| Article 1: Photography; A Perspective |
Many people have asked me about my methodology in taking photographs. Is it the camera? Is it the lens? Is it a long list of technical specifications in setting up the image?
Perhaps an overall response would be quite simply a calm ‘no.’
I firmly believe that anyone is capable of taking outstanding photographs even with the simplest of equipment. Much like playing a piano, technical mastery of the keys on their own yields perfect pieces that are devoid of emotion. The same with a photograph; taken with the best equipment and technical expertise, yet without feeling, would lack emotional depth. That, emotional depth, is what makes the photograph come to life. Reading interviews from accomplished photographers, a common theme comes out which supports this conclusion in seeing comments such as ‘one must feel’ the photograph or ‘be drawn into the image.’
If it is not equipment and if technical mastery is secondary, how does one begin to capture what they see? A few points come to mind: (1) the art of knowing what brings out your inner creativity and, by default, knowing who you are, (2) the art of seeing things around you, and (3) a sense of courage to just go and do what it is that you want to do as long as it is enveloped in delivering a positive outcome for yourself and others around you.
Let us take each point in turn.
| The 'art of knowing what brings out your inner creativity, and by default, knowing who you are.’ |
That sounds rather obtuse and overly philosophical, however I do think it is incredibly important that you match your creative pursuit with what you inherently enjoy. Perhaps photography is not what truly moves you, instead creating sculptures or painting or singing is your inner fire. Feel! What does the inner you say? Is there a surging voice within you, longing to be heard, or is it rather quiet and masked by all the mental noise?
A step forward could be to calm the mind and feel what makes you truly happy. Perhaps a solitary walk in nature or a calm day on a park bench on your own just watching the birds fly by and the clouds slowly roll whilst the trees gently sway in the caressing breeze. Let your mind just float and empty out the constraints, the noise, the mental anxiety. Let your mind flow and release the thoughts hammering away in your head one by one until they are gone. This could take some time. In the end, what one could arrive at is just that inner sense of calm.
Silence.
Ah ha! Now, you can listen. Listen to yourself, to your inner self, and ask, ‘what is it that I want to do which will bring happiness to the world around me?’
| The ‘art of seeing things around you.’ |
Whether you choose photography or another art form, now that you have awakened your inner fire and are able to listen, let us turn that listening into seeing the world around us, unhampered by the noise. Seeing, of course, is a matter of perspective. This is full of technical detail that architects would be happy to tell you about or neurologists delightfully pointing out the way light is translated through our eyes into electrical signals surging through our neurons or Plato prosaically telling us ‘I already told you so… didn’t you read my Cave Allegory paper?’
I think that in photography to 'see' can take two forms: (1) the imposition of your viewpoint on what is happening or (2) the scene or object itself presenting their viewpoint and you acting as the translator. My aim, with abstract photographs, is that of point two. In flowers, what are their hidden stories? What are their hidden views? Beneath the veil of gentle simplicity, what world exists within their depths? It brings me happiness to photograph the hidden world and bringing it to life for people who may not have had the chance to find it for themselves. Importantly, in the delicateness of the petal, it is easy to see the fragility of the world around us.
| The ‘sense of courage to just go and do what it is that you want to do as long as it is enveloped in delivering a positive outcome for yourself and others around you' |
Now that the mind is calm and able to listen and your mind is able to see, it is time to pick up the camera and go forward. Whatever you feel is right for you, perhaps just take the first step and see where things will go. The framework I would attach to this is the principle of harmony and happiness. Does going forward bring joy to the world? Yes? Then what is stopping you from fulfilling not only your happiness but that of others too!
This is just the beginning, and I hope I was able to provide a glimpse into my viewpoint on photography. I welcome your thoughts!