The Practice of Contemplative Photography

 There are a number of helpful books on contemplative photography. One that I can recommend is The Practice of Contemplative Photography by Andy Karr and Michael Wood. The book is written mainly from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective. However, the authors discuss qualities that are common to all types of contemplative photography. In addition, there are practical exercises, plenty of illustrative images, and quotes from celebrated photographers from the past such as such as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Weston, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

 

Garden Buddha

 This garden statue of a peaceful Buddha or Buddhist monk cradling a tiny rabbit in his hands always brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of the ancient Eastern doctrine of ahimsa or nonviolence, which advocates causing no harm to all living things, a message that seems to have fallen by the wayside in our crazy world. 

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The Tao of Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton was not a photographer, he was a Trappist monk. However, his interest in Eastern philosophies, especially Taoism and Zen Buddhism, inspired him to occasionally pick up a camera and employ it as a tool for contemplation. I've long been a fan of Merton's simple, black and white images of nature and everyday things, many of which were taken at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky where he spent much of his life. Click here or on the image above to view an exhibition of some of his photographs.

Going with the Flow

I chanced upon this weathered piece of driftwood in a neighbor's front yard. Whenever I walk by it, I am reminded of the ancient Taoist principle of Wu Wei or going with the flow of life rather than fighting it. The lines in the wood resemble flowing water, which to the ancient Chinese sages was a metaphor for the Tao, the mysterious force behind the universe that pervades everything but which eludes all our attempts to grasp it.

 

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