Slow Photography #40 Slowness is Beauty

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Slowness is beauty.

There are many ways to slow down our photography: relaxed awareness, mental willpower, a tripod.



Bronze Buddha, Nikko Japan.


Slow photography is more being, and less doing. To practice it, we start by believing that slowness is beauty. 

Awhile ago, living in Kyoto, Japan, I found that the idea "slowness is beauty" was part of Japanese art and culture. The phrase is:

"Oso-sa wa utsukushi-sa." 


Her is an exercise.
For part of my workshop on ideas in photography, I offer a "slowness is beauty" exercise to photography students. We practice Slow Photography with the low ISO setting on our cameras.


Bob's Barbershop, Cambridge Maryland.


Low and Slow.


In summer, or when the light was particularly bright, a low and slow ISO helps us work deliberately.

For example, I used ISO 64 when I walked past Bob's Barbershop in Cambridge Maryland. The light was overcast, and I changed ISO to 64 on  my Nikon D 810. This ISO 64 setting always reminds me of the days of old Kodachrome 64 ASA.




A low ISO is not just about making large prints. The idea is to work slowly in bright light, with large apertures. With this approach, we can blur portrait backgrounds, for instance 


Slowing our photography process.

With slow ISO settings, we can get quality prints. At ISO 64 and below, for instance, the D810 gives rich, detailed images with great micro-contrast and dynamic range. Using these low ISO settings encourages us to put the camera on a tripod and compose careful
By including ISO 64 or slower, a camera company can send a subtle message: take your time and make images you want to turn into beautiful prints. 


Boat Horn on Salty Paws
Ford Mustang in a light rain, Cambridge Maryland.

Thanks for your visit. 
Jim 


http://shootslow.blogspot.com/2014/07/nikon-d810-slowness-is-beauty-when.html







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