demonstrate how quickly one can learn the necessary skills and create work that demonstrates tremendous sensitivity. Contemplative Photography: Clearing Your Mind’s Eye In Karr and Wood (2011) provide numerous The Practice of Contemplative Photography, examples and exercises designed to strengthen a photographer’s connection with nonconceptual awareness through a practice. we learn to recognize naturally occurring “First glimpses of seeing and the contemplative state of mind. Next we stabilize that connection through looking further. Finally we take photographs from within that state of mind” (p. 41-42). The following instructions are an excellent introduction to mindfulness through photography. Try this: Go outside and pick three points in a loose triangular arrangement. Look at one object, then move on to the next, then move on to the third. Repeat this over and over again in a relaxed fashion. Eventually, your mind will begin to clear of all the extra and only those three things will become the focus of “noise,” your attention. As you move your focus from one object to the next, notice what differences you begin to see between them--textures, colors, patterns, and so on. Also, what things nearby have been trying to distract your attention? What sounds have you heard? Notice those, too. By doing this you can increase your awareness (Tharp and Manwaring, 2012, p. 31) and your perception of things around you. Excerpts from the following non-fiction texts are also recommended as additional supportive readings: by Alberto Reading Pictures: what we think about when we look at art Manguel (2002); (1991) and (1972) by John Berger; About Looking Ways of Seeing How to Look by Francoise Barbe-Gall (2006); by Susan Sontag (2001). These at a Painting On Photography all promote close viewing and deeper thinking about perception.
demonstrate how quickly one can learn the necessary skills and create work that demonstrates tremendous sensitivity. Contemplative Photography: Clearing Your Mind’s Eye In The Practice of Contemplative Photography, Karr and Wood (2011) provide numerous examples and exercises designed to strengthen a photographer’s connection with nonconceptual awareness through a practice. “First we learn to recognize naturally occurring glimpses of seeing and the contemplative state of mind. Next we stabilize that connection through looking further. Finally we take photographs from within that state of mind” (p. 41-42). The following instructions are an excellent introduction to mindfulness through photography. Try this: Go outside and pick three points in a loose triangular arrangement. Look at one object, then move on to the next, then move on to the third. Repeat this over and over again in a relaxed fashion. Eventually, your mind will begin to clear of all the extra “noise,” and only those three things will become the focus of your attention. As you move your focus from one object to the next, notice what differences you begin to see between them--textures, colors, patterns, and so on. Also, what things nearby have been trying to distract your attention? What sounds have you heard? Notice those, too. By doing this you can increase your awareness and your perception of things around you. (Tharp and Manwaring, 2012, p. 31) Excerpts from the following non-fiction texts are also recommended as additional supportive readings: Reading Pictures: what we think about when we look at art by Alberto Manguel (2002); About Looking (1991) and Ways of Seeing (1972) by John Berger; How to Look at a Painting by Francoise Barbe-Gall (2006); On Photography by Susan Sontag (2001). These all promote close viewing and deeper thinking about perception.
CreatingSpaceforContemplationInfusingMindfulnessandAwarenessActivitiesinEnglishLanguageArtsClassesByKarenJacobsen.docx