Beauty in the Commonplace...

   If there is a recurring theme on this blog, it is finding beauty in the commonplace.  After my post of November 29, 2014 I felt the need to look closer to home for the beautiful.

   The day I made this photograph of my crab apple tree, which is 15 feet from my back door, it was pouring rain. The raindrops glistened like little diamonds on the branches.  I thought it quite beautiful.

   Edgar Allen Poe defined Art this way...

...the reproduction of what the Senses perceive in Nature through 

the veil of the soul.

   I always found that a wonderful definition and in many ways my efforts at contemplative photography are very much in keeping with this sentiment.  Nature, for me, is divine presence whether it is in a magnificent cloudscape or tiny raindrops on tree branches.  There is an essential sacredness in all living things.  Photographing it in all its manifestations is my passion.  

   You might like to read some back posts on this subject...

The Sacredness in the Commonplace

The Black and White Image...

   I saw this quote recently and it really seemed to express what I've always felt about the black and white photograph.  It also reminded me of something I use to do with my students...I read them stories from books with no pictures...GASP!

   Now, I love the beautiful illustrations is children's books, I really do, but when I child hears a story and sees the artist's interpretation of it then that is the image that sticks in their minds.  I tried a little experiment one time.  I read the children a short story from a lovely illustrated book.  When I asked them to draw their favorite part, the children used imagery they were shown.  When I read them a story with no accompanying illustrations and repeated the request, the drawings were wonderfully imaginative...no two were the same.

Sheep, Late Afternoon

   I think this is what the author, it didn't say who, meant by this quote.  The black and white image leaves something to the imagination, like books with no illustrations.  But black and white images go a bit further than that.  There is stillness, an elegance, a subtle sophisticated tenor to a monochrome image, regardless of the subject matter.

   Take this image of a sheep for instance. Totally ordinary subject but when photographed in black and white it becomes another thing altogether.  More ethereal and timeless, a study of light and texture.  Not baaaad for a simple photograph of a sheep.  (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

   Let's face it, some things just look better in black and white.  I do believe I've mentioned this before but it doesn't hurt to remind ourselves.  Always photograph in color and desaturated with your photo editing software. There are many technical reasons for doing it this way but a very nontechnical reason is why not have both color and black and white versions of the scene?  Makes no sense not too.  Back in the film days you had to choose but now, with the wonders of digital technology, there is no need to.

Receptivity - The "hard eye" vs. the "soft eye"...

   I'm reading a wonderful book on labyrinths right now, Walking a Sacred Path by Dr. Lauren Artress.  In it she talks about receptivity that, along with reflection, is part of the walking meditation of the labyrinth.

   Dr. Artress describes the two states of receptivity, the hard eye and the soft eye and this designation most surely applies to the contemplative photographer as well.

   "The hard eyes are for long distance looking, surveying, seeking, looking ahead.  Soft eyes are for up close, intimate contact." - page 98

   I couldn't help but make the connection with those states and the left brain/right brain dichotomy.  Hard eyes are analytical and judgmental while soft eyes are gently intuitive and non-dual.  While I visited the annual Sheepfest I was able to apply this in my camera work.  While I began with a more general overview of the alpaca enclosure I was not content with that.  These gentle creatures drew me in and I was rewarded by this sweet smiling countenance and a soft humming greeting. (Yes, alpacas actually hum!)

   Again, I think what we should strive for is a balance of the two states of receptivity.  Hard eyes are our scouts; they lead us forward.  But is our soft eyes that reveal the mystery, that gives us a glimpse of the divine in all life.  The hard eye sees...the soft eye beholds.  We need both.

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Footnote:

     I've decided to relocate my labyrinth. The space I originally chose is too small. It will become a meditation garden instead. I know that creating a full sized labyrinth means it will not be done this year. It is a lot more work and expense but in the end it will be worth it. I will be publishing progress reports this summer on both the meditation garden and the labyrith...stay tuned!

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"Dear Diary..." - creating an online photo journal

Another day...another squirrel!

   In yesterday's post I talked about the power of photography to remember, even long after we forget.  I thought I would talk a bit today about the idea of keeping a daily photo journal.

