FOUR DAYS A WEEK. At Our Fingertips. An Unexpected Place.

BEHIND THE LENS. This week we meet Esta H. Singer, a photographer who is drawn to the quiet moments capturing history, the serene and turbulent landscapes around her, a personal truth and expression in time. Her photographs reveal a love and respect for people, architecture, and the joy of an unexpected magic that comes from doing what she loves. Taking photographs. Exploring her surroundings. Seeing in new ways.

We welcome Esta, who has kindly taken time to be here with us for a chat and to present a few of her selected photographs below.

Thanks so much for joining us and celebrating Esta's art. A special thanks also goes out to Esta's parents (shown in the photo to the left with Esta) for being here. Esta's dad is recovering from cancer, and her parents recently celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary. As Esta said, "I am grateful."

-Mia

A CHAT WITH ESTA

WHAT IS THE FIRST CREATIVE MOMENT YOU REMEMBER? WAS ANYONE THERE TO WITNESS OR APPRECIATE IT? HOW DID IT FEEL?
My childhood was filled with creativity, my mom is an artist. I recall two activities I enjoyed: collecting stones, painting them, then gluing the stones together to make little animals or people. The other, making colored "sand" by rubbing salt into a pastel colors then pouring the sand in a jar to make a design. My mom was always encouraging my creativity, and always praising it. As such, I always had a feeling of accomplishment and pride.


WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL CREATIVE DAY?
My ideal creative day is a day where my only commitment is being creative. I love putting myself in a new environment or a quiet place for ideas to inspire and flow.


WHEN YOU CREATE, DO YOU LOVE THE PROCESS OR THE RESULTS? WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY?
I love the process of creating; it's exciting to live in a moment of wonder and see it become. I love the results because more often than not, they always surprise me. When photographing, sometimes the camera sees something I don't, so when I upload the photo, there are elements that didn't overtly appear to my eye, and make the photo even more interesting than I had imagined. Magic.


THROUGH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY, WHAT IS THE STORY YOU WANT TO TELL?
I love this little planet; every aspect. It is filled with magic every day. I love putting a little spotlight on something that may be overlooked, or not seen, and give the image its own voice; to capture one moment in time and share it.

✶ Capturing one moment of truth one snap at a time. -Esta H. Singer

✶ What was your first creative moment and the story you want to tell? We hope you'll share with us in the comments section the magic of your moments.

✶ For more beautiful photography by Esta, visit her online portfolio, be a fan on Facebook. Her photographs are also available for purchase at Etsy.

✶ When Esta is not taking photographs, she is a Brand Strategy Expert, Social Media Savvy, and Dot-Connecting Master of S.H.E. CONSULTING. Follow her on Twitter for great and fun tweets. Always a joy.

✶ A top story in Anita's Finding Inspiration Daily, The Andrew Daily's Stories, Kamio's Daily, and The Play-Making Daily. May 2011. ✶