SLOW PHOTOGRAPHY #78 Slow Photo is Growing Gently

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Waves. From a Fine Art Series called NINE.

The Slow Photo movement is growing. It appeals to thinking, mindful photographers. 

It's expanding because we are growing tired of a speed-obsessed photography culture. 


When was the last time you took pure pleasure in letting go of time? Our solution lies in our thinking. Thinking deliberately with a thoughtful approach to making photographs lets us explore consciousness, in a way that can not be measured or purchased. 

 As camera sensors have changed radically in their design, the way a camera  absorbs light has changed. Originally, this was a chemical process that grew from bitumen of Judea, to calotype, to Daguerreotype, to glass plate and cellulose. Only recently have we had access to digital sensors.

 The artful question for all our warp-speed tech is this: are we making better images? I believe we can practice Slow Photography with any camera ( iPhone to 8 x 10 and up) because, how we express our experience, not the gear we use, is what matters. 
So, how do I begin to let go of my casual, snap and share obsession? When I make images, I practice these ideas. Try them to see if they work for you. Here are things I say to myself:

1. "I've got all the time in the world to make this one photograph."


2. "Although I like this composition, I will pause from pressing the shutter as I search for a compelling composition, taking my time and moving around."

3. "When I change how I breathe in nature, gradually and with slow breaths, I notice texture, color, and minute details of what I choose to frame in the scene."
4. "What happens when I rest in the present? Can I observe in all directions and attend to just this, here and now?"

5. "When I fully experience the wild of nature, making photographs deliberately, they will embody my life, experience and spirit." 
 

Practicing these 5 consciousness shifts takes time. Eventually, the experience of photography in the present becomes more valuable than any image, as we move from fast shooting to a mindful, relaxed way to make images. 

 Daily Slow Photo practice is releasing me from gear and phone obsession to return, gradually, to the joy of the craft.  


Thanks for your visit. Jim


 Links to Slow Photography:


1. http://shootslow.blogspot.com/2013/04/slow-photography-great-smoky-mountains.html

2. http://shootslow.blogspot.com/2013/08/aha.html

 3. http://shootslow.blogspot.com/2013/06/portraiture-with-slow-photography.html 

 4 . http://shootslow.blogspot.com/2013/05/seven-slow-photography-secrets.html
5. http://filmphotographyproject.com/content/features/2012/10/spr-slow-photography-rebellion
6. https://jimaustin.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/slow-photo-rebellion-the-abcs-of-its-changes/

7. http://shootslow.blogspot.com/2013/05/wait-just-minute-slow-photography-and.html

 8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_photography


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