   I write every day in my "disposable" journals. (OK, I hear you gasping...again!)  I do throw them out when I've filled them up.  They are very personal and once I've written it all down and re-read them I'm done with it.  The ultimate act of letting go I've always thought but there has always been a wee part of me that wants to leave some sort of legacy behind after I'm dust.  I have this blog of course but I began to think an illustrated daily diary may be the way to go.

   Frankly, I have never been that disciplined in the past.  To make one photograph every day seems like a lot of pressure to me but maybe there is something to it.  I know lots of people who do try to make one photograph everyday and with the cell phone camera it couldn't be easier really.  But what do you do with those images?  Blipfoto is one vehicle to save those daily images along with a journal entry which, to my way of thinking, is equally important...what you saw and how you felt about it.  It makes it a true diary. Remember those little leatherette ones, usually pink, with the lock and key?  A wonderful memory from my youth.  (There are other possibilities, like the 365project.org.  You may know of more...)

   Since Blipfoto is entirely self funded, there are no nasty adverts junking up the pages.  You can do a basic membership for free but a full membership offers many more options and is reasonable priced.  I know this sounds like an advertisement but I just wanted to clue you into what I've found.  Other sites offer similar options I'm sure but I haven't checked them all out.  I only want to recommend things I personally know about.

    I started my on-line daily photo journal on April 15th with my first "selfie".  (I had to re-take my original since the photo you post must be made on the day you post it.  Then I had to change the one I'd previously added to my other sites. because the new one was much better...geesh!)  I've tried to add one image everyday.  Whatever catches my attention...no judgements!  I write a "Dear Diary...." caption for it just as I would have in my old pink leatherette one with the little gold key.  Even after a relatively short time it's fun to look back and see my life revealing itself one day, one image and one thought at a time!  You can see my photo diary at Memories4Me.  (I will keep a link in the side bar so you can check it from time to time if you want.)

   Now, it remains to be seen if I will be able to keep up the daily photo/journal thing but I am hopeful.  Blipfoto only allows one photo a day. Instead of a huge album of images from, say, your latest trip, this site makes you chose a daily 'icon'...what was the most significant thing you saw that day.  That's a great exercise in discernment!

    No pressure though.  If I skip a day from time to time that's fine with me and the site doesn't send out the Blipfoto police if you miss a day!  It is a place to archive those images I do make and any thoughts they generate...a place that will remember long after I forget...my on-line photo diary.  That has to be a good thing!

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Footnote:

   One great feature about Blipfoto is that at the end of the year you can have a lovely book made of all your images, 365 if you've been really good, and the accompanying journal entries!  I think this a great feature.  Having a "hard copy" of your journal would allow you to slowly flip through your year...a retrospective of your thoughts and images over 365 days.  It would make a great gift as well.

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Photography as a Mirror of Belief...

The Divine Spark

   I am a firm believer in the idea that we will see what we need to see because we are drawn to places and images that answer some deep seated desire or need within us.

   I also believe that as we clarify our belief system, the pull to certain places or experiences heightens.  Our photographs will then become a mirror for those beliefs.

   If you believe in the natural depravity and desperation of humankind then that is what you will see and, conversely, what you will be drawn to photograph. There seems to be no lack of this kind of photography today.  Many contemporary photographers seem fixated on the negative, the darker side of the human experience.  There is certainly a place for this kind of mirror.  Gazing into it may be painful but it is, at times, necessary and I thank the photographers who have the courage to hold this sort of mirror up for me to gaze into.

    If you believe, on the other hand, in the divine presence inherent in the natural world, then that is what you will encounter.  It is, in some ways, a self-fulling prophesy.  There is a need for both kinds of mirrors...the dark and the light...in the world.

    Today's image is a direct reflection of the second form of belief...my personal need to see the divine spark in the most unlikely places.  I am definitely a "glass half full" sort of person.  I was visiting a friend and she commented on the need to throw out the wilted and faded flowers on the table.  They were, indeed, a sorry sight but for some reason I felt compelled to photograph them.

