Faith is one of those concepts that can be seen as a positive attribute or a naive state of being, depending on which side of the philosophical fence you stand on. I don't think, however, that one needs to be particularly religious to be "faithful". Actually, just getting into your car everyday is an act of faith...we trust that people will follow the rules and stay on their side of the road but we can't be sure.
As a contemplative photographer, faith is at the core of our practice. We trust that the images we must make will be there. We have a supreme faith in our internal GPS to guide us to where we need to be.
On St. John last year I allowed this faith to direct my time there. Circumstance and chance played a major role and I was very pleased with the outcome. Walking into the dark unknown from the light of the safe and knowable is the only way to get to the essence of the contemplative spirit. If we only photograph the "photogenic" and the easily understood then we will have very few opportunities for deep reflection and personal growth. The path may be narrow, rocky and up hill and the destination obscure but that's where the faith comes in...
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