Week #21

Sun Ray

"When you are able to look at things without saying, "This is for me or against me," "I can go along with this," or I cannot go along with this," then you are experiencing the state of being of the cosmic mirror, the wisdom of the cosmic mirror. You may see a fly buzzing; you may see a snowflake; you may see ripples of water; you may see a black widow spider. You may see anything, but you can actually look at all of those things with simple and ordinary, but appreciative, perception."

Chogyam Trungpa - Shambhala - The Sacred Path of the Warrior

So week three of Level II Miksang has been about the Ordinary Personal World or OPW. The baseline concept is the everything is ordinary and everything is magical. An object does not need to do anything to be this way, it just is. We focused on our personal environment working on how to take a "truer" picture that delivers to the viewer what we experienced in our flash of perception. At the same time incorporating into the experience or creating vs. letting it happen.

Week #20

Roses and Rain

"It is obvious. We see something. But here's the where it's profound: the contemplative practice is to transform the obvious, ordinary experience into an appreciation of the ordinary as extraordinary, the appreciation of it for what it is - the ordinary magic of being alive. It turns out that seeing itself is ordinary and yet completely miraculous."

Looking and Seeing: An Introduction to Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography

 - John McQuade and Miriam Hall

Class assignment this week was flowers and weeds. Seemed easy at first but really trying to capture "what caught my eye" and not my preconceived image of a flower turned out to be quite the challenge. 

Week #38 Photo Challenge

Sunrise on Water

" I subscribe to the belief that we don't find a subject for a photograph - I believe it finds us. When I wander off with my camera, I try to keep my mind blank and instead listen for that soft "Psst! Over here!" to guide me.  The best bet is to disconnect the intellect from the process and listen to your feelings...your gut. What am I going to photograph today? "I'll know if when I see it" is a great answer.

Charles Cramer - First Light - Five Photographers Explore Yosemite's Wilderness

Week #27 Photo Challenge

Trees In The Park

I've been thinking lately about why I like to use my camera to "see" the world. I am definitely about the process of photography. Through my practice of Nalanda Miksang and contemplative photography I am learning how to carefully observe the world around me and in turn, learning at a much deeper level about this wonderful world. Observing, looking, seeing, feeling, appreciating the experience of the phenomenal world.

Week #25 Photo Challenge

Looking Down

Another week of practicing Nalanda Miksang contemplative photography and reading "Looking and Seeing" by John McQuade and Miriam Hall. I'm feeling very inspired by their writing and exercises.

"Practicing contemplative photography is a kind of sail, stirring us back to the ordinary magic of clear seeing. Making an image is using that sail to catch the joy of the world"

John McQuade and Miriam Hall

Week #20 Photo Challenge

City Window - San Francisco

Started a new book this week, Looking and Seeing, Nalanda Miksang Contemplative Photography by John McQuade and Miriam Hall.  Looking forward to learning more about Nalanda Miksang, a contemplative photography training out of Canada, and starting some of the exercises they have developed. I'll share some of my thoughts about the book over the next several weeks.

Miksang

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in the Miksang Institute held in Boulder Colorado. Michael Wood, the founder of Miksang, and Julie DuBose were our teachers as we embarked on the journey of learning how to see with fresh eyes and how to capture those images with our cameras. I spent five days with a group of like minded travelers. We spent the week opening our minds, eyes, and hearts to learning how to see the extraordinary in our everyday world. You can find out more about this training and Miksang here.