   This image is the result...the perfect illustration for this post I think.  I found this image just when I needed it.  If I had focused on the decaying part of the flowers only I would never have discovered the lovely interior metaphor which is emphasized by a little selective desaturation.  I also deliberately darkened the tonality on the right side of the photograph. Having this part of the image in black and white seemed to demand the exaggeration of tones. Together with the light side it amplifies the metaphor of the two belief systems. 

   This is also an example of how we can work with the images we receive to heighten their contemplative possibilities.  I don't do this a lot but it definitely speaks to the artist in me  .There is not a right way or a wrong way to gather and work with your photographs...no one way to practice contemplative photography.  The only "right way" is your way!

   Adding a bit of "noise" to the image, allowing it too be softly grainy, further adds to the images intention to exist beyond the reality of the observed thing. It lends a painterly feeling to it that I really liked. I have never experimented with this type of imaging much but this has been a winter of exploration in so many ways...this is just the latest manifestation of that exploration. It feels good to step out of your comfort zone from time to time!

   I would like you to think about this when next you venture out to photograph. What sort of mirror are you holding up for the world to gaze into? What does that mirror reflect back to you?

You Know You are a Contemplative Photographer When.....

What you seek is also seeking you.

...you are able to embrace the metaphoric capability of the living landscape.

...you practice heightened awareness and hone your perception skills to look beyond the surface quality of things.

...you consider your journal as important as your camera.

...you follow your heart's GPS trusting that it will never lead you astray.

...you remain open to the spontaneous and the serendipitous.

...you know that wherever you are is where you should be and you will receive the images you need.

...you stop being a "taker of photographs" and become a "receiver of images".

...you enter into a co-creative conspiracy with the landscape.

...you learn to see the divine fingerprint in the natural world and the sacred in the commonplace.

...you travel with the heart of a pilgrim and not the mindset of the tourist.

...you can read your photograph as easily as the printed page.

...you realize that the wisdom of the landscape is everywhere and that there are no unsuitable places or unworthy images.

Filters...

   As photographers, we have a huge range of filters at our disposal to alter the acquired image.   Diffusion filters, neutral density filters, polarizing filters, special effects filters...the list goes on and on.  But what about our personal filters?  What do we carry around with us everyday that alters our perception of the world around us?

Through a Window, Dimly

   Those of us who have had formal training in photography carry the filter of photographic knowledge.  This was the filter I had the most difficulty disposing of when I took up the camera again in 2005 and discovered contemplative photography.  I "knew" what made a good photograph and I thought I knew what didn't.  The rules were an inhibiting filter to my experience.  It was like looking through a rainy window all the time. 

   One way to ascertain what your personal filters are is to look through a diverse collection of photography, either in a book or in a museum or gallery.  It is helpful to record your initial reaction to each photograph, maybe with the thumbs up and thumbs down judgement.  Then ask yourself...why do I like this particular photograph and why do I dislike this other one?  Somewhere along the line you will find yourself bumping into some sort of filter.  Something that is getting in your way of appreciating a particular style or technique or subject matter.

   It's perfectly alright to have preferences, it's only natural, but when they are getting in the way of your ability to explore new ideas or push your personal image making envelop just a bit then they are acting as inhibiting filters.  Best to be aware of it and put them aside from time to time.  Try seeing the world without your personal filter.

Your Point of View...

   On my stay on Monhegan Island I shared the cottage with 6 other photographers.  We all had our own interests and unique point of view.  This photograph of three of them is a perfect illustration of the idea.  While we were there to photograph the sea gulls feasting on the remains of our lobster dinner one person seemed more attracted to the tidal pools.  Her main area of interest is macro photography.  You could say her point of view was the detail of the landscape, the small view.

      We all have this leaning to a particular point of view but as a contemplative photographer I try to guard against letting it take over.  You only see what you pay attention to (read the post on that subject here.)  I think the majority of my visual listening exercises or walking meditations are to over come this tendency...to open myself up to the whole of the landscape.

   When I was on a sabbatical studying creativity I learned a lot about this process of opening up to the world around you.  I found a great quote that I used in the report of my research and I want to share it with you now because it is so important to remember if we want to be able to receive the images the landscape wants to give us...

If you hunt only where rabbits
 live, all you will catch are rabbits.

