For the next little while, I will be sharing my photographic experiences as I wind my way through the book, The Practice of Contemplative Photography (paid link), by Andy Karr and Michael Wood.

Chapter 1 – Photography and Seeing

In this chapter, contemplation is defined as careful observation. During careful observation, you may have what is called a flash of perception.

William Blake described this experience in Auguries of Innocence,

“To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.”

Time stops, conceptual thinking disappears, and you are completely present with what is before you. Mind, eye, and heart are aligned.

We’ve all had these experiences, whether watching a sunset or sharing a moment of laughter with a friend. But, these experiences of truly seeing are always available to us. With contemplative photography, we use our camera to mirror the original flash of perception. We don’t have to worry about time of day or quality of light or rules of composition. It’s all about the immediacy of the experience.

It’s hard to put into words what these flashes of perception feel like. In the book, they describe it as an unexpected jolt or a sudden surprise. Something stops us in our tracks. The image clearly portrays what we saw and felt. In my case in the photograph above, my dog Daisy was lying at my feet on the carpet. I saw the curved shape of her body, and how her fur blended with the carpet. We were both experiencing a relaxed moment just being. We were connected.

“The material of the artist lies not within himself nor in the fabrications of his imagination, but in the world around him. The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.” ~ Paul Strand

See if you notice a flash of perception today. 

Related Reading 

Review of The Practice of Contemplative Photography