Zen Camera - Day 3

Today’s photographs are not suggested by the Zen Camera book, but seem to be in the spirit and intention of the book. I went out looking for pictures this afternoon and I made two changes to my typical practice: I switched the lens to manual focus, and I left my glasses at home. I have quite poor vision. Getting things in sharp focus is a bit of a challenge at the best of times so I generally hope autofocus will do a good enough job. So today, with my blurry eyes and no electronic focusing help I shot pics. I noticed I was shooting pics i very likely would not if I had my glasses on, and I don’t really know why I shot some of the pics I did. Naturally, many just turned out bad. Not intriguing bad, or quirky bad. Just bad. But I liked how others turned out. Out of focus pictures are curious. If they are just a little out of focus they look like a mistake, then there is a level of out-of-focus that seems attractive and mysterious, and then there is a level of out-of-focus that just seems like a senseless blur. I think these fall in that midrange.

This is scene that often captures my eye. I think its because of the curving path. The blur and darker background make this pathway look a little more ominous

I took several looking up at the trees and sky pics. Definitely more than I would typically. Once again we have a curving “path” and darkness.

I couldn’t tell you why I thought to take this and yet there is something about it that keeps bringing me back.

There is this small stand of about a dozen pine trees that were planted in a clearing on the property. I’ve used it for several pictures. I don’t think I had ever noticed this formation.

Zen Camera - Day 2

I did another little stint of “shooting from the hip (and head and knee).” Taking pictures without looking through the viewfinder. One of the goals is to go back and look at the pictures that were taken and see what in them might might captivate me, and might show me new approaches I could intentionally incorporate into my photography. With this batch I did give myself permission to do some cropping, but no other processing.

I’ve taken many pictures of this locale. There is something about the angles of the hill, and presence of the path that captures me. This is close to one of my favorite framings of this scene. No cropping involved.

Frosty picnic table. I just like this one. Little bit cropped.

It was a bright, frosty morning. I just stuck the camera amongst the grass and shot. I like the bokeh. Little bit cropped.

I’ve noticed that most of the shots I take when not looking through the viewfinder are aimed lower than i would typically intend. Typically, I guess I like to include the horizon/skyline and some of the sky (even thought the sky can be quite a bother.) The original included a tiny slice of the horizon. I like it better with it cropped out.

I mostly don’t care for this image but I’m intrigued by the sweeping curves of the interior and exterior of the driveway. I think there is some potential to explore when I start looking through the viewfinder.

Zen Camera - Day 1

I received from a nephew the book “Zen Camera” by David Ulrich. My hope is it will help me explore more deeply using the camera as a tool of deeper awareness. It is structured as a series of lessons, with practices for each lesson.

It begins with the suggestion that we take a couple hundred pictures (minimum) each week to which I responded - that seems ridiculous, and “I’m not shooting those in RAW.” I guess I already (unjustifiably) find myself being too precious and precise with my picture taking so I’m guessing the pressure to be more promiscuous with my picture taking is worthwhile.

The first lesson also instructs me to take pictures without looking through the viewfinder. Once again, I felt an initial resistance “Why should I shoot worthless pictures” as if the pictures I take looking through the viewfinder are worth much. I did some of that today - and will do more. And yes, some of the pictures are “worthless” but there are also pictures that capture my attention and are ones I would never think to intentionally make.

Here are some of today’s pics - shot in jpeg, with no edits.

Self-portrati #1

Self-portrait #2

Zen Camera

Egg carton

Kitchen counter

House corner

Uncertain

6 foot forest

Six feet. This distance has marked off the height a man surpasses when he starts to be considered tall, and how far down that same man will be buried some day. But in this time of Covid, the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear “six feet” is marks on the floor indicating the minimum “safe” distance between people to effectively reduce risk of exposure. For months now I am seldom any closer to another person than six feet. Hugs and handshakes are not part of my social connection. My body is slowly getting familiar with what a six-foot separation feels like, and what someone breaks that invisible boundary.

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My immediate neighborhood is hilly and wooded. This is a lovely environment, but it poses some challenges when I go out to take pictures. I’ve noticed that I like to take pictures that look off in the distance. Looking off in the distance isn’t easy when you are surrounded by hills and trees.

In spring, summer, the yellows, green, and reds of the trees’ leaves provide softness and color to forest scenes. As we move into late fall with the leaves gone it is easier for me to see off in the distance, but all I see is brown and branches.

This isn’t intended as a complaint, but an observation of what is. This brown and branchy scene is what I’m going to face with my camera.

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The other day I thought about both the six-foot distance, and my photographic relationship to the woods. With those two thoughts in mind, I’ve decided on a little experiment. What kind of pictures would I capture if I used the six-foot distance in the woods. What do I see if I focus just on what is six feet in front of me.

I went out today with this limit in mind. I also decided to stick with a 50mm prime lens so I didn’t have the option of using a zoom and playing around with focal lengths.

The first thing I noticed is that I’m immediately drawn to taking pictures of tree trunks with some interesting character in their bark or shape. I also recognized that this kind of photography felt a bit like portrait photography – where I’m usually just focusing on one central subject, and rarely getting the whole subject in the frame. I really had to work to pay attention to scenes that were not at eye level.

I look forward to trying this approach in different situations and locations. I think the photographs do share some the same sense of separation that I encounter with others.

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