ButterFlites -- Laura Shmania Photography

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Freelance Photography by Laura Shmania-- Chapel Hill, NC

I strive to capture the beauty I see in life's fleeting moments in time and space. My style is photojournalistic, working with what is essential, candid, and spontaneous.
Thanks for stopping by! Please check back regularly: I add new photos every day!

To see photos I have taken for the Carolina Friends School - theatre, dance, sports, school life- click here

Photos ©2005-2009 Laura Shmania. All rights reserved.
Email:: Laura@ButterFlites.com

"May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life." Apache blessing

Featured Galleries

Picture a Day- July, 2009 : daily eye catchers

Picture a Day- July, 2009

daily eye catchers

Updated: Jul 04, 2009 3:04am PST

Hoop Dance Paintings : What a wonderfully color-full evening! Thanks for the lovely hooping!! Let me know if you would like a print. laura@butterflites.com

Hoop Dance Paintings

What a wonderfully color-full evening! Thanks for the lovely hooping! ...

Updated: Jun 22, 2009 7:55pm PST

password protected gallery

Rebecca's Wedding

Lovely day! Congratulations!! You can download images directly from t ...

Updated: Jul 01, 2009 1:40pm PST

Picture a Day- January-June 2009 : daily eye catchers

Picture a Day- January-June 2009

daily eye catchers

Updated: Jul 02, 2009 3:16am PST

Gallery Categories

8 galleries with 1205 photos

Updated: Jul 04, 2009 3:04am PST

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Birds, Butterflies, Beaches, Bailey

4 galleries with 462 photos

Updated: May 26, 2009 6:35pm PST

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Miscellaneousness

1 gallery with 357 photos

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Southern Part of Heaven

6 galleries with 930 photos

Updated: May 26, 2009 5:51pm PST

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Barns, Farms, Cabins, Old Stuff

2 galleries with 171 photos

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Autumn in the Smokies

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Updated: Mar 26, 2008 5:43am PST

Williamsburg, Virginia

3 galleries with 122 photos

Updated: Jan 01, 2008 8:12pm PST

3 galleries with 180 photos

Updated: Nov 28, 2007 7:05pm PST

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2 galleries with 49 photos

Updated: Nov 10, 2007 9:53pm PST

Doors, Porches, Fences, Gates

1 gallery with 73 photos

Updated: Jul 24, 2007 8:22pm PST

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1 gallery with 42 photos

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Hay Bales, Fields

1 gallery with 42 photos

Updated: Sep 27, 2006 8:08pm PST

Most Popular Photos

11-29-06-- Wednesday
heavy fog this morning. afternoon sun warmed us to the 70's

"the art of art,
the glory of expression
and the sunshine of the light of letters,
is simplicity."

-- walt whitman

1-18-09 sunday
in memory of my best friend and siser, linda hendry

this is one of my favorites of linda's photos. she could capture the personailty of a bug. she was a blended artist and scientist. she wanted to know the name, the essence of things. she was an open receptor and clear reflector of the world. while she reached the heights of her professional world- information technology director, she had dreams of operating a landscaping business, used bookstore. she was an avid reader. she was incredibly generous- she gave me my first digital camera (20D) and then after I had taken a year of weekly photography classes, she gave me mycamera now (40D) out of the blue and completely unexpected. I cannot say how much I deeply miss her.
and now, we know her thru her lens.
to know more of her, go to her photo website at:
http://www.pbase.com/lhendry

2-16-09-- monday
signs of spring

1-7-09-- wednesday
rain and fog this morning. took this thru my rain-soaked windshield.

"people are made of flesh and blood
and a miracle fibre called courage."

-- mignon mclaughlin

7-27-08-- sunday
we had an incredible thunderstorm last night just as I was ready to post this- so here 'tis now!

1-19-09-- monday
many thanks to all who commented on linda's photo yesterday. this is dedicated to linda.

"I was united with you,
so remain united in me.
together we shall speak
the speech of eternal being,
together we shall act
where the results of the deeds are at work.
together we shall weave in spirit,
where human thought is woven
in the word of
eternal thought."

prayer by rudolf steiner for one who has died.