    Remember that when you are going out for a day of photography. Keep your heart and mind open to all the landscape has to offer; the small view and the large view and everything in-between.  Don't let your particular point of view restrict your vision.

Perspectives...

   Each of us brings our unique perspective to everything we see and do.  I was reminded of that recently when I joined two dear friends for a visit to the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.  We went to see an exhibit of Faberge, the jeweler to the Romanov dynasty in Russia.

(Yes, I actually do go to museums to see things other than photography but, it just so happened that there was a photography show at the museum as well and I'll tell you about that tomorrow.) 

 The way my friends and I approached the exhibit experience differed completely because of the unique perspectives we brought along with us.

   One friend focused on the craftsmanship of the pieces in the exhibit, calling our attention to the minute detail of each piece, as well as the historical context in which they were made.  My other friend concentrated on the jewels and ornateness of each piece and speculated on the lifestyle of the czar and his family.  And what did I focus on? I was enthralled with watching people's reactions to the work!  I was very glad to have my friends with me.  They pointed out things I may have overlooked had I been there alone.

   This idea of perspectives has special meaning for the contemplative photographer, especially one who likes to  walk the landscape in solitude.  I have to constantly remind myself to shift perspectives from time to time.  If there are animals anywhere about, I am drawn to them first.  I am such an animal lover that a sheep is a magnet to me!  It is the same with people; I gravitate to them.  I must shake myself and remember to see other things as well.  That's why the visual listening exercises I employ are so important. (You can re-read my series on visual listening here.)  It forces me to adopt other perspectives and it heightens my awareness of the whole and not just a small, personally attractive part.  Keep that in mind when you go out into the landscape...from what perspective are you approaching the place?  What new, fresh perspective could you take?

Breaking the Rules...

Never put your subject in the middle of the frame.

Most people reason deductively much of the time and most photographers see that way...It's a closed process.  Seldom do we look sideways, that is, search for other premises or new beginnings.

- Freeman Patterson

   I really am enjoying my re-read of Patterson's book, Photography and the Art of Seeing.  I love his phrase "thinking sideways".  As contemplative photographers we are in a constant search for new ways to behold the world around us and Patterson's book gives us many useful suggestions.  Some may seem silly at first but the results can be stunning and very evocative.  More than the need to make a wonderful image, breaking the rules loosens up you thought process and allows new possibilities to enter.

Rule #1: Always hold the camera steady.

Breaking Rule #1: Jump up and down in the forest and press the shutter release as you jump.

   He encourages the photographer to be flexible...Taoists read that, "Go with the flow"!  He contrasts traditional thinking (I mind the cold weather so much, I don't think I'll make any pictures today.") with Sideways Thinking, (I mind the cold weather so much, I think I'll make pictures indoors today!)  When I was a teacher I took a sabbatical to study creative thinking.  I could have referenced Patterson's book in my report!  Seeing the world in traditional ways has its advantages but shaking it up a bit from time to time refreshes the mind.

   What are some of the ways you can shake up your photographic world?  What are some of the hard and fast "rules" you've learned that you can break?  Thinking creatively means letting go of past prejudices about what is the "right way" to photograph a subject...even what makes a good subject in the first place.  Patterson's book is full of wonderful and mind expanding ideas.  Go ahead, be a bit daring...forget the "rule of thirds" or not aiming your camera into the sun.  Think sideways!

   On of my favorite rules to break is: "Always carefully frame your subject."  Many of the images I have made of horses were done with the camera on auto and with no attempt to even look through the viewfinder.  I would just wave my arm at random and release the shutter at will. (A carrot waving in the other hand helps too!)  Many of the resulting images may be throwaways but every once in awhile something magical happens...

    

  We need both the stability of the traditional and the challenge of the new in order to cultivate order and tension in our photography.  That is the art of seeing.

- Freeman Patterson

The Nature of Solitude...

We should remember that loneliness is the pain of being alone,

 yet solitude is the splendor of being alone, and that to have long-lasting

 happiness we should remember the difference in between.

- Arzu Kaya Uranli 

   When I recently told some friends that I planned to spend two weeks alone in a stone cottage deep in the Wicklow mountains of Ireland they responded: "Won't you be lonely?"  It got me thinking about the nature of solitude and how so many people are uncomfortable being alone.

