Photography as an Exercise in Mindfulness

Mindfulness is all about being fully present in the moment. When we live mindfully we are more fully aware of our experiences and surroundings, inquisitive about the world around us, and attentive to the people with whom we interact. Many mindfulness practices involve exercises and activities that help us to focus in on and pay attention to our senses in the present moment.

I enjoy using photography as an exercise in mindfulness. For me, the process of taking pictures allows me to be fully present in the moment-- choosing the subject of my picture, determining what I want the composition to look like, what aspects of the scene I want to make sure to include, and from what angle I want to take the picture. In making these decisions, I try to create pictures that are interesting and thought provoking. I hope that people will engage with my photographs by stopping to think about them and asking questions.

According to Marcel Proust, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." I try to capture images that inspire people to see the the ordinary world in a new way. I believe that seeing things from different perspectives causes us to be present in the moment, pay attention, ask questions, and be curious-- the cornerstones of mindfulness.

In taking photographs, there are several ways that I play around with the perspective to hopefully make them more interesting, thought provoking, and engaging. One aspect that I enjoy experimenting with is the orientation of my pictures. Instead of always taking pictures straight on, at times, I've taken pictures diagonally to highlight a specific feature of the scene, such as in the picture below:

                                                       


In this picture, the diagonal orientation makes it more interesting-- emphasizing the curve of the path, bringing some movement into the picture.  Looking at it, I think about what it would feel like riding a bike around the curve.  Examining the scene from this angle makes me engage with the picture-- I wonder what objects are causing which shadows.

Another way that I play around with the orientation of a picture is by rotating it in iphoto after I have downloaded the image onto my computer.   Simply rotating the photograph 90 or 180 degrees can change the way viewers interact with it.  The picture below was rotated 90 degrees from the original photograph.

                                            
My friend Grace commented, "Really interesting-- I love the darkness of the branch contrasting with the green."  I was glad that Grace's attention was drawn to the branch and the contrast.  The original photograph looked too ordinary, with the branch simply hanging downward.  As a result, the eye did not immediately focus on these aspects of the picture.  However, by rotating the picture, the viewer does not settle easily into the picture and needs to figure out exactly what he or she is looking at.   This forces the viewer to pay more attention to the details, making it more likely that the viewer will be more mindful of specifics and not glance right over them.

Another way that I like to experiment with the perspective of a picture is by playing around with the zoom feature on my camera and the cropping function on iphoto.  Zooming in on a particular subject makes myself and the viewer more mindful of specific details-- causing us to pay more attention to them and ask questions.  Looking at an object close up can also evoke an emotional response, such as with this picture below.

This picture was cropped from the original so that the stick and the cracking ice became the focal point of the composition.  The image is grabbing-- evoking very emotional responses from viewers.  My friend Caroline commented, "It has a violent feeling about it, yet it's so natural and innocuous at the same time.  Cool concept."  My friend Brenda responded, "It looks a little scary to me, as if the ice is cracking, but it's very artistic."  The viewers are interacting with the photograph, being mindful in the moment about their feelings.

Zooming in on a subject can also make the viewer ask questions about the scene, such as with the picture below.

Looking at this picture, I wonder what happened to the pumpkin?  How was it smashed?  How long has it been lying here?  Why was it smashed?  What was the emotion behind the smashing?  Was it a prank or was someone really upset, knocking the pumpkin down in an angry rage?

Last, zooming in on a subject can make the viewer mindful of details and patterns within the picture.  Look closely at the picture of the frog below.

Take a minute to examine what Grace noticed, "the markings on the frog and how it blends in with the green."  What else do you notice?

I enjoy using photography to help me engage more mindfully with the world around me.  To capture images that are hopefully interesting and thought provoking for my viewers, I use photographic techniques such as experimenting with the orientation of pictures, rotating pictures, zooming in closely, and cropping pictures.  Hopefully my photographs can get my viewers to see the ordinary world in a new way, causing them to think about things from a different perspective and to engage in the world mindfully by asking questions.


Questions to Ponder:  How can you use art (photography, drawing, painting, poetry, sculpting) to be more mindful of the world around you?  How can you engage your senses to be fully present in the moment?  What kinds of things are you curious about?  What activities and interests do you engage in that are thought provoking for you and cause you to ask questions?