How Photographs Can Help You Predict the Future
Everyone has the opportunity to be an artist today. Are you aware of what your pictures are saying? Regardless of what side of the lens you are on—photographer or subject—there’s more going on than meets the eye.
Photographs don’t simply capture a memory. They document our state of mind.
Consider pictures of people. Experts say the subjects’ placement and body language say a lot. Are the subjects close together? Which people are closest to the ‘power’ figure? Is anyone touching, or distant, from one or another person, or the group? If there was a professional photographer, is the positioning strained and unusual? In candid shots, can you detect discomfort or disapproval—of a person or the situation? Or of being photographed?
Camera’s today are as prolific as smart phones, jamming digital space with quick shots of self, friends, and silliness. This access to a camera also means that everyone has the opportunity to develop an artist’s eye. Some guidelines are useful.
- Images that need descriptions I think of as ‘industrial’ photographs. Art is self-evident.
Taking photographs, I was once instructed, is improved by listening to good music. This suggests that seeing is a matter of becoming aware of our senses, working them together.
Facebook snaps often require description. The thumbnails might be magnetic and draw us to the larger image. And photos of people might improve with identification of the faces. But, an artistic photo speaks for itself.
2. Even for world leaders, selfies act as a reminder of our fragile selves and our humanity. Selfies are instigated by insecurity, novel photography, peer pressure.
There is a useful and very personal role for actively taking pictures. It takes only a little more time than point and shoot. We might think of it as conscious photography—or just using the lens to see.
Buddha said we have put our current reality in motion with our past actions. It follows therefore, we can put our future into motion today.
Seeing the world through photographs is a subtle way to look at our mind. How we see suggests how deeply we see. To see how deeply we are seeing—just watch the eyes of people as they view your photos.
If my photos create delight or awe—“Oh my” or “Wow!”—I feel like I’m on the right path. A neutral comment like “nice” or “very pretty” though, I take as a warning. I’m just not putting in enough thought into my shutter clicks.
3. For your own sake—and others—please heed this important message:
Our photos reveal our living mindset. To conscious photography beats biofeedback or therapy. It’s simple and shareable—and it can be very peaceful.
