Meditate Behind the Camera - Finding Creativity in Your Photography
By David Ryan
18 Sep 2008
As a photography enthusiast and student of meditation and yoga, I find myself questioning the very nature of my work and how I go about doing it. Are there tools available to me as both an artist and a small business owner that can help me solve problems more creatively, make my work more efficient, and my art more meaningful? I have been exploring the link between photography and different forms of ancient wisdom (breathwork, meditation, and yoga) that are time-proven ways of increasing peace of mind, clarity, and self-awareness.
Here are a few ideas and exercises to experiment with that can hopefully take your photography in a newly inspired direction.
Just Breathe
One of the most fundamental ways that we can attain more clarity and focus (and increase our connection to a greater sense of meaning) is through the ancient art of breathwork.
On the face it, breathing may seem like a rather mundane way of increasing the creativity of our photography. But done with awareness and intention, breath work can be a transforming journey to a calm mind. As we are planning our shoot or as we scan the landscape for a creative image, bringing our awareness to the breath can have a very calming and clarifying effect on the mind and body.
Exercise - Observing the Breath
1. Find a comfortable, upright seat, eyes closed if you wish, and simply notice the breath as it leaves your nose.
2. Without changing anything, pay attention to how the breath feels on your face, how deep or shallow it is, how slow or fast.
3. After a little while, gently make the exhales longer by making a silent "ah" sound. When the time for an inhale comes, let the breath return without any effort or strain. Let your shoulders be heavy.
4. Continue for as long as is comfortable. If your awareness drifts to other things, gently place it back on the exhale.
Meditation
For our purposes as photographers, meditation can help us become free of habitual ways of doing things, allowing us to become more efficient and effective. We are able to connect to a deeper sense of meaning and emotion in our work.
Exercise - Tranquility Meditation
1. Find a comfortable seated position, spine gently upright, hands resting on thighs, eyes slightly closed. Bring your awareness to your breath just like the first exercise.
2. When you are settled, begin counting down from 10, one number per exhale, at a slow and relaxed pace.
3. If your attention drifts from the counting and you lose your place, simply begin again at 10. It doesn't matter if you make it to zero or not.
Yoga and Body Awareness
Becoming aware of our bodies in a deep way allows us to access the intelligence of the human body. This can give us a wonderful feeling of aliveness, clarity and creativity. As photographers, body awareness can help us prevent repetitive strain injuries and deepen our artistic vision.
Exercise - Neck and Shoulder Release
1. Laying down on your back, begin by noticing the breath and how your body feels.
2. Next, bring your awareness to any tense areas, spending a moment to fill those spots with breath as you inhale, and imagine the pain or tension leaving as you exhale.
3. When you're ready, get up slowly and come to a comfortable standing position. Rotate the biceps, forearms, and palms to face forward. This allows the shoulders to move back and down the spine.
4. Inhale, and lift your shoulders towards your ears, taking care not to gasp for air. As you exhale slowly, move the shoulder back and down the spine to the original resting position. Repeat for as long as it feels useful.
Hopefully these tools will help to create more inspiration, vision and effectiveness in your photography.
More about the author can be found at www.anandaphoto.com.
1 response
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Litz Go gave props (29 Apr 2009):
It really rocks. I have to try it. Thnak you. my vote.
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