Chapters 12 and 13 of The Practice of Contemplative Photography,(paid link), by Andy Karr and Michael Wood, prepare us for forming the equivalent – producing the image we first perceived. Chapter 12, Joining Mind and Eye, offers an interesting visual awareness exercise to help you “identify the boundaries of your perceptions.” Once you know this, you can learn to expand awareness to see more. Chapter 13, Forming the Equivalent I, emphasizes the importance of knowing basic photographic principles so that when you become aware of a perception, you will know how to use the settings on your camera to “form the equivalent” of what you perceived. This chapter covers topics such as lenses, focal length, aperture, and depth of field.
Important first steps are to:
- Frame the image to match your perception.
- Choose the depth of field to match your perception.
In the book, the authors write “The camera is an instrument that records exactly what is there, without judgment or interpretation.” When I quoted this line in my review of the book at Digital Photography School, many disagreed with it.
I see their point. No matter what, the photographer’s judgment and the limitations of the process do not record exactly what is there. But, I do believe that, as contemplative photographers, we are trying the best we can to see and capture reality as it is in that moment, free of our filters. While that may not be 100% possible, the camera can be used as a tool to create an image that closely matches our perception.