This week's goal was to observe the world with fresh eyes, to have a beginners approach to photography, to unlearn and relearn methodologies and find new things in old things. During this time we also intended to be mindful and fully present in the moment. Along with experimenting with meditation, one of the goals was also to get familiar with various stages of developing a concept.

I have a mind that never stops wandering, an eye that never stops observing.

During my walks in the city centre, I sought refuge in the blank canvases.

They provided me with space to declutter, as if they were waiting for me to come and write my thoughts on them.

During the process I realized that simple compositions can be as cathartic as complex ones. That negative space can be as impactful as positive space.

I found my concept closely resembling Japanese art which is often seen as a way to express the essence of a subject, evoke a sense of tranquility, and encourage contemplation. It values simplicity, emptiness, and the beauty found in the understated and unadorned.

During our contemplative photography practice we went through relevant literature in the library, researched artists that inspired us, developed mood-boards, mapped down key words relevant to the concepts we wanted to work with, indulged in collaborative feedback sessions, discussed material regarding techniques used in photography, learned the science and art of compositions and practiced mediation, thrice a day, everyday. Each day started with a check-in and ended with feedback and reflection.

Initially I had intended on a top down approach, but it eventually became bottom down during my creative process. This was something I had not experimented with before. For me top down has always been the way to go and I sensed that it can be affected by external factors, pressure and limitations which induce a sense of general anxiety in my work. When working in uncontrollable environments (like landscape photography) factors like these have often left me with a feeling of overworking and underachieving. 

However when I switched to the bottom down approach, it evoked a sense of “living in the moment, trusting the process” and “creating within the available means.” This methodology also helped me in learning how to derive a concept from an artwork by observing, finding symbols, motifs and themes.

Being in the present is a very underrated phenomenon. Staying in the present gets the work done in a joyful and cathartic way, it saves us from the misery of worrying about the consequences, and it allows us a safe and new space away from our past, to make new mistakes.