Cream Shawl
Kim Belverud - Group Leader
San Diego, CA, USA
Instagram
“I’ve been a long time fan of The Traveling Dress Collective and have always found incredible inspiration from each group’s posts. I’ve loved reading their stories and seeing their beautiful images. It’s always astounded me how one item can generate so much creativity and variety. I was hopeful to one day find a group so I could participate myself. Fast forward a couple years later and I found myself in a month-long online mentorship with the talented D’Ann Boal and Dana Leigh and 14 other incredibly supportive and creative photographers. Once the mentorship was over, we continued to support each other through Facebook and Instagram, and so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to see if anyone would be willing to join me in forming a group. Nearly everyone in the group jumped in!
We were torn between an item of clothing or a piece of fabric, but decided to start with clothing first. We looked at different options, everything from dresses and shawls to wraps and skirts. Ultimately, we opted to try this beautiful shawl because of its versatility. I particularly loved it because of the loose free flowing movement that could be captured.”
Kim Belverud
San Diego, CA
Instagram
“I decided to shoot with the shawl when I was away in the mountains with my family. The first few shots I captured with it were outside. I knew I wanted to do self portraits with them and I’ve always loved shooting environmental portraits. But after I took those initial shots, I decided to push a bit further and try something different. We were in a beautiful cabin with the most amazing windows, so I decided not only to take advantage of the light coming through them, but also the windows themselves. I loved the lines and hard edges of them, and it felt perfect to juxtapose that with the soft flowing edges and fringe of the shawl. I wanted to show movement in the shawl to further draw out that softness. In editing, I knew I wanted to convert them to black and white because of the natural contrast between the highlights and shadows. I loved the stark contrast between the whites and the blacks, balanced again with the softness of the shawl, which carried the range of highlights, midtones, and shadows. It felt like another good juxtaposition.”
Simone Girardot
Denver, CO, USA
Instagram
"Throughout school, I was a dyed-in-the-wool theater nut and one thing that has always stuck with me is this: The first rule of improv (theater) is to never say no. It doesn't matter what kind of whacky, off-beat scenario is in front of you, you commit 100% and respond with "yes, and..." I have learned through this traveling shawl, and many other projects, that commitment and "yes, and" are at the crux of the creative process. This shoot was a lot like an improv scenario. I had carefully crafted a creative vision of three generations high on a hilltop, wearing long full skirts and an heirloom shawl filled with wind, all perfectly framed by an open moody sky. Instead, I found myself in a city park, with my mother and sister but an uncooperative daughter and hardly even the slightest breeze. It took me a while to get my bearings, but as the sun neared the horizon the scene in front of me started to weave itself into a new vision. The light and the shawl pulled me in their own direction, playing off one another in aesthetics and feeling. Even if I had had everything laid out in front of me exactly as I had wanted it, I would have been remiss not to follow the light or mood of that particular day. The reality is that very rarely have I been able to execute a shoot exactly how I had planned it. If it weren't for my commitment to curiosity I would have only ever taken a handful of photos."
Deanna O'Connor
New York, USA
Instagram
"In February of 2021, I took a leap of faith and signed up for a photography class with two teachers who I really admire. After being in quarantine for so long, I decided to seize the opportunity and just take the course and put my best foot forward. Never did it cross my mind that I would connect with my classmates on such a personal level, and that we would all continue to stay in touch long after the class had wrapped up. This group of photographers have been a constant source of support - cheering me on and encouraging growth and creativity. As I wrote in my review of the class, I completed the course “with my heart and memory card full”.
My goal in creating these images was to showcase all that I’ve learned in the last few months - and to show what I hope to blossom into as a photographer. Throughout my life I’ve always relied heavily on various forms of art - dance and photography being the two main areas of focus - to keep me centered. This project was the perfect chance to combine my two passions. I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such creative individuals who foster an environment that makes learning so much fun!”