The Solitary Boat

    As a contemplative photographer, I thrive on solitude.  In fact, if I am traveling with other people I find it nearly impossible to practice my craft.  I often excuse myself and head out on my own.  You can't do contemplative photography in a group!  When I led my contemplative stroll in Concord this Spring I struggled with the idea of leading 15 people into the landscape as a group.  I, instead, created a little field journal of guided meditations that they could take off on their own and I let them walk where they wanted...I returned to the farmhouse.  I wasn't abandoning them, I was letting them relate to the landscape through their own senses, not mine.

   Here on Cape Cod, while my companion headed off for her day of painting, I was able to seek out the solitary places in this lovely landscape.  Her experience in her workshop is so different from the solitary nature of contemplative photography.  The students were there to learn the techniques of another artist and it was best nurtured in this group environment.  Everyone had a similar goal.  These types of workshops are an exclusively external process whereas contemplative photography is a completely internal process.

     Being just a bit ahead of the "summer crowd" and visiting during the week and not on the hectic weekend, it was not hard to find these quiet places.  One tiny boat bobbed in the tranquil water and the only sound was the far off cry of the gulls.  Somehow, the little boat added to my sense of solitude.  I urge you to set aside some time each week to practice the fine art of solitude and silence.  Nurture the stillness of your own soul and feel comfortable with your own thoughts...they are the essence of contemplative photography. 

I never found a companion that

was so companionable as solitude.

- Henry David Thoreau

  

Receiving the Image and Making the Photograph...

   I've spoken at great length about the semantic implications of words associated with the photographic process.  This is important because words indicate one's thoughts and thoughts shape our world view.

   In traditional terminology,  photographs are "taken", a scene "captured" but for the contemplative photographer images are received.  It is indicative of two totally different mindsets.  In the former, the need to control and dominate the subject is paramount; in the later, it is a symbiotic relationship, an enterprise of equals.

   After the contemplative photographer has received the images, when that image comes to rest on the film or memory card, what then?  Now it becomes the artist's role to stare into the image and coax out of it a true reflection of the experience.  Some people may try to argue that we should not alter the image in any way but I disagree with that tact.  The "alteration" is the artist speaking through the image.  It is an essential part of the creative expression.  One would never tell a painter that they should paint in only one, realistic, way.  The painting is an interpretation of the landscape.  It is an expression of the heart of the artist.   By engaging in this gentle alteration, we make the photograph into a reflection of ourselves. It really is two separate processes - the receiving and the making.

  

Dun Carloway - Isle of Lewis, Scotland

All artists have a style that is unique to their work - their personal "signature" as it were.  While it may be more obvious in say, painting, photographers have a personal style as well.

One blurred image is a mistake.

Three blurred images are a series

and 100 blurred images is a style.

   I don't recall where I read that but it is so true.  My own style, at least in my monochrome work, is the dark rich tones I espouse.  Not for me the pale, high key image.  I want the dark velvet values of an old Master's painting.

   Go out and explore the world with your camera, receive your images and make of them what you will, what you need to do so that they will become your unique vision of the landscape.  Over time and with reflection your style will emerge.  It will float gently to the surface.  It is already there just waiting to be released.

Visualization: a photographer's interplay with the landscape....

   There is a process in photography that is very often not covered in the "How To..." books.  It is the

The Epiphany

process of visualization...seeing in the mind's eye the completed photograph.  Now, this is something that takes experience in the medium, knowing what is possible and how best to achieve the final result.  It shouldn't discourage you if you are just starting out though.  It really involves training your mind to think in terms of final image.  When you look at a landscape, you mentally dissect it.  You ask yourself questions like, "What is it here that I want to record?" "What do I want to emphasize...what should I down play?"  

    This is why my practice of "visual listening" is so important in my process as a photographer.  It is the time I spend receiving the message of the landscape before I begin visualizing the final photograph.  Without this interplay with the landscape I am only applying my will to my subject rather that trying to make the final image a co-creation...a tribute to its subtleties and nuances.  

