My vintage camera iPhone case
Last week, this article in The New Yorker discussed the evolution of the camera over the lifetime of the author, Craig Mod. The title, Goodbye Cameras, and the article caused quite a stir in photography circles.
Tracing the evolution from the Nikon 8008 to the Nikon D70 to the GX1, we see cameras transitioning into what they were bound to become: networked lenses.
I’m not going to discuss the premise of the article, although I can say that I’ve gone through most of the same stages of camera ownership as the author – from my Nikon N70 (35mm SLR) to Nikon D200 (35mm dSLR) to Panasonic Lumix G3 (micro four-thirds) and, of course my trusty iPhone. I have never owned a medium format camera.
When I made the switch to digital I never went back. Just last year I sold all of my remaining (expired) slide film.
What struck me from the article was this quote.
The shift to digital imaging disrupted the compartmentalized, meditative processes that had punctuated photography for the previous hundred and fifty years: shooting, developing, and printing.
I wondered, was this meditative process what drew many photographers to the medium, yet is rarely talked about? And, is this aspect lost for digital photographers now that developing and printing play a lesser role?
By meditative, I mean a practice that brings one into the present and not focused on thoughts, but rather the experience.
For me, obviously, the meditative process of photographing is all important, and I think it is for many others as well. Many of those who participate in my workshops say that they practice contemplative (or meditative) photography, but didn’t have a name for it.
I do enjoy the editing process too (although for me it is minimal). Others love to spend quite some time editing their images to create something new.
So, I’m wondering: Is photography and/or the editing process a meditative practice for you? If not, what is it you love about photography? What’s your experience?
Photography is definitely a meditative practice for me. I often become aware of a certain mood or ambience in something I am observing. I may stay with it awhile and only then will I reach for my camera to try and capture what I see and feel. Being with something before photographing it allows me to feel and experience it. It is this which I set out to capture – and sometimes I do! I am not keen on a lot of editing and do a strict minimum and sometimes not at all – which is what I prefer. I feel that editing is creating something that I have not experienced and so it can feel alien to me and I want it to feel ‘true’ and authentic.
Yes, I sense that in your images Sandra. You do come from a contemplative way, expressing your unique perceptions.
Kim – my photo walks are definitely an exercise in meditation – something I do for me, in solitude and quiet, slowing down, until I begin to truly see. But the post-processing part of the equation is of equal importance – for me, the image is merely the raw material of the final creation – the paint and canvas, if you will – and Photoshop a critical component of my creative toolbox. When I am processing an image, I often enter that same state of total concentration. So it is all part of my creative experience.
I would have guessed that this was your experience, Brenda. I love that you slow down until you truly begin to see. And your final exquisite images are another extension to the process.
It’s funny, but I was in the middle of writing a blogpost about how photographing flowers is like a meditation for me when I saw your post! The quote you shared struck a nerve. Times have changed and it’s a little sad. Thanks for sharing all you do. I love your focus on simplicity and slowing down, especially as it relates to photography.
Thanks for your comment, Dianne. I love seeing your flower images.
Yes, going for walks and taking photos, or even taking photos as a ‘Moment catcher’ at home, when the sunlight makes beautiful marks or Patterns on a part of the kitchen… most definitely is Meditation. It helps me to be present and see the Beauty in front of my very eyes and helps to feel so grateful. Ever since I do this I notice that I tend to buy less random stuff, like accesoires or some mags, I choose more carefully how to feed my senses and this started with the meditative photography habit mostly and partly sitting meditation.