Slow Photography

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 ...

I have a passion for Polaroid.  Photographing with an SX-70 Alpha and the Polaroid 180 cameras,  these images were made from instant prints. First, manipulated Time-ZERO SX-70 film was a beautiful way to slow the process. How is it an example of slow photography?  Glad you asked. Slow Down SX-70 Time Zero Manipulation, Jimages Clown and Polaroid Print, Jimages The Scream, Jimages Curiosity is a Creative Gift. Jimages. Girls who Play in Plaid, Jimages Sliding with my Brother, Jimages After an SX-70 print came out of the camera, it can be altered over a couple of days. This is done gradually. The idea is to match technique with subject. In 1976, I began doing SX-70 manipulations with my first SX-70 Instant Folding Alpha-1 Land Camera in Denver. The kids and clown above were photographed in Denver's parks, and the highway workers on Interstate I-70 in Colorado. Then, I added a Polaroid 180 camera. Folks who see i...

H aiku. In our global information age, haiku is poetry for any size screen. Successful haiku photography joins images and poetry with a lyrical, mindful union. W ords and pictures together are more powerful than either alone. Like photography, haiku is based on a keen awareness of the present. Nature photographers explore haiku to capture beautiful wild moments. Street photographers also practice haiku photography, at home with the art on today's social media. Instagram is a ideal gallery to share haiku photography. Whereever your interest lies, it is easy to create a photo haiku in Photoshop. First, for those new to haiku, let's explore what it is. HAIKU PAST: THE SEASON Traditionally, haiku is about nature and our oneness with its winds, seas and sensations. Sometimes serious, often comic – haiku was a short non-rhyming poem. The poem was written in a single vertical line on the page. Haiku poems often referen...

For a personal project, last winter I set out to photograph people who were born in the Bahamas islands. To quote Mark Twain, two things were necessary to succeed with the project: "ignorance and confidence." Meeting and photographing these people led to 4 lessons: When it comes to quality, sometimes slow is better at first.  Manual focus is a vital skill, and an effective way to engage with a subject.  Balanced portraiture is 95 % people time and 5 % gear time. If a photograph is good enough to share, it's good enough to print. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_twain.html#Q4molgs7W72ME5l8.99 Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_twain.html#Q4molgs7W72ME5l8.99 Wh Whenever you find yourself on the side of th...

John H. White is a spiritual man. Seeing his work, we think of two words: Amazing grace.  Mr. White sums it up this way: "every human being has a song." Born in North Carolina, White was among the first Black photographers employed by American newpapers. He also won a Pulitzer Prize for consistently excellent work on a variety of subjects”, including his masterpieces of life in Chicago. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_H._White_%28photojournalist%29) Interviewed after being fired by the Chicago Sun Times, White noted: "It was as if they pushed a button and deleted a whole culture of photojournalism." He added: “Now is a time for me to refurbish. All my life, I’ve been trying to figure out ‘God’s syllabus." The layoff story went national and of course was shared on Facebook. The Chicago Sun-Times fired 29 photographers last May 31. At the time, the company said it would rely on wire services and free-lancers and train its repo...

1. Flamingos on Crooked Island 2. Immature Black Crowned Night heron with a turban snail.    It's a good question. Are there birds in the Bahamas? Yes, there are!   When you are patient and move slowly, you can get closer to the many species of birds that visit and live in the Bahamas. For photos #1 and #2 above, I approached a flamingo flock, and a black-crowned night heron. To photograph them, slow photography skills are helpful. If you approach very slowly, stay low, and stop often, you'll learn that each species has its own comfort distance before it flies away. This leads to better photographs.          3. Cattle egrets strutting at West End, Grand Bahama.       4. Mid- air mockingbird battle on Grand Bahama.         5. A royal tern joins an American oystercatcher on ironshore in      the ...

Cover Copyright 2014 Jim Austin. EYE, BAHAMAS : Who Is Bahamian ? is my sepia-toned, PDF eBook. Published in 2014, it explores personal stories of Bahamians. The project touches on Bahamian culture and personal stories. To Download Eye, Bahamas click Here: How can you join the project? Download the eBook. The goal for eBook sales is to raise and donate $1000 to the learning lab of the Old Bight, Cat Island High School. More below... Funds from the sale of Eye, Bahamas will be donated to the bright, determined high school students on Cat Island. Their award-winning high school has 134 students and 13 teachers who use the learning lab. Y our purchase of Eye, Bahamas is helps to raise $1000 in charitable donations to expand the student's digital learning lab. The students are supervised by Principal Jerome Forbes  (242.342.4057). M any contributors have enjoyed the eBook already, and they say: "Deeply moved.  You...