Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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Lost in contentment
We had our photography group meeting at my office on Monday and as we sat around the table firstly having some lunch before viewing each member's latest work, the comment was made that photography was not an occupation that could make you happy.
The point being made was that photographers are always endeavouring to produce better work, higher quality images in one means or another. This is nothing to do with whether it's in digital or traditional printing, it's the quest of everyone to do better than they are doing currently. This may be the wish for better equipment, higher quality lenses or mastering the skill of production in their medium. So the life of a photographer is destined to be a frustrating one and to completely miss out on that elusive yet most talked about of desirable human experiences........happiness.
We could probably include many other occupations in our discussion, where the pursuit of excellence is a goal, where human endeavour, creativity, skill and artistry and perseverance are qualities that need to combine to produce the highest rewards. Other activities that could be viewed in a similar way include painting, horse riding, golf, music making, writing be it poetry, fiction or journalism, sculpture, football, rugby, gardening and almost any other activity you care to mention.
So, in response to this comment over lunch, I reminded the group of a situation that I had found most embarrassing during a previous meeting last autumn. We were viewing and commenting on each other's latest hand-made monochrome endeavours, all painstakingly produced from our traditional darkrooms and it was clear to all, that I had completely gone wrong with my calculations in depth of field. This is the technical adjustment required to ensure that the foreground of my pictures were as sharp as the background.....a quality that I personally am seeking but not at all an essential requirement for a good photo. But it's what my pictures need. And basically I had messed up. Each and every one of my images were blurred in one part or another to the extent that the lack of sharpness detracted from the quality of the end result. They were not good pictures, despite other aspects of composition, lighting and tonal range all being appealing, the focus let them down. This was a depressing situation on some levels. All 18 rolls of film that I had shot during a two week summer break in Dorset were stricken down with the same horrible disease and with such afflictions were really unusable. But was I depressed? Not really.
The reason I wasn't depressed was because I had the most wonderful time actually taking these photos. During the two weeks I had about ten 2-3 hour photo sessions all before breakfast. I had got up shortly after dawn, and was out in the woodland location for 5.30am with the sun rising and I enjoyed such intoxicating woodland energy, peace and tranquility shared only with the birds. I was totally lost in that most wonderful of meditative states that comes when one is completely immersed in the creative process and connecting with nature. I was happy and absorbed in my activity. Happy in the process, lost in contentment, that is the point I'm making.
So was I depressed when the images didn't eventually turn out as expected? Well just a tad, yes this is true to a small degree. But with all artistic and personal endeavours, it is the process that needs to be enjoyed because what is the point otherwise? What is the earthly chance of producing work that is truly exceptional? As I play my violin, with only two years experience, do I delude myself in thinking that I will ever sound like Jascha Heifetz? Not one bit. The sound I make can sometimes be excruciating! My partner will verify this. But I doooooooo enjoy the process. And this must surely apply to anyone else who applies themselves to such challenging activities. If perfection eludes us, we can still enjoy the process. So can photography make you happy? You might now expect me to say 'yes'. but actually I would say 'no'. You make yourself happy with whatever you do. It's a choice and determined by how you approach it. If excellence is the only measure, then surely we will be mostly disappointed, but if we have other objectives and ambitions, maybe it's just to have fun, then we can even be blissfully happy with the most modest of achievements. I know which I would prefer.
And what about my pictures? Well we enjoyed our holiday in Dorset so much last year, we have already booked to go to the same place this year, again for two weeks. So guess what I shall be doing at 5.30am in the mornings of our vacation? You got it. I'll be up with the sparrows, and out in the woodlands re-photographing all those wonderful trees and scenes that demand that I have once again, the most wonderful time absorbed in the activity.
But rest assured, when I do make these pictures again, I shall check that my focus is accurate and I have suitably allowed for an appropriate depth of field. Next autumn's photography group meetings will see the results of two years work rolled into one.
Whatever you do, whatever you are applying yourself to,....make sure you enjoy the process. It's this moment we live in that is most important. Make sure you live it now.
[PS, the photo at the top is not from this trip to Dorset but an image from Wimbledon, London.]
:-)
