Beyond a Happy Brain

While photographing this vintage ribbonwork purse, my thoughts kept wandering back to a book I finished in August, What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite by David Di Salvo.

One of the most fascinating concepts laid out in the book was the notion that our brains really like things the way they are and don't like to be threatened.    Our brains develop schema, mental maps of concepts that we place together by association.  This is very helpful to our survival as we gain speed in evaluating new inputs so we can respond more quickly to them.  It's how we adapt and learn.

Our brains like it when new information fits into one of our pre-established schema, aka 'certainty bias'.  In fact, we crave certainty.  

When new information does not match our pre-determined schema, the brain is threatened and the reward center powers down.  In other words, it's uncomfortable and our brains will work hard to restore peace and harmony.

Though we may enter into a discussion with someone of opposing views with the best of intentions to be open-minded and really "hear" what the other person is saying, our brains will work very hard to selectively ignore information inconsistent with our schema or beliefs.  

In fact, the most shocking take-away for me from the book was that..

Our brain may not even hear, see or process the information at all...as if the information had never been transmitted in the first place.  (Here's a link to an interesting excerpt from the book if you're interested.)

Wow.  I've been missing a lot.  What a filter we have to overcome to take in new information!

So why, you ask, am I thinking of this book when I am photographing the beautiful vintage ribbonwork on this old purse?

I think it's because the process of photography...laying out the picture, selecting the angle in the viewfinder, editing the photos, gives our brains a second, third and fourth chance to take in information that we wouldn't have seen the first time around.

If someone had merely brought the purse to a meeting to share, I might have gotten the general impression of the beauty of the work.  I definitely would have noticed the uses for picot edged ribbon that were new to me.  But I would have left with just an overall impression.

But I would have left with just an overall impression.

Taking a picture allows us to re-see the image anew.  It allows us to study.  To go back over the image that we've looked at many times and find something we haven't seen before.  

And our filters, our schema, greatly influence what we're picking up in the photos.  

If I've taken ribbonwork classes, I might be focused on the ribbons and how they were sculpted.

If I'm a crewel artist, I might be interested in the colors and the shading of the leaves and how the blending of the silk buttonhole twist works differently than wool...  

If I have struggled to compose my own floral designs, I might look at the overall composition and its balance.

Maybe it's the texture; maybe it's the stitches...

I cannot predict what you will "see"...but I do know that none of us sees it all.  

I know I didn't see all the shades of brown, green, blue and gray threads used in the leaves and vines until I looked closer.  

I didn't see the thorns on the branches. 

I was too busy looking at the beautifully stuffed rosebuds and how I wanted so badly to make them.

And so we must work hard to see more than what is most obvious.

  

To push beyond our first impression.

And so...

Take a picture, it lasts longer.

And then...

Share it with someone.  

They may see something you missed.

Look again...

...what did you see?

Tips for Stitching in Low-Light

It's a gray morning.

And thanks to this gray morning, I have experienced a wonderful aha moment --

For my non-English speaking friends, an aha moment is an instant at which the solution to a problem becomes clear.

And it's a discovery so useful that I just have to share.

A discovery resulting from the collision of two worlds -- stitching and photography.

Currently, I am in the midst of taking a photography course on Shooting in Low Light from my all-time favorite photography mentor, Karen Russell. I love how Karen's photography tells a story...how she shoots in real-life situations...how's she's got a very very busy life but still manages to take beautiful photographs.

One of the toughest situations for a photographer is taking great photographs in low light (without a flash)...and yet, we're in low light all the time. Let's face it, we're probably in low light more often than we're in perfect natural light conditions...and taking great pictures in low light settings requires a greater knowledge of all the variables that influence the photograph.

Likewise, having or, should I say not having, great light also influences the quality of our stitching. Throw in poor eyesight and adequate light becomes even more important.

From experience, I have discovered the best light for embroidery comes from southern facing windows...it's why my dining room is no longer a dining room and has become my primary place to stitch in my home.

I have also learned that the best time of day for light in this room is the first few hours of daylight. That's magic stitching time for me. It's why my blog posts are always later in the day. Stitch first, post later.

Why?

Not only is the light great at that time of day, it's also because the angle of light at that time of day gives the added benefit of sidelights.

Sidelights are lights that come from the side, illuminating three-dimensional stitching and helping to eliminate stitch shadows.

If you've ever tried to couch wires for stumpwork, couch gold thread in goldwork, stitch fuzzy technique in Japanese embroidery or do any type of small embroidery work...sidelights are critical.

When natural light is unavailable (it's night or we have a rainy, gray day), we are forced to use artificial light. There are many wonderful stitching lights out on the market and it's important to have one that mimics daylight.

That being said, more often than not those lights are overhead lights ergo they cause shadows on our work. Lights with a flexible arm are handy since you can manipulate the position of the light to help reduce shadow. I also use two lights to help accomplish this as well.

So, here I am stitching with my two lights on a gray day and listening to my photography class when I hear Karen say that the harshest light for indoor photography is overhead lighting; it creates shadows under the brows, nose and chin. Better to turn on all your lamps instead...this reduces those overhead shadows.

Eureka. Same goes for our needlework.

I did a little test since it was gray this morning...Using my macro lens and controlling for as many factors as possible, I took this picture of what my stumpwork petals look like with just my overhead Ott-lites...

Can you see the bit of shadow under the wire?

That shadow can prevent me from placing my needle in the right spot so that my stitches lay evenly side by side.

When couching wire in stumpwork, you learn pretty quickly that a nice clean edge is really important when you finally cut out the petals from the ground fabric. It keeps you from having a "fuzzy" edge or from cutting a misplaced couching thread by accident...though trust me, that still happens!

