Over the past decade, since a workshop in Contemplative Photography, I’ve continued the practice of
- slowing down,
- connecting with the present moment,
- actively meditating on some visual stimuli, and
- exploring how that image wishes to present itself in the camera’s frame.
Practicing contemplative photography allows me to explore the world from a deeper, more aware gaze. It frees me from the pressure to capture the image and, instead, receive the image that reveals itself to me, that captures me. It has increasingly allowed me to explore how light, texture, emptiness, and color are key elements in a visual narrative.
It helps me pause, reduce stress, increase my attention to receive that which may not be initially seen, find joy in the act of looking deeply, and share the beauty that surrounds us daily. This was particularly healing during the COVID pandemic when many people were isolating and continues to allow me to perceive and share the beauty my travels offer.
Might you delight to explore photography as a way to pause, feel, and get to know yourself and the world around us more fully? If your answer is yes, welcome to this practice.
To read more about contemplative photography check out this Friends Journal article by Peter West Nutting, the person who taught me among others.
mystical friend 