A {Still} Life

“Lost'

Stand still.
The trees ahead and the bushes beside you Are not lost.
Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you,
If you leave it you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still.
The forest knows Where you are.
You must let it find you.”

- David Whyte

 

Hello there lovelies, its the final countdown until Camera Craft begins and I'm  getting super excited so I've decided to funnel all that energy into a Free Photo Invitation- A {Still} Life. I hope you'll join me (and if you are wondering why I am calling it an invitation instead of a challenge then you can read about that here).

This is a FREE online Instagram Photo challenge Invitation. It is a 10-day offering based on some of the lessons/themes of Camera Craft with prompts to get you reflecting on some of the things I love about photography (and Life) and its expressive potential.

A {Still} Life refers not just to the traditional still life (although that's one way to go) or to a life in stills, but rather to the contemplative conversation we can have when we get still and go within and how photography can guide our introspection- it is such a wonderful tool for both  exploration and expression.

You can join us by simply following along on Instagram here or if you would like prompts right into your inbox pop your name here and I'll deliver them right to you to be sure you miss none.

I'll be posting a new Photo Prompt every morning, June 13th until June 23th on my Instagram feed.

Once you get the daily prompt, create your image, post on your Instagram feed with the hashtag #aStillLife