and I had my camera in my hand. Or when I sought out the magic with my camera. Nature always gets me and I’m usually always seeking those images out.Having a new baby in my life ( my niece) has been such a wonderful joy. I always look for magic during each client session and wedding. People and magic making go hand in hand.

I implore you to allow allow that magic in. Let it fill you up, and bubble on out. Let it fill you to the brim with an overwhelming desire to do nothing but create.

 

Some wedding scenes below that left me with all of the feels .

And a few more. 

Go make some magic!

Audrey