In the next picture, I used a big white sheet of foam board as a side "reflector" to try to eliminate some of that overhead shadow I was getting on the underside of the wire.

Though it may be tough to see the difference in my photographs, I took the liberty of doing a color sample in Photoshop of the exact same area under the wire in both pics. Here's the color difference.

I am convinced that sidelights work.

So...beyond having a great stitching light, what else can we do to improve the light for stitching and to create more sidelights??

Well, I am in no way a lighting expert, but I have spent many hours at my stitching frame in all types of lighting situations and here's what I know at this point on my journey...

Tips for Improving the Quality of Light when Stitching Inside, in Low Light, or on a Gray Day

1. Purchase a great light with magnification. (Trish Burr has a recent post on her blog which you can read here.)
2. Consider working with two stitching lamps so you can increase the overall illumination of your work.
3. Stitch near a window with southern exposure.
4. Open any window shades or doors to increase the amount of outside light into your stitching room.
5. Turn on any other ancillary lamps and overhead lights to increase the overall light in your room.
6. Wear a white shirt. The color white reflects light significantly more than dark colors. Signficantly. Sounds silly, but it works.
7. Work in a room with white or light colored walls. Again, white is reflective so working in a room with white or light-colored walls will improve the amount of light on your work dramatically over working in a darkly-painted or darkly-paneled room.
8. Consider setting up a few white boards or mirrors on either side of your frame to increase the potential for greater sidelights.
9. Addendum from Kathy: Plan to put really light window coverings in your stitching rooms. If it's a really gray day, consider closing all the drapes if you have white or light colored curtains or drapes. The reflected light from them may be brighter than the light coming in through the windows. This is also important when stitching at night.
10. Purchase white lampshades instead of colored ones.

That's all I've got for today. I hope these tips help you see your work a little better.

Myself, I had never thought about wearing white, working in a room with light colored walls or using mirrors to reflect light...until I started my course with Karen.

I have made some changes myself and have noticed a big difference. Especially on a gray day.

May the light be with you...

Photo Finishes

Increasingly I find myself taking great pleasure in having a "photo shoot" for my needlework once I've completed a project.

I started out taking pictures so I could share them on this blog.

But over time, I've found that the photo shoot has moved beyond this functional need to a more meaningful, personal purpose.

Today, for me, the photo shoot has become a ritual...

A way of honoring the completion of a project...And closing one chapter before I begin another.

My portfolio of photo finishes is a treasure trove, right up there with my family albums and pictures, and summons up all kinds of good feelings when I go back and look at them.

I love having the visual record once the piece has long faded from my memory.

Let's be honest...Never again am I likely to make 34 Black-Eyed Susans and take a picture of them putting their best-faces forward.

This pic looks like a display at a farmers' market...and I would never had made that discovery had I not taken the time to take their picture.

Tomorrow they'll get scattered to all the ends of the earth as they go to live in their new homes.

But, thanks to the photo shoot, I get to keep a piece of them back here with me...it makes the clean up aftermath less tiresome.

Just like having pictures of my loved ones brings great comfort when they are no longer here...which reminds me to take more pictures of Jack every day...for college is coming in only 3 more years...*sigh

On that note, I leave tomorrow for the Adventure in CT. I'll try to post again before I hit the road.

Now, go take some pictures!

Through the Eyes of My Blog

Make no bones about it.

This blog has transformed my life.

Susan Tuttle said it most beautifully in her article titled A Room of One's Own in the most recent issue of Somerset Life. She said,

When I create a blog post there is an unveiling of truth that takes place -- I am often surprised by the manner in which the photos I share and the thoughts I write about weave together into a cohesive whole, revealing something more powerful than I could have ever imagined.

And as I have written posts, day after day, and week after week...my heartsong has been revealed to me and I have made amazing self-discoveries.

Like the fact that I absolutely love photography.

Jim gave me my first digital SLR camera about 6 years ago -- but I didn't really move past the "auto" settings until I began serious blogging. I wanted the pictures in my posts to help tell the story...and that led me to explore creativity in photography that went beyond the green auto setting.

This year for Mother's Day, Jim bought me a new camera body that has a much more powerful sensor...this will help me take better pictures in low light (aka indoors). Right now, I am slogging my way through a 500-page manual on getting the most from my camera and I'm not even bored. In fact, I'm fascinated. (OK. You can call me on it. Some parts are boring...)

It's like a whole new world has opened to me and I have just jumped in with two feet. And this Summer, I've been more quiet than usual because I've been studying photography and taking lots of online classes on taking photos, workflow and editing. And *phew*, it's been quite a ride.

The first online class I took was a few years ago from Karen Russell. I love everything about Karen's photographs...She has the gift of telling her life's story through her images which is something I aspire to do.

Through Karen, I learned of a new community called Clickin' Moms. Since they charge a fee for membership, I decided to join for only 6 months. Now, after reading all of the tips in the forums and learning through watching the process of thousands of talented women photographers, I wish I had become a lifetime member right out of the gate! There are tons of free tutorials, helpful members willing to respond to questions, and many different courses being offered all the time.

They should have just called it Clickin' Women. Even if you're not a mom, it's a very active group of talented photographers and worth checking out.

So that's some of where I've been.

Studying photography so that I can better share my life's story with you...

And with me.

{My brother John sent me this link to a speech given by photojournalist, Renee Byer, who won the Pulitzer Prize for telling a story with photographs. Here's a link to just the prize-winning photographic essay titled A Mother's Journey. It's a bit tough to watch but very beautiful...}