In Their Own Words - Susan Sontag

   As a follow up to my Contemplative Photographer's Bible post, I am starting a series which features quotations from photographers and others that you can cut and paste and insert into your own "bible" of inspiration.  My first is from Susan Sontag who's book "On Photography" I purchased this summer in Paris.  You will probably see several quotes from the book in the months to come because it is a rich resource for thinking about the medium we all love.  Here's the first...

" For several decades American photography has been

dominated by a reaction against "Westonism" - that is, against 

contemplative photography, photography considered as an independent visual exploration of the world with

 no evident social urgency. "

   I found her definition of contemplative photography interesting.  So much of the photography of the 1970's (the time Sontag's book was written) had a social dimension. The years after WWII were turbulent and many artists wanted to break away from the traditions and values of the previous generation. There was a great need to make commentaries on culture and social stratification. At that time, I suppose, Weston's inward looking images seemed irrelevant. Now, over 30 years later, we are beginning to turn inward again. Perhaps as a result of the "me first materialism' of the 70's, 80's and 90's, many people are seeking a more meaningful relationship with their world.  Or perhaps it is just that all us baby-boomers, who came of age in the turbulent 1960's, are seeking a more spiritual dimension in our lives.   While I agree that photography has a roll to play in documenting the best and the worse of mankind, I equally feel that it has a role of introspection and reflection to play as well.  Photography, like all of the visual arts, owes its definition and context to the individual who practices it.  Isn't it wonderful that there is a place for all of us under the umbrella of photographic expression?

The Contemplative Photographer's Bible...

 

"Women move differently through the world…A great traveler…is a kind of introspective; as she covers the ground outwardly, so she advances fresh interpretations of herself inwardly.”  

 Lawrence Durrell

    Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great Transcendentalist philosopher of the 19th century advised that everyone should compile their own "bible"- a collection of inspirations, quotations, poems and passages to fuel their contemplative practice.  Although the word "bible" has a strong Judeo-Christian connotation, it actually refers to any collection of  important texts or books gathered over time and for a common purpose.  In Medieval times a Book of Hours, or individual prayer book for the liturgical hours, was popular for people to refer to on a daily basis.  The books were often customized to suit the individual and were sometimes illuminated with lovely illustrations if they could afford it.  This summer I began to compile my own Bible/Book of Hours to inspire me on my journey as a contemplative photographer.  I wanted to create a holding place where I could listen to "the echo of inspired words" (- Phil Cousineau.) and who couldn't benefit from that!

   I have always been a collector of quotations.  Jotted hastily down on scraps of paper or post-it notes, they often suffered a similar fate...they ultimately were misplaced over time and hence the wisdom they had to offer me was likewise lost.  I pledged to begin a more disciplined practice with my new  Bible/Book of Hours.

The labyrith in Chartres Cathedral.

    If you begin your own, you can include quotes from your favorite photographers about their process of making images, passages from books that you find inspiring, poems and, of course, you should "illuminate" your book with your photographs or other pertinent visuals! For now, I am writing out the passages and quotes by hand.  I believe there is a subtle power in the hand-written word. Ancient people felt the written word was sacred.  I find that by slowly scripting each word, it somehow binds it to me on a very personal level. For the time being, I am keeping them in a file box.  Perhaps at a later date I will want to bind them more permanently in some way.

    Since this could quickly become over whelming, I'm going to create individual "books" in my box by dividing them with titled spacers.  My first, not surprisingly given this summer's trip to France, is called "The Art of Pilgrimage".  Down the road (pun firmly intended), when I have accumulated hundreds of quotes in all different areas, I can more easily find what I am looking for.  No sense having all these inspirational ideas if you can't locate them when you want to! I might even spin off the biblical metaphor a bit more and create a section entitled "Wisdom of the Prophets" to hold all the wonderful quotes from the masters of the photographic medium I come across! 

   One of my "illuminations" that I'm including in this first "book" on pilgrimage is a copy of the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral (above) so I can relive the amazing experience I had when I walked it this summer!  I purchase a "finger labyrinth" while I was there and I can retrace my steps whenever I wish, even sitting in my comfortable chair!