4-12-09-- sunday
easter sunrise on the beach- in memory of my sister linda

"... thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."

-- the lord's prayer

7-1-08-- tuesday

"'tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
and when we find ourselves in the place just right,
it will be in the valley of love and delight.

when true simplicity is gained,
to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
to turn, turn will be our delight,
'til by turning, turning we come round right."

-- shaker elder joseph brackett, jr

8-17-08-- sunday

"whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things."

-- from philippians 4

3-23-09-- monday
musicians on franklin street

"music is the poetry of the air."

-- richter

10-12-08-- sunday
at the pumpkin patch...

"every moment is a golden one
for him who has the vision
to recognize it as such."

-- henry miller

4-20-09-- monday
spring green!

"love the moment and the energy of teh mmoment will spread beyond all boundaries."

-- corita kent

6-5-09-- friday
purple and green

"I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one."

-- edna st. vincent millay

8-4-08-- Monday
For Linda

"I arise today
Through a mighty strength:

God's power to guide me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's eyes to watch over me;
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to give me speech,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to shelter me,
God's host to secure me."

Irish - first millenium - Bridgid of Gael

1-20-09-- tuesday
a very rare occurance for us- snow! and in the late afternoon sun- deer!

"death be not proud, though some have called thee
mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
for, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
from rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
and soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
and dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
and poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
and better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
one short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
and death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die."

-- john donne

4-5-09-- sunday
resting in the tall grass

6-29-08-- sunday

"sleep 'til you're hungry,
eat 'til you're sleepy."

-- author unknown

3-18-09-- wednesday
sunny afternoon- with lots of folks out and about on campus

"adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

-- ralph waldo emerson

9-4-08-- thursday

"when I was young, every day was as a beginning of some new thing, and every evening ended with a glow of the next day's dawn."

-- eskimo poem

3-26-09-- thursday
at the doctor's office- wide angle lens and cool convex ceiling fixture...

"reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."

-- charles dickens

3-16-08-- sunday
blooming blossoms on flowering tree

"do you not see
that you and I
are as the branches of one tree?
with your rejoicing
comes my laughter;
with your sadness
start my tears
love,
could life be otherwise
with you and me?"

-- tsu yeh, 265-316 AD

1-2-09-- friday
tonight my daughter and a friend baked fresh povitica, a yummy traditonal polish nut roll

"when you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. give thanks for your food and for the joy of living."

-- tecumseh

3-10-08-- monday
star magnolia blossoms

"we only have this moment,
sparkling like a star in our hand...
and melting like a snowflake.
let us use it before it is too late."

-- marie beynon ray

4-9-09-- thursday
furr-o-cious feline

1-29-09-- thursday
bailey boy after his trim (see tuesday for long-hair reference)

"out of clutter, find simplicity,
from discard, find harmony,
in the middle of difficulty lies opporunity.”

-- albert einstein

8-24-08-- sunday

"and remember, no matter where you go,
there you are."

-- earl mac rauch

5-13-08-- tuesday

"four steps to achievement;
plan purposefully,
prepare prayerfully,
proceed positively,
pursue persistently."

-- william a. ward

5-3-09-- saturday

"to do the useful thing,
to say the courageous thing,
to contemplate the beautiful thing:
that is enough for one man's life.

-- t.s. elliot

6-7-09-- sunday
lovely evening in the campus quad

“be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

-- dr. seuss

6-23-07-- Saturday

"color is the language
of the soul of the universe."

-- rudolf steiner

8-13-08-- wednesday

"what a grand thing, to be loved!
what a grander thing still, to love!"

-- victor hugo

10-7-08-- tuesday
downtown shop window

"one ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."

-- goethe

7-28-08-- monday

"when you part from your friend, you grieve not; for that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain."

--kahlil gibran

8-14-08-- thursday
blast of sunshine!

“let your light shine.
be a source of strength and courage.
share your wisdom.
radiate love.”

-- wilferd peterson

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