Inspiration | The Inner Path of Photography

March 20, 2012

Annie Leibovitz – The New Yorker – Thoughts about “Pilgrimage”

Nice piece in the New Yorker today Sarah Boxer about Annie Leibovitz and her latest body of work and show, “Pilgrimage.”

Some thoughts that I particularly enjoyed:

“It is this physical, and yet somehow ghostly, aspect of photography—its “spooky action at a distance” quality (to quote Einstein out of context)—that gives photography its particular aura.” (On noticing that Leibovitz gets much closer to her subjects (dresses, desk, etc.) than usual, the effect this has on the photographic experience, and its sensate as well as spiritual impact.)

But maybe pure receptivity—becoming “a transparent eye-ball”—is what it takes to tap into what Emerson (another one of Leibovitz’s subjects and heroes) called “the currents of universal being.” (On Leibovitz’ comment, ““There was something beautiful about not being in control all the time. Not being totally proficient.”)

The book…the show… now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum)…

Leibovitz has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years of her life. She’s still the artist, and still exploring.

Go Annie, go.

Read the article here…

March 13, 2012

Dock to the Unknown

“These unexpected gifts of magic still continue
their source as mystifying as ever
whether the “face” before me
Is human, cloud, ice, fire…”

– Minor White

An approaching storm

Beauty….or Fear?
a choice

Walking forward, not able to see what is at the end of this dock
this day
this life

We can choose to see the light…or darkness.

I choose the magic.

***

1 Comment

February 7, 2012

Bliss in the moonlight

Sitting outside at the lake – full moon – only sound is the lapping of the waves against the dock – this is the essence of creation – bliss

January 22, 2012

“One Moment in Time”

We judge ourselves too harshly when we look at the now
(which may not measure up to our dreams and expectations)

and think
“This is My Life”

Rather than looking at our lives as a sequence of images
a flow of moments in time that – lived through, gathered together –
reflect complex lives of good times and bad
Triumphs and illusions of failure.

Underlying all:

The personal story of constant expression
of love, inspiration, depth of spirit, courage

The experience of pure moments
thankfulness to be alive.

Remember your story

(or perhaps you’ve forgotten
and need someone to tell it to you,
and remind you of the images)

Celebrate the amazing fact
that you are still here to tell the tale

Yes.

Then you may say,
“This is My Life.”

***

Last week I posted a short article here about “sequencing” in photography – where you use the flow of a series of photographs to tell a story, rather than depending on one image to tell it all. I found once again that the choices we make in art often reflect the way we think about life.

Must your life right now be the “ultimate image?” Or can you relax and trust in the beauty of sequencing, your true life story…

Perhaps we could remember that, just as in “sequencing,” our lives cannot be evaluated by just one image, one moment in time.

Category: Inspiration