Mindfulness & Meditation in Photography. Plus, Gallery Updates!
“Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit your emotional well-being and your overall health.” - Mayo Clinic website
I wanted to take some time and share my thoughts surrounding a topic of what a lot of articles, podcasts and blogs have discussed, the subject of mindfulness and meditation in photography. I will say, through my experiences, I couldn’t agree more and I want to share some of my personal reasons why. I do not think am going to be successful in writing down exactly what I want to say in words, but I will do my best.
In the past, I never fully realized just how much my mind becomes completely absorbed in the moment of the photograph, and how everything else in my busy and demanding day-to-day life simply slips away. I am completely immersed in looking for the scenes and moments happening around me. I am so intensely focused(pun?)with the image, its composition, framing and exposure. My mind is so quiet. It is never quite as calm as when I am behind a camera or working on a print. I didn’t recognize or was not consciously aware that when I am photographing, I was actively practicing meditation and mindfulness.
I have suffered from debilitating anxiety attacks for decades. However, I can not recall a single time that I had one when I was working on my photography. If I need that wind-down after a rough day at work, I know I have this option available for me as a means to leave all of that behind. It allows me that escapism and balance to counter the rigors of every-day life. Photography empowers me to take that moment to breathe, to take in my surroundings and to focus on what is beautiful or captivating.
In college, I used to sit on the shores of Lake Michigan for hours. Watching, photographing and listening to the waves, ignorant of the fact that I was practicing meditation.
I can also honestly say that photography has saved my life on more than one occasion. I used to turn to alcohol for all my problems which in turn, just created more problems. When I went sober and found myself driving past the bar on my way home from work, desperately thinking of a drink, taking my camera out was a way to help me ignore those cravings. Whenever I felt like I had hit rock bottom, photography was there to get me through it. I found the peace that I so desperately needed and I no longer feel the desire to resort to consuming alcohol or other artificial means to instill a false sense of it. So, in a way, photography has also been an antidepressant for me as well. Speaking quite frankly, it’s the only one that’s actually worked for me so far.
As stated above, I don’t think I was quite able to put this down as eloquently as I would have liked. However, the main objective of the post was to acknowledge the fact that photography is something I can now recognize as a means of meditation and mindfulness. A way to find my sense of “calm, peace and balance”. It is glorious and I am here for it. Better late than never, right?
On to the gallery update. I have finally posted some photographs from our Route 66 road trip in the Illinois gallery on the Route 66 page. These are photographs from our first day on the road. So far, these are some of the digital images. I am still feverishly working through rolls of film and spending time in the darkroom. I will scan and upload those prints as soon as possible. I made the monumental mistake of neglecting to label the rolls with dates to help me follow the timeline of the trip as much as possible. I feel that if I upload multiple days out of order, it could get cumbersome and confusing.
I hope you enjoy the images so far. Much more to come!
To all of you that are actually taking time to read through my blog posts, thank you. Truly. I never expected anyone actually would.
“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
~Cory