   This is also why journaling is so important in the process of contemplative photography.  It may be days or even weeks before you get back to the image.  What were you thinking when you were there in the landscape?  What was your internal reaction to the external event?  I knew, when I saw this landscape at the Abbey of Gethsemani, that it had to be in black and white.  I visualized it that way and I noted the different elements in my journal that I would later emphasize in the final image.  So, take your time and take notes!  Your immediate response in the field is worth far more than your remembrances of the event weeks later.

  

Ansel Adams on Visualization

Shadow Studies...

Shadow Study - New Mexico

Both light and shadow are the
dance of love.

-Rumi

 If light is the supreme metaphor for the contemplative photographer then shadow, it's antithesis, must be of equal importance.  One defines the other.  Studying the pattern and richness of the shadow world is an immensely rewarding pastime for the contemplative photographer.

   My folio New Mexico: Land of Light and Shadow (all my folios are  now in the side bar right here on the blog for easy access) is a study of these metaphors as in this image of the delicate shadow of a weed silhouetted on the silvery, rough wooden plank. 

   In Christine Valters Paintner's wonderful new book on contemplative photography, Eyes of the Heart, she devotes an entire chapter to this interplay...The Dance of Light and Shadow, so important a subject it is. 

In photography, both light and shadow

are required to make an image, and so

the medium invites us to consider ways

to integrate both of these gifts in our own

lives and contemplations.

                                                                                        -page 42 

   We tend to dwell more on the light than the shadow, both in our camera work and in our personal lives.  It is worth it to spend a day just exploring the shadow land for what is hidden there has much to tell us.  The link below is to the work of Wing Wong, a photographer we looked at in the post,  Get Closer.

Shadow Study

The Contemplative Eye...

   What does it mean to nurture a "contemplative eye"?  As a photography major in the mid-1970's, the term "photographic eye" was extolled in great detail.  By that, they were referring to the ability to instinctively frame a masterful image - composition was crucial and we spent a great deal of time discussing concepts such as the "Golden Mean" and the "Rule of Thirds".  It was, and still is, a very formalistic approach.

Taking the Plunge

   So then, how does a "contemplative" eye differ from a "photographic" one?  The difference lies, I believe,with intent.  The contemplative eye looks for the metaphoric capability in anything they are photographing before they consider the more formal considerations of composition and exposure...the "Why I should make this photograph..." comes before the "How should I compose this photograph...".  The intent is to create a meaningful image more than it is to create a "masterful" one, at least initially.

   But I believe the contemplative photographer goes one step further.  When an image is made it is done - finished - technically speaking.  The photograph becomes an object to the traditional photographer but contemplative photographers view their images as adjectives rather than nouns and the meaning of the image can evolve and change overtime as the photographer herself evolves and changes.

   A contemplative eye is more fluid, more searching, more inner-directed than the photographic eye which is bound more by conventional artistic rules and considerations.  The best contemplative photographer, however, values both.  If we think of the right brain/left brain dichotomy, we could ascribe the contemplative eye to the more intuitive right side of the brain and the photographic eye to the analytical left side of the brain. As we know, it is always best to keep both eyes open!  Use your contemplative eye and your photographic eye in partnership to create masterful, and more importantly, meaningful, images.

Eyes of the Heart - Book Review

Click here to purchase...

   I am a great fan of Christine Valters Paintner whose website  Abbey of the Arts is listed among my on-line resources for you to explore.  I have spoken about her work often on this blog.  Today I want to do a review of her latest book, Eyes of the Heart.  It is a wonderful exploration of contemplative photography...a text book for the seeking soul.

   This book combines an inward 

vision with an outward expression

and through a creative act helps us 

both discover and celebrate

our spiritual path.

-page 6

   Christine takes a balanced approach to her subject.  She offers many helpful suggestions for someone new to the idea of contemplative photography. Ideas about framing and composition and the basic elements of line, shape and color.  But this is not a "how to book" in the technical sense.  Rather, it is an exploration of the process of seeing and receiving images.

   What I find especially refreshing about Christine's book is how it draws each individual into the experience of contemplative photography...it never lectures, it makes you a part of the on-going process. One of the most important things I think I can teach is learning to make space to listen to your own deepest longings and begin to trust those more. -page 31  Hers is a gentle touch and a reassuring one.

