The faculty of forming images or ideas in the mind that are not immediately present to the senses.
Attending to light fosters deep perception and appreciation I was nineteen and majoring in photography at Rochester Institute of Technology when I made a commitment to the regular practice of black & white photography as a medium of personal growth. Prompted by insights gained from some images I’d made, I sat alone in my car […]
Chapter 1: “Abstract” and “Abstraction” Introduction to the 13-part series The Soul of Photography chapters provided insight and guidance about the function of the aesthetic dimensions relative to creative expression. This begins a series that elaborates those features (“atmosphere,” “contrast,” “gradation,” etc.) with an emphasis on application and technique. Also, I’ll show how the terms […]
Chapter 9: Connecting to Spirit by Rewinding Time In the Introduction to this series, I observed that, because the spiritualization of matter occurs in consciousness, photography is an ideal medium for personal growth and spiritual development. In my experience, the most powerful and effective practice for expanding perception, illuminating the spirit within a photographic subject […]
Chapter 2: The Aesthetic Dimensions Artists working in visual media train themselves to perceive beyond looking by continuously imagining or creating actual frames around everything they see. After a while a pattern emerges in the subjects they choose and the materials and techniques that work best. Along with these, they develop certain aesthetic preferences—choices relating […]
Imagination is at the heart of contemplation My reflection begins with the observation that someone, likely a man with dirty hands, placed this wrench on an oil drum inside a mushroom farm in Loveland, Ohio. But where was it before that? Might it have been used in a factory, a gas station or railroad yard? […]
Going deep to gain insight and expand awareness Connoisseurs of fine wine and vintage cars relish detail. They follow the lines of interest and attraction as far as they can because observation, knowledge and reflection improve both the breadth and depth of experience. In addition to “contemplating” a finished photograph, which has been the […]
How we see the world, what we believe about it, creates our experience. Human beings are meaning makers. Without having an anchor, a view of the world that makes sense of our existence, there’s little to no reason to carry on. As thinking and caring individuals who can rise above biological instincts, we have an […]
Welcome to Contemplative Photography, a weekly offering of photographic images with accompanying contemplations intended to demonstrate an approach to photography that contributes to appreciation, awareness, perception and the development of a personal aesthetic. Although the act of making photographs of any kind can be cause for appreciation and reflection, the practitioner of contemplative photography is […]
Contemplative Photography 