I was recently watching Louie Swartzberg's wonderful video, Beauty, Nature, Graditude, which I try to watch on a regular basis just for the sheer beauty and inspiration of it. I posted a link to it on my post The Eternal Search for Beauty. (Watch it again here...) On the video, Swartzberg relates how, when people watch his films they often exclaim, "Oh my God!" (or OMG to the texting generation!)I love his explanation of the words. "Oh" is the heighten awareness of discovering something awe inspiring..."My" is the acknowledgement of the personal connection to the perception, and "God" is the acknowledgement of this yearning for the spiritual essence, the divine revelation, in the natural world. For me it is a cry from the very depths of the human heart.
When you practice contemplative photography, continually and over time, those "OMG" moments will come more frequently. I try, whether I photograph or not, to have one OMG moment every day. What is a marvel to me is how these moments can come at the most unexpected time and in the most commonplace of settings. It is not difficult to see the beauty in the glorious clusters of hydrangea I walked by in France in the summer of 2012 but to see it in an old stump is something special. Of course it was the light, the late afternoon light filtering through the trees and illuminating the old stump that created the OMG moment for me. I stood in awe of it for several moments.
Nurturing these moments is an essential practice of the contemplative photographer. It all begins with heighten awareness, a child-like appreciation of the world around you and, most importantly, the ability to acknowledge it. It is also the willingness to stop what you are doing and bask in the moment of suspended time.Swartzberg has a beautiful new film and below is a link to the trailer. I am sure it will offer you an OMG moment today. After you watch it, go out and experience another!
1 comment:
What a wonderful video. Thank you.
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