"Illuminations are not illustrations.

They are spiritual meditations on a text..."

Fr Michael Patella speaking about

the St. John's Bible project.
(This site shows the first hand
illuminated bible produce in 500 years!
It is an amazing work of art.)

    Now, when I think "What was that lovely phrase I read recently on pilgrimage?" I'll be able to find it in my personal Bible/Book of Hours (or at least, for now,  I can rummage through the box!).

"Traveler, there is no path,

Paths are made by walking."

Antonio Mchado

   If any readers have a quote they would like to share, please post a comment!  I'd love to hear from you!
  

PhotoTao Card #8 - Endurance

Card #8

Endurance

 Life is at once spiritual and material.
With equal attention, we must attempt 
to understand the ways of both.

- Exercise -

Do not concern yourself with only the

superficial quality of your subject.  Try

looking for a more spiritual approach.  

Unusual angles, dramatic lighting,

even soft focus can all contribute to

a more intuitive photograph. 

White horses have fascinated me for a long time.  Since I first learned of their mythological connotations in the Western Isles in 2005 I've sought them out.  When I traveled to Ireland in 2007 this fascination continued.  Horses have a very mysterious and even a spiritual quality to them...you just need to spend some time with these amazing creatures to sense this.  I tried a very different approach with this image to try to reveal this quality.  With a carrot in the left hand and my camera, set on auto, held high, I made image after image as the horse turned his head to follow the carrot. Most weren't worth  anything but this photograph has become my "icon of experience" as far as my interaction with these lovely, gentle souls.  I hope you try exploring the spiritual side of a subject by using unusual angles and lighting techniques. It will open up a whole new world to you.
 

In Praise of a Leaf...

   After the inspiration of my latest photography book, "The Garden at Orgeval", which features photographs by Paul Strand made late in his life in his own garden, I went for a walk in my own backyard.  I've written before on photographing the familiar, the close to hand, but, honestly, I wasn't all that familiar with the woods that surround my home here in Western Maine, at least photographically speaking.  After hurricane Sandy blew through this past week, I thought I'd explore my property and see what damage it had done.  More to the point, I wanted to experience what Strand called his "limitless world" in my own backyard.
     

   Now I am sure some people would say that there is nothing drabber than a Maine woodland in November, especially on an overcast day, which today was. There's nothing of value to photograph here; the contrast is too flat.  The old Me, the "pre-contemplative" Me, would have agreed.  Now I know better than to make that kind of assumption.

    I sat on a fallen log, not a victim of this storm but a long past one or perhaps it had just succumbed to old age.  I closed my eyes and breathed in the rich, earthy scents.  I love November in Maine.  The glorious colors of October are gone and the bare bones of the landscape are clear; it feels hushed, waiting for the first snowfall to put it quietly to sleep.  A rustle to my left revealed a pheasant looking for, well, whatever pheasants look for in amongst the leaves.  My presence didn't phase the bird. Its scratching, however, made me look down.  A small, bone toned leaf lay atop a blanket of russet oak leaves and it fairly shimmered in the afternoons diffused light.  For me, it was an astounding sight.  I looked around and found several places where other leaves of this kind lay in sharp contrast to their subdued surroundings.  I made several photographs in praise of those leaves.  Had I said there was no contrast on such a grey day?

   When I looked at my photographs later on my computer screen it made me realize, yet again, why I love the monochrome image so much.  The luminosity of these leaves is wonderful and simply not as evident in the color version.  This leaf, like all its kin, has lived it's life; green in summer, golden in autumn and, now, forever silver in my monochrome prints.  Strand was right, the artists world is limitless and I now plan to make regular visits to the small woodland behind my house.

PhotoTao Card #7

Card #7

The Cycle of the Tao

 The endless process that continuously
gives birth to itself is the source of
all creation; it has no beginning or end.

- Exercise -

Do a series of photographs over time; a day

a month, even a year.  Watch the changes to

your subject.  Like Monet, begin to experience

the variety of light and weather and how

it changes your perception of the subject.

