Non-Dualism and the Photographic Process...

  We all begin as dualistic thinkers.  We have to learn to discriminate between things.  It helps us develop a firm footing.  Unfortunately, some people remain in this mode of thinking their entire lives.  Its always "us vs. them", "good vs. evil", "right vs. left".  Theirs is an either/or, totally black and white world.

   When I taught art at the elementary level I would end a lesson on warm and cool colors with my Kindergarten folks with a little game.  Five years old are very dualistic thinkers and they love to sort things.  I gave them a big pile of colored circles and two boxes. One was labeled "cool colors" and one was labeled "warm".  

    At first it was all fun and games...red goes here and blue goes there...no discussion.  But then along comes violet.  One child said, "It's a warm color, see the red?"  Another said, "No, see the blue? It's a cool color." A third child turned to me and said, "I think we need another box, Mrs. Turner!"  Ah, the beginning of non-dualistic thought.

   Good photographs, bad photographs...the right light, the wrong light...the best camera or paper.  All this represents a dualistic frame of mind.  Watch the video below and open your mind to a non-dualistic approach to the photographic process.  (Thanks, Kim Manley Ort for the link!)  It is 45 minutes but well worth the watching...

Chris Orwig on the Photographic Process