SOME THOUGHTS
about
MINDFULNESS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
It was by chance that few months ago I had my fist contact with mindfulness. Of course I had heard about it before, but as most of the people I did not know what was it about exactly. Yes, about being present, about living the moment, about focusing on what you are doing… but, how?
I was checking the autumn courses of a self-managed cultural space here in Barcelona (Can Batlló) and there was this course about mindfulness. It was only 2 days per month, and free, so why not, I decided to sign up. Honestly my expectations were low as I am quite sceptic about these kind of techniques. However, I have to admit I have learnt few things I find interesting.
About photography
When I go out into the streets with my camera, there is a change in my mindset. I kind of stop thinking, and focus on observing everything that is around me: The people, the buildings, the lines, lights and shadows, contrasts, textures. I walk, I usually walk a lot and time passes while my thoughts stay calm because my mind is focused on what it should be, looking for pictures.
“Take the time to walk the streets”
These kind of exercise helps me relax, spend some time on my own and if I’m lucky, get some good pictures that later I can share with you. It’s a sensation similar to when you do sport that you are able to forget about everything else and leave your worries aside.
About mindfulness
Many times I read that mindfulness is like “having a shower while you have a shower” or things like that. In my opinion, that is not mindfulness, but an exercise to train your brain towards mindfulness.
From what I have understood, mindfulness is the capacity of being aware of your thoughts, of how these are generated and the ability to respond to them in a controlled way. If you realise every time a thought is generated by your mind and are able not to react to it but to respond, you will be closer to mindfulness. Meditation, focus and other types or exercises help you develop this abilities.
Then, is it photography mindfulness?
I was going to write some conclusions with my opinion, but I decided I will not. One of the bases of mindfulness is that you don’t have to believe anything but experiment yourself and get the value from it.
Therefore, I let you dive into the topic and get your own conclusions.
If you feel like sharing your thoughts, comment below or answer to my question on instagram (@bcn50mm).
Thanks for reading!
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