This is Why Photography Will Make You More ‘Mindful’

In the movie Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back, Luke meets Yoda to receive training as a Jedi Knight. At first, Yoda does not want to train him. He feels Luke is not ready yet. Why not? Listen to what Yoda said about Luke:

“I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience”

“This one, a long time have I watched. All his life as he looked away to the future. To the horizon. Never his mind on where he was, what he was doing”

To be a Jedi Knight, Luke had to learn to be “in the moment”, fully aware of where he was and what he was doing.

Photography is the same. We’re trying to catch a fleeting moment in time and we need to be fully present, visually aware of what is in front of us. That is what being ‘mindful’ is all about. Being fully sensitive to what we see. To be “in the moment”, without judgment.

The best photographers are like a Jedi. They’re fully present, sensitive to what they see in front of them. They look at the light, shadow, texture, color, etc., and decide when and how to take the picture.

How can photography help you be more mindful?

Let’s learn from 3 successful photographers and see how they are more sensitive to “where they are, and what they’re doing”.

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Jay Maisel

“The ability to be sensitive to what is around you is not something that turns on only when you’re out shooting. It should be on at all times. You will be amazed at how rich your visual experiences will be, even when you are not photographing.” — Maisel, Jay. Light, Gesture, and Color

Jay Maisel is an amazing photographer. He says a photographer should carry his camera everywhere, sensitive to what he sees.

According to Jay, you should go out “empty”, open to what you discover. If you go out to take pictures with a predetermined idea of what you're looking for, you may miss other opportunities.

In his book, “Light, Gesture and Color”, Jay says,

“Don’t look for one kind of color. You’ll walk past great color while you’re trying to complete your plans.”

He says if you’re open to seeing light, gesture, and color, these things will come to you. If you go after them, they will elude you.

Empty. Sensitive to what is around you. Without judgment. Isn’t that the definition of being mindful? By learning to see that way, you will appreciate life more, even when you’re not taking pictures.

Train your eye by browsing through his Collections on his website at Jaymaisel.com

I have two of his books and highly recommend them as part of your photography training; “Light, Gesture and Color”, and “It’s Not About the F-Stop”.

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Joel Meyerowitz

“I knew that I had to spend myself freely. If the nuance of something touches me but not knowing why, I reach for it and I’ll analyze it later. In the moment I want to be as alive and connected and fluid as possible.” — Joel Meyerowitz

Joel Meyerowitz is not only a brilliant photographer, but he’s an eloquent teacher. He’s known mostly for his street photography, but he’s explored all styles, including all cameras, from 35mm to large 8x10 film and digital cameras. He’s known for his work in both black and white and color. Some of his images have a sense of humor, some are about the beauty of the light.

Notice in the above quote, he “spends himself freely”. He’s sensitive to the “nuance” of what is in front of him. He is “alive and connected” in the moment. Joel is mindful, and he recommends you are too.

Joel teaches his approach to photography on Masters of Photography, where he says;

“Photography is about looking at the world and seeing in the world, just the pieces of it, that make you feel like you’re connected to it.”

Everyone has a personal photographic identity. Their personal way of seeing the world. We all have a specific way of responding to whatever it is we see and whatever is happening, whether it’s in nature or in the city or the quality of light.

That’s why your pictures differ from other people’s pictures. It’s your personal photographic identity. The more you discover that identity, the more mindful you will be in each moment you experience. It’s about more than taking pictures. It’s about being mindful and learning to see.

“Here, in Paris, 1967, the photograph provoked me to consider: which is the greater drama of life in the city: the fictitious clash between two figures that is implied, or the indifference of the one to the other that is actual? A photograph allows such contradictions to exist in everyday life; more than that, it encourages them. Photography is about being exquisitely present.” -Joel Meyerowitz

We each respond differently. You may see something that catches your attention as a potential photograph, but the person next to you doesn’t see it. As Joel says; “You’re alive to that moment”.

When you learn to see differently, you can be “exquisitely present”.

“How you see the world” is something you can develop. You can learn to see the quality of light, the patterns of light and shade, and the gesture of the moment. Jay Maisel and Joel Meyerowitz had to learn that. You can too.

It’s hard to capture the essence of his work without seeing all of it. It’s so diverse. Check out his work at joelmeyerowitz.com

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Ernst Haas

Ernst Haas (March 2, 1921 — September 12, 1986) was an Austrian-American photojournalist and color photographer. He came from an artistic family and learned to see the world differently.

Ernst Haas is one of my inspirations when I go for a walk and look for visual opportunities. He sees the color, the shadow, and the patterns. He then frames a composition to create art.

Although his photographic career covers many genres of photography, his abstract images reveal a genuine artist. I aspire to see through his eyes.

In this abstract image, we see evidence of his way of seeing. This is a picture of a scratched car with layers of paint showing through. His ability to be sensitive and open to the visual possibilities in front of him made him a painter with a camera.

Haas may have passed by the car and noticed the scratch. His mindful eye saw the color and pattern that compelled him to pick up his camera and discover the beauty. You can learn to see that way too. How many scratched cars have you passed by?

Check out his work at ernst-haas.com/

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Summary

So what is mindfulness and how can photography make you more mindful?

We can define mindfulness as “a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment.”

Learning to see as a photographer opens your eyes and heart to what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment. You can train your eye to be more sensitive to your surroundings and learn to see the beauty of the world around you.

Many talented photographers have developed this kind of mindfulness. You can learn a lot from filling your mind with their images and exploring the world around you. You may be in the city shooting street photography, or you may discover the close-up beauty of your own backyard.

You don’t need an expensive camera. Your smartphone will do just fine. Actually, your smartphone might be a better choice sometimes, because you can ‘focus’ your attention on the subject alone, and not on the camera.

Go out and discover your world, mindfully.