Living in northern New England, I get to experience the changes in the seasons in a profound way.  I started a series called "Winter Etchings" a few years ago that got me looking at objects in context with the snow.    Revisiting a familiar place at different times of year, in different weather and at different times of day is always an interesting approach.  I find that I have totally different reactions to the objects when I do this...perhaps you will too.

 

Photography, the most Democratic of Mediums...

Where Heaven and Earth Touch

   When I was in college, my goal was to become an art educator.  To that end, I needed to choose an art major, I chose photography.  It was the first time I learned that the quote from George Orwell's famous book "Animal Farm" also applied to art majors.  "All animals," he wrote, "are created equal but some animals are more equal than others."  If you substitute "art majors" for "animals" you will have the prevailing attitude I experienced towards photography and which, unfortunately, still exists today.

   From its very inception, photography has been the poor relation of the art world, never quite on equal footing with painting and sculpture.  Alfred Stieglitz fought his entire life to elevate photography's place in the pantheon of creative endeavors...to put it on par with other art mediums.  He never totally succeeded.

   I believe this tacit disrespect begins with the camera itself, a mechanical device which, some would say, takes the place of the artist's hand.  Art work created with a camera is, in their reasoning, less worthy to be considered "fine art".  Now, it is the sheer pervasiveness of the medium in mainstream culture that pushes it off the ladder of artistic achievement altogether.  Anyone can "snap" a picture at anytime, even with their - gasp! - cell phones!  It has become a far too democratic medium to survive  in an art world that prides itself on being an artistically elite fraternity, a kind of exclusive country club - the common man (photographer) need not apply!

The Edge - Marion, Massachusetts

   The camera is just another tool of the artist - like the pencil or the paint brush - to record his hearts deepest reflections and his minds most profound truths.  Did the literary world reject poems and prose composed on a typewriter rather than with pen and ink?   Of course not.  They looked at the content and character of the piece, not  how it was recorded.  It should be no different for the photograph.

   Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "The learned and studious have no monopoly on wisdom."  I would say the same applies to painters and sculptures.  They don't have exclusive rights to creating thought provoking imagery and "fine art"!

   Now, having said all that, I don't mean to imply that all photographs - or all paintings - are the same, artistically speaking.  Artistic merit does count but the skill set needed to create an excellent piece of art can be learned.  As I use to tell my art students, some artists are born with a gift of artistic vision and technical skill; all the rest of us must learn it patiently and persistently over time.

   When all is said and done, the contemplative photographer, while not disregarding the elements of good composition and technical competency,  puts a higher premium on the metaphoric dimension of the image.  A truly great contemplative photograph is just as difficult to achieve as a great painting or sculpture. 

   It is wonderful to see major museums recognizing photography's place in the art world today.  We've come a long way since Stieglitz's time but the snobbery still exists and as photographers we must continue to advocate for our medium whenever we can. 

PhotoTao Card #6

Card #6

Opinions and Prejudices

 The wise see things clearly.  They  don't
hold opinions nor do they blame.

- Exercise -

If you dislike blurry, out of focus images, try 

making some.  If dark, under exposed pictures

make you crazy, explore the possibilities.  

You can learn much by experimenting with

things you think you dislike.

Into the Light

A Thin White Line Separates Us

   I have to admit to a prejudice...I'm not particularly enamored with heavily "photoshoped" images.   I was, I should say, until I went to the Annaberg Sugar mill on St. John this past March.  My encounter with the place - detailed in the post The Annaberg Encounter  - made me seek out a new approach to my black and white work. I found that a combination of solarized and infra-red processing gave me the effect that most suited my feelings that day.  I think it is interesting to note that both processes are somewhat "traditional"...at least I remember experimenting with them back in the mid-70's in my "pre-digital" life.  I think the point of this card is to remind you that in contemplative photography the important consideration is making an image that enhances the possibility for meaningful reflection.  The strange effects created in the digital darkroom can bring out ideas that a more traditional approach would not.  The image above right is a perfect example.  When I saw the results of my manipulation of the image, the white line became apparent.  It fueled a lot of new impressions and enriched my reflections far beyond what the unmanipulated image had.  So, don't be afraid to experiment, remember, you aren't making postcards!