   Another element of the book that I feel will be especially helpful for those new to the concept of contemplative photography is the inclusion at the end of each chapter of Reflection Questions.

• Which colors seem to energize you, and which ones drain you? Do you notice any patterns?
• If you life were a mosaic of different colored tiles, what elements would the different colors represent?
• If you could describe the presence of God only in terms of color, which colors would be most significant? -page 88

    Through these questions, people can slowly digest and reflect on the materials covered in each chapter.  It slows the process down and allows each reader to personalize the information.  If each chapter ends with questions, it begins with statements.  As a passionate collector of wise and inspired words, I loved the diversity of the people quoted.  From Marcel Proust to St. Augustine, Christine dips into the well of wisdom that can inspire us all.  If there could be a textbook for Contemplative Photography 101, this would be it!

Contemplative practice requires that we shift our 

normal affinity for thinking, analyzing, and producing, 

and surrender ourselves to a different way of being

in the world, one that is more intuitive, more about

mystery and unfolding rather than planning.  We

follow the flow of life instead of trying to control

its direction.  We release our expectations of what

we think we should see, and then see what is 

actually there....Thomas Merton called it "the 

direct intuition of reality."  -page 133

   Eyes of the Heart is a wonderful book for the beginning contemplative photographer or one who has journeyed a bit further along the path. Neither will be disappointed.  On May 14th there will be a guest post here by Christine...don't miss it!

 

   

   

  

Looking, Seeing and Beholding...

It's not what you look at that

matters, it's what you see.

-Henry David Thoreau

Behold...A Blanket of Yellow Covers the Earth

   One could say that that phrase gets at the very core of contemplative photography.  We look at things in a very cursory way.  We do it so we don't walk into telephone poles.  To see something is to give it more than a passing glance.  It is to regard it with focused attention. But in this post I want to suggest that there is another level of attention...to behold your subject.  Behold is an old fashioned word, one we rarely see anymore but it is, for me, the level of awareness that is one step deeper than seeing. It is one, unlike looking and seeing, that involves the heart as well as the mind.  It is a fusion of deep association with the observed that links it to us personally.  It is the kind of seeing I strive for when I'm in the landscape.  At this level of regard, one can no longer be a dispassionate observer; a detached eye behind the lens.

   If you divide the word into its syllables, it has even more import.  BE...the essence of contemplative photography.  Stop "doing" and just be.  It recalls my 4 Be's as well, Be Still, Be Present, Be Patient, and Be Persistent.  Many photographers are constantly busy with their craft... so obsessed with the technical and aesthetic considerations that they miss the experience of it all.  The field of yellow canola plants near the abbey in Kentucky was jaw dropping.  I stopped and studied it several times the week I was there.  I finally made a photograph of it and later, when I looked at it I thought, at first, "Darn, that telephone pole is awkward!"  But then I had to smile to myself...that was the mind, the great and critical judge talking!  When I was there, truly beholding the field, I never saw the pole.  I was looking at the field as a lover would "behold" his beloved...lovers don't see the flaws in the loved one.

   HOLD...this implies a more committed relationship with the landscape. To hold hands with it, as it were.  It is an intimate, physical gesture.  It also asks us to cradle the experience...first in our heart and then in our photographs.  I'm reading a wonderful book, the writings on nature by Thomas Merton...When Trees Say Nothing.  It talks about his early training, with his Father the landscape painter, in beholding.  It also illustrates his growing consciousness as an environmentalist, long before such a term was even bandied about.  Nothing can speak to the need to form this intentional, heartfelt relationship with the land than this Merton quote.  In this day of growing environmental awareness and urgency it may be well to remember...

We will not save what we do not love.

Finding Your Lodestone...

   A lodestone is a phenomenon of  nature.  A rock that has a natural magnetism.  The word has also come to mean something in our lives that draws us to it...something that has magnetism for us.

   One of the challenges of being a photographer of any sort is to discern what is magnetic for our camera's lens.  What draws us in?  For the contemplative photographer it is even more important because these lodestones, in a subtle way, define us.

