Bob Crum

After camera talk, time to delve into the idyllic delectation of philosophy. Fear not; it's much better than fruitcake!
I've previously written about 'photographer's eye,' the ability to 'see' beyond merely looking, even without eyewear! But there's another important aspect of photography that I have not yet addressed. So let's embark on a journey into the esoteric realm of 'Mindfulness Photography.'

I recently ventured to a secret destination on the coast. The Fillmore sky looked promising for a glorious sunset. Off I go camera in tow. Phooey! Excessive cloud cover on the horizon prevented the sun from lighting up the sky. Another conspiracy! Though a glorious sunset was not in the offering, I nevertheless made a few hundred photos. Like always, to the story there's more so let's explore.

Regardless of the destination, a mindfulness phenomenon is unavoidable.

Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of the surroundings on a moment-to-moment basis. Said otherwise, mindfulness is awareness while resisting the adverse instinctive normalcy of conceptualizing.

John Suler presents his interpretation in his essay ~Photographic Psychology: Image and Psyche. “Even though they may not specifically use the word “mindfulness,” many of the great masters talk about photography as awareness of the present moment in which we forget ourselves. We let go of the goals, desires, expectations, techniques, and anxieties that make up who we are in order to immerse ourselves into the experience of seeing more fully. We open up our receptive awareness to what the world offers us. Rather than being some objective observer trying to capture something, we become the being that is in communion with the environment, that is IN the world. We’re not looking for anything in particular. We’re not going anywhere in particular. We’re not expecting or trying to control anything in particular. Instead, we’re wandering, perhaps rather aimlessly, without a goal or purpose. We’re fully and naively open to the possibility of the unexpected, the unique, the moment when things come together… to the flow of life. Under these conditions, when we let go of the self, “it” appears to us. We don’t find and take the picture. The photograph finds us. It takes itself. We unite with the scene not so we can see a shot we want, but rather what the scene offers. The experience comes to us, and the photograph is simply the icing on the cake.”

That's what I experience, and enjoy, when I'm engaged in recreational photography. I don't flirt with superfluous goals. I prefer to be open to the exciting possibility of the unexpected because the unexpected always happens anyway. (Think weather!) Communion with the environment (sans gnats) is ecstasy! Easier to understand once experienced.

With patience, awareness and serendipity, photos inevitably find me. (The hawk!) I need only show up! The only mental interloper allowed is the intellect required to program the camera. Enough for now. Watch this space for more on this exciting topic.

The feature photo is another example of 'seeing' with a photographer's eye. The instant I saw it, I immediately recognized a photo op. I made this photo on a recent outing right here in Fillmore. It took several positional changes to get the right perspective. Care to guess how I made this photo? Contest! The first email I receive with the correct information about how I shot the photo or correctly describes the photo wins a single-scoop of Baskin Robbins ice cream. Clue: Think perspective! Hurry! I'll be watching my inbox! Happy photoing.

Sent questions, suggestions or comments to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net