I love taking photographs, because it enables me to connect with the
world on a deeper level.
When I take a picture, I connect with my world three times. The first
connection happens when I compose and shoot the photograph. The second
connection happens when I critically review the picture to see what I shot.
The third connection happens when I use that picture in a project.
This triple connection burns the picture into my consciousness, and each time
I review it I notice things that I didn't see the first or second time
around. I see my world in a different way.
In the twenty-first century, it's too easy to go on autopilot and live in a
mindless manner. You look at a tree without really seeing the tree and look at a flower without really
seeing the flower. You see your world, but don't connect
with it at any significant level.
That's where photography can be such a help, because photographs helps you
reconnect with life.
When I walked on top of the escarpment at Mitzpah Ramon Crater in Israel,
I noticed mountain goats just below where I was hiking. I
casually acknowledged their presence without really seeing them. But
when I took out my camera, my interaction with this desert kingdom radically
shifted in the direction of connecting with what was in front of my eyes.
The scales fell off my eyes, and I began to see.
I saw the King of the Mountain Goats quietly reclining on
the edge of the escarpment surveying his domain. The afternoon sun
splashed across his face and horns, and he had a shaggy beard beneath his
regal chin. He was big and stocky with a beautiful fur coat, and his horns
arched backwards in an impressive half circle. I noticed the bands of
dark color on his legs, and I suddenly paid attention to the rocky terrain in
which he was resting. I went from being a casual observer to a focused
one, and I connected in a powerful way with his world.
The simple act of shooting a photograph radically shifted my awareness. I went from a mindless existence to a mindful one.
Taking a picture of a mountain goat may not change my life, but it certainly
makes
me more aware of the world in which I live
Photographs are beautiful in their own right, but what's
more important is those photos enable me to connect with my world on a
mindful level.
When busy, important, and serious try to take over, and my life becomes an
unfocused blur, it's time to take out my camera and shoot some photos that get things back in focus. Living in a mindless manner isn't
really living; it's just going through the motions.
If you see me out there somewhere, you'll probably see a camera in my hand,
and now you know why. My camera continually reminds me it's a
beautiful world, and life is good.