The Standing Stone at Pollachar, South Uist, Scotland

   One of my lodestones is actually stones! I love ancient monuments, especially standing stones.  In the Western Isles they are quite prevalent and, it seemed to me, random.  This stone is located at the tip of South Uist and sits in solitary splendor looking out to the bay as it has for thousands of years.  No one knows for sure what its purpose was because there are no other standing stones with it...no evidence of any other monuments or settlement.  I suspect it was placed as a marker to guide sailors.  I just know that I love to sit with my back supported by the ancient stone.  I feel such a connection with the past here as well as an indefinable sense of continuity and permanence.

    I leave today on my long awaited road trip.  What will my lodestones be on this trip?  What are your lodestones?  What draws you in?  When you can recognize these in your life you will be closer to discovering what defines you, as a photographer and as a person.

I am unsure what internet connections I will

have available to me on this trip. I plan to

continue my daily posts, if possible, so stay

tuned for some new "On location..." posts!

  

Meditation and Photography...

   I written a lot about my idea of Visual Listening...a technique I use before I begin making photographs on location.   It is a form of meditation.  Minor White is known to have encouraged his students to meditate before they began their camera work as well.  Some people may find this difficult to imagine because they have a whole lot of misconceptions about what it means to "meditate" and conjure up all sorts of images of red robed monks and incense.

Reaching - 2011, Scotland

   Meditation can be done by anyone at anytime and in any situation.  There is no one way to do it any more than there is one way to make photographs.  You have to find a way that works for you.  I found the following list of pointers in a recent Huffington Post article and I'm passing them on to you. You can read the full article in the link below.  (I don't know how long the link will be active so I've included the summary points in this post.)

    Whether you call it meditation or visual listening or anything else, being still and completely present is essential for the contemplative photographer.

• Have no expectations. Sometimes the mind is too active to settle down. Sometimes it settles down immediately. Sometimes it goes quiet, but the person doesn't notice. Anything can happen.
• Be easy with yourself. Meditation isn't about getting it right or wrong. It's about letting your mind find its true nature.
• Don't stick with meditation techniques that aren't leading to inner silence. Find a technique that resonates with you. There are many kinds of mantra meditation, including the Primordial Sound Meditation practice taught at the Chopra Center. Or simply follow the in and out of your breathing, not paying attention to your thoughts at all. The mind wants to find its source in silence. Give it a chance by letting go.
• Make sure you are alone in a quiet place to meditate. Unplug the phone. Make sure no one is going to disturb you.
• Really be there. If your attention is somewhere else, thinking about your next appointment, errand or meal, of course you won't find silence. To meditate, your intention must be clear and free of other obligations.  - taken  from an Huffington Post article, March 11, 2013

 The 7 Myths of Meditation Busted!

  

Contemplative Acts...

   "To see and know a place is a contemplative

act.  It means emptying our minds and letting

what is there in all its multiplicity and

endless variety come in."
-Gretel Erlich

   I have never thought about the idea of "contemplative acts" but the Erlich quote above made me consider it.  In my lecture, "Photography as a Contemplative Practice", I discuss the ways I've used the images I make to give substance and meaning to my reflections and, many times, to generate the subject of the reflection itself.  So, I suppose you could call photography, when used in a particular way, a contemplative act.  What are other contemplative acts?

Praying Hands - Japan, 2007

   The quote says, "To see and know a place..." but for me seeing is one thing, looking deeply is quite another.  The former uses the eyes, the later the heart.  I think I would include "heartfelt regard" as a contemplative act.   My "visual listening" exercises are my way of encouraging a "heartfelt regard" of the landscape.

   Now, knowing is more of a rational response while understanding goes deeper, to the essence, the very truth of a subject.  We can "know" many things but what we truly understand is significantly less since it requires digging beneath the superficial qualities of a subject.  We must filter our knowledge through the sieve of understanding, removing the extraneous until we are left with the pure experience.  The search for a "personal understanding" is very much a contemplative act.

   The key to practicing contemplative acts is contained in the last sentence of the quote. "Emptying our minds and letting what is...come in".  We are our own worse enemy when it comes to the true art of contemplation and I do believe contemplation is an art.  We try to direct the experience and control the outcome when all we truly need to do is to sit still and just listen, the two most important contemplative acts.