☼ Mindfulness ☼
Zen and the art of button pushing
Photography and finding the moments of inner silence.
For me photography and photographing moments was born during a time of extreme inner turmoil. To the extreme of depression. Photography never saved my mental state, other factors helped with this, but whilst I photographed my mind would become silent and in turn quell some of that violence boiling away inside.
For people who struggle with their mental health, finding things that induce flow state, or the state of being in the moment, really are a life saver. I often had little to no time to not think. Photography became one of those things.
Looking into the viewfinder and framing up your shot helped focus attention and lessen worries that remained outside of the viewfinder. The calm I got from this really helped funnel emotions into a different direction.
Working through a period of intense upheaval can be greatly calmed by spending time doing the things you love. When I started photographing I had no idea that I needed to do this more than I actually did. I worked far too much at a job that had little to no regard for my mental well being. This coupled with the fact I had returned home from a long stint of being overseas and quickly things went from bad to worse.
Shooting at and in the ocean is exactly where I get this feeling of flow state. Much like surfing, you are fully immersed in your subject. Wave after wave another opportunity presents itself. This is heightened when shooting from the water. Every wave coming at you is another pounding. The cold rushing through your wetsuit and freezing your head. Did I get that shot? The inner monologue ever present. Before you know it another wave lines itself up in front of you. Worrying about your camera settings is probably the only thing that you have time to think about and even then this is barely a consideration.
Photography to me is an opportunity to zone out but also to be really present. Like a prolonged deep breath it allows me to focus but disappear. Leaving without going anywhere. A backdoor to mindfulness.
The sounds and crashes of the waves a constant reminder to breathe and go with the flow. I remember when I first started photographing surfing and waves in my home town of Bournemouth, I found it immensely freeing to just be observing others having the time of their lives. A total contrast from my day job which I hated. I remember feeling totally liberated.
I could do what I wanted with my camera. Prior to then I always thought only the others create art and I would not be capable of doing this. Impostor syndrome coupled with a huge amount of self hate hampered me from taking this step into the waves.
Once you take the plunge and are enveloped by this liquid flow state you can truly feel in the moment. Its magic.
Some blue moments from the coast here in Nova Scotia and ramblings from a time long ago back in the UK finding my feet behind the camera.
Thanks for being here and taking the time to read this.