Mindfulness photography workshops
Mindfulness photography, walks and workshops in Birmingham and online
My personal meditation practice has numerous elements and aspects but an aspect that is most consistent is my mindful exploration of the world. I walk almost every day, in every kind of weather.
I start each walk with the intention of being present and tuning into the world around me; what can I feel, hear, see, and smell? What does the ground feel like beneath my feet? What sound do my walking boots make as I step forward into the world? At several points throughout every walk I stop, I breathe, and I reconnect to my awareness. Using mindfulness meditation techniques, which are rooted in Buddhist meditation practice, underpins this way of seeing the world.
I have been a professional photographer for over 10 years and I have always noticed how mindful you need to be, to be fully present in any given moment. This focus enables you to understand your subject and to tell a story. The difference when approaching photography as a mindfulness practice in its own right is as simple as slowing down, using minimal equipment (an iphone mostly, and sometimes a 35mm point compact camera), and bringing your attention back to your practice repeatedly if your mind wanders, in the same way you would with other forms of meditative practice.
I have worked with various organisations to delver workshops around mindful photography and meditation in nature. Keep an eye on my events page for future offerings or contact me if you’d like to work with me on a 121 basis. As well as teaching meditation and photography, I’m a counsellor and I am passionate about the way that connection to creativity and self can support our mental health and wellbeing.
My personal mindfulness photography practice is the truest form of my expression as a photographer. These are the pictures I make for myself, while actively focussing on connection with myself and the world around me. In the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindfulness is “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”.
These images are a result of that particular way of paying attention when I am out in the world.
