How meditative photography helps you foster a deep connection with the present
There is nothing like the feeling of gratitude and wonder you experience when you’re able to be fully present in the moment. As a fine-art nature photographer, it’s my job to capture this feeling of aliveness and vitality in my landscapes, so the viewer can experience this connection with the present as well.
This is an intentional practice called meditative photography.
I use time in nature to support my mindfulness practice by paying attention to my surroundings — to the vivid details and the textures of the landscape, and my sensory experiences in that moment. Through this practice, I capture what I might not otherwise see in the same way, resulting in landscape photos that serve as a daily reminder of the gratitude and vitality of life. These feelings don’t just support my mental health and wellbeing, they remind me to practice mindfulness every day.
In this blog, I’ll share my process, the art of meditative photography and its benefits.
What is meditative photography?
The concept of photography as a form of meditation is not new. In fact, this expressive art form lends itself to the practice of meditation because the process of capturing the moment requires an ability to bring your awareness to what is in front of you.
The practice of meditative photography takes this process and makes it intentional. Mindful nature photography is about capturing the result of bringing your full attention to the present. While sometimes the goal is to take a photo, meditative photography is about using the art form as a process or tool to facilitate our awareness of the moment. As a practice in mindfulness this is done without judgment.
Rather than letting our rational brain seek out the composition, light, exposure, etc to attain the “perfect shot”, this process is about letting go of these thoughts and giving yourself permission to be a silent witness to the world around you, deepening your connection with the present. It is in these moments, when we are really present in our bodies through connecting to our senses, that often the image presents itself to us.
My mindful photography process
Rather than seeking a particular landscape, I let the photo, and the moment find me. I do this through:
Mindful walking: Through the process of walking, I use the outside environment to aid me in connecting to my body. The sensation of the air and wind on my skin, smells of nature, and day-to-day noise, all help me use senses as an anchor to bring my attention to the inside. I notice my thoughts with curiosity as they arise, and let them go without judgment as I move through nature.
Noticing: Next, I expand my attention from my internal experiences to include what is going on around me. I expand my attention from the sensations in my body, to include the sights and sounds around me, growing the sensation of awareness – paying attention to the environment and the colors, patterns, shadows and reflective light hidden around me – details I would have missed if I was looking at the big picture.
Engaging: I use my creativity to explore each scene with a child’s mind, full of wonder. I give myself space for spontaneity and creative play.
Exploration: I take my time to appreciate the landscapes without rushing. Instead, I allow the environment to guide me, rather than forcing my expectations on what I find.
Expansion: The practice of awareness involves noticing our own internal experiences, and what it tells us when they shift in relation to our conditions. I start my photography process from many different places, including contraction and heaviness, grief, indifference and also from a place of joy and lightness.
Without fail, what I notice in the end is a sense of expansion. Whether it be slight or large, dim or bright, the process of dropping in, connecting, and creating always brings me a greater sense of space than when I started.
When I allow myself to observe without judgment, I find so much to be inspired by!
Benefits of a mindful photography practice: the third dimension of communication.
This journey toward mindfulness and wellbeing began from a series of difficult life events. But through my mindful photography practice, I’ve discovered this approach has benefits for both the photographer and collector.
Verdant Collection - Truth
How mindfulness has made me a better photographer
I’ve developed better photography skills: In order to let go of my thoughts and allow the moment to find me, I’ve had to develop my technical photography skills to get the best results from my camera. My camera is now like an appendage. I know the buttons and settings as if they are part of my hand. This has also allowed me to refine the art of seeing <links to art of seeing blog> which makes space for more wonder.
I’ve deepened my connection with both my art form and present: By connecting my artform with mindfulness, I’ve enriched my practice of meditation, which has deepened the emotional connection I have with my photography and my inner creativity.
My mental health and self-awareness have grown: The intersection of these mindful practices has enhanced both my self-awareness and wellbeing. I’m more aware of intrusive thoughts and have a new respect and gratitude for the world around me. My photography helps me connect with my mindfulness practice in a non-linear fashion. While mindfulness is grown and experienced through repetition, this can become a bit of a back and forth relationship. I can use creativity and non-verbal expression to access my awareness in a fresh new way.
I feel more connected with my collectors: By imbuing the landscapes with a story and memory, I’m sharing a personal moment with viewers, inviting them to do the same without judgment. This exchange provides space for real authenticity to come forward. I hope that by sharing my art, I can share with others around me the middle way of mindfulness – how to grow a connection to the world through compassion and space to allow in a variety of new possibilities.
My photography communicates an understanding of mindfulness: Often, the experience of mindfulness can be difficult to explain through written or oral communication. My photos are as close as I can get to directly sharing what I experience through my own senses. While I can explain all day long the idea of “expansiveness” or “aliveness,” it's often so difficult to know what the experience of mindfulness feels like without someone reflecting back one’s own experiences of the same thing. My photos are an expression of my awareness in a moment from my perspective.
How meditative photography enriches the viewing experience
Each natural landscape photograph is an invitation to explore mindfulness: They are an open invitation and reminder to share in the wonder and gratitude that is possible in each moment. My photographs can create a direct portal to a visceral memory of the experience of awareness and expansion. Just like a specific scent can swiftly bring us back to times and places in our past, a photograph can create a portal through our eyes to a time and place of knowing what it feels like to be in complete connection to the present moment.
The imagery provides space for viewers to pause, find connection, and joy in often overlooked details: The landscapes are both expansive and encompassing, vivid and textural to draw the viewer’s attention and allow them to bring their awareness to the present, away from the chaos and minutiae of modern life. Each photograph invites viewers to experience the unseen beauty, joy and peace from nature each time they view the work.
The image can be used to practice mindfulness during routine tasks. Natural landscape photographs are versatile, they can be hung in a hallway and enjoyed during times of transition, or placed above the table or sofa where life rotates around like the sun to the earth. They might be carefully placed in a nook or quiet retreat. In any of these spots, they can be used like the glass of water or doorway, the reminder to stop and drop down into the body, whether for a second or longer. And it is with this repetition that the practice of mindfulness grows.
The meditative photographs support mental health: The intersection of mindfulness, photography and nature enhances the sense of wellbeing by incorporating natural textures, green space and imagery (aka biophillic design) to reduce anxiety and stress.
As you can see, a meditative photography practice adds many layers of depth, meaning, and awareness. In doing so, the imagery becomes a bridge between stillness and vitality where mindful awareness can grow, and we can find more opportunities for wellbeing and joy.
“Our thoughts are a product of all our prior experiences, but they are not us.” - Aly Fick
Over to you
Have you tried mindful nature photography or another meditation practice? Let me know in the comments.
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