Laura Fellows
San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Instagram
"While there is no denying the many hardships this Covid-era has brought to the world, one of the blessings for us has been the experience of a quieter life--we have camped and glamped with our young daughters more this past year than any other year. Hipcamp has replaced hotels.com in our world, and this shawl came with us on one of our glamping trips. This spring break we spent four nights in four different locations in central California--a canvas tent on an cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, a converted mini school school (Gus the Bus) perched on the edge of a canyon, a hotel in the center of a bustling beach town, and an airstream (Bob the Airstream) on a horse rehabilitation farm surrounded by wine country.
And the traveling shawl came along with us. I was looking forward to photographing it in all the beautiful places we would be--I ironed it and neatly packed it in my bag before we left. The first night, I brought it along as we paddled in an old boat on a pond at the cattle ranch--but instead of getting photographed as I imagined, it got used to cover up the splintery wood seats so the kids could comfortably sit on them. It came with us to the beach where I envisioned some beautiful movement of the fringe from the ocean breeze--but it got used as a beach blanket as we sat and played cards in the sand waiting to check into our hotel. I imagined standing at the door of the airstream with the gorgeous views of vineyards peeking through, but at this point it was crumpled somewhere in the wrong bag in the car and I wanted to enjoy the sunset rather than look for it. But at Gus the Bus, I was determined to take pictures. At this point the shawl was snagged from splinters, dirty from easter candy melting on it, and definitely very wrinkled from getting thrown in so many different bags. The sunset was beautiful from the edge of the canyon, and I'd like to say these pictures are some of my favorites from the trip.
But my actual favorite photos are the not-so-great iPhone shots of my kids having fun in the moment with this shawl laying haphazardly in the background somewhere. It was a lesson to me that in the future I should not get stuck on only photographing in a beautiful scene or pretty light, but instead I should challenge myself to embrace the reality and find ways to turn that reality into meaningful art. Had I let go of my original artistic vision and challenged myself to take pictures of the shawl as it's journey unfolded...on the splintery wood bench of an old ugly boat, wet and covered with sand at the beach, and lying crumpled in our packed car, I would feel so much more emotionally connected to those pictures. So while I still enjoy these sunset shawl pictures because they remind me of our trip, they have served me in a more powerful way--they remind me to not get so caught up in the art of photography versus capturing the art of my family's life, because those are the ones that truly make my heart the happiest."
Debbie Schaefer
Sedona, AZ, USA
Instagram
"After admiring The Traveling Dress Project from afar, I jumped at the chance to participate with kindred artists from Long Island to San Diego and step forward with a brave "yes" when a convenient "no" would have been the logical response. The invitation to participate came from someone I admire and as all the "yes" responses rolled in; my fear escalated. Focusing on a one word mantra, I pushed fear aside and stepped into the genius word of possibility.
This was an invitation to witness collective sparks of creativity. Where a shared deadline and goal, percolated the effervescent joy of potential. The project served as a permission slip to open my soul's lens and trust my creative instincts. I will be forever grateful to the kindred participants in our effort and the genius creator of The Traveling Dress Collective."
Robin Litrenta
San Diego, CA, USA
Instagram
"I have long been curious about creativity. Where does it came from? Is there an ‘aha’ moment? Is it painstakingly planned? Or just, let’s wing it and see what we get?
The latter is more my speed.
When this shawl arrived, I immediately fell in love with its translucency and beautiful movement. So with little forethought other than my decision to model the shawl, my fiancé and I headed to the beach to ‘see what we could get.’
As wind filled the shawl I noticed its wing-like shape. So I found low and high perches to play with the garment. The sun was warm, the air was salty-sweet. With my fiancé as my human tripod, I twirled the shawl all the while thinking how a bird might test the wind right before it takes flight."
Stephanie Hitchcock
Brenham, TX, USA
Instagram
“As a Boston Native transplanted to Texas, I instantly fell in love with the beautiful blue wildflowers that painted the state every Spring. Once my first daughter was born it became a tradition to take photos in the bluebonnets each year. I cherish the memories we have made seeking out new fields, and dancing in the blooms. Bluebonnets will always hold a special place in my heart as I have watched my girls grow up in them. I wanted to incorporate the shawl with our special Texas tradition. My girls had so much fun playing with the shawl, and watching it blow in the breeze. I love how the shawl has traveled to so many different states, and been captured in so many unique ways.”
