The Sounds of Silence
PHOTOCOACH COMMUNITY theme for November 2024
On one of my landscape trips to the Northern Cape, South Africa, I stopped the car to winess the sunrise. It was quiet and there were no cars around. I felt the wamth of the sun on my skin, and the sense of scale, the wide open valley, Away from the pressures of home and on the open road was a privilege too great to decribe - the moment was mine alone.
Mindfulness Month
November 2024 is the month I want to ask you to improve your mindfulness in photography.
It’s time to communicate with the world in a new way.
This month, you will slow down the process of photography radically.
Before you click the shutter …
Still your mind.
Experience the joy of the moment.
Look at your subject with with new eyes.
Be who you are and have nothing to prove.
Find your inner being.
Lose the heavy self.
Breathe deeply.
Wait as long as you like with no pressure.
How can you be a peacemaker in the world unless you learn the art of peacemaking within yourself?
PEACEMAKING
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PEACEMAKING 〰️
I sat watching these two birds playing in the water that had collected in a cactus leaf,. You all know that photographing birds requires patience, and that you need to be still for some time before they accept you. I sat on the lawns at a botanical garden and I quietened myself for the long wait - and in that long wait, peace came - and at that moment, I realised how wonderful life is.
Self Talk Month
This month I am giving you all permisson to talk to yourself when you are out looking for images. I understand that some think that this is the first sign of madness, I want to encourage it, because it will help the process of quieting self.
Those that have never spoken to themselves in nature have never earned the right to speak to others.
If you can't hug a tree, how will you ever hug a human?
The ferry from Vancouver to Gibsons, and standing looking and wondering as it passed slowly across the bay brought such a feeling of serenity.
The Theme is Stillness.
I want you to look for things to photograph that remind you of stillness, silence and peace. And I want to to experience it as you relax into the process.
Looking for light
Look for quiet light - no harsh midday sun and heavy shadows. Exclude everything that looks chaotic and noisy or too contrasty.
Don't click the shutter until you have done this. This theme is about countering the stress of hurrying and the tyranny of wanting to achieve.
Getting rid of proving yourself.
And while you are doing this disengage from thoughts of wanting “likes.”. Make sure the motivation is a quiet heart and a peaceful mind. It's not so much how “good” your photograph is - it’s about how peaceful it appears to you and to us, your community.
And how we connect to your story.
You can photograph anything and anyone. If you are photographing a person you will have to ensure that they are peaceful too. Serenity wins the day.
Then if possible I want you to write a sentence or two about the experience. Write as little or as much as you like.
Peace is something we all need. Let it into your life through photography.
Almost exactly five years ago, my mother passed away, and although she had lived a long life, I was grieving deeply for her. I travelled to Britiah Columbia to my sister, Lynne Dunham, and we stood on the rocky shore staring at the scene in quietness. The healing stare, you know the one, where slowly the mind disengages and we receive peace, - that’s what it was like at that moment.
Joiin the PhotoCoach Community
For those who are reading this and are not yet members of the PhotoCoach Community, this is the link to apply to join.
If you want to do a course that links photography and mental wellness, here's the link. There’s a special on at the moment.
Please and harmony to all,
Love,
Charles the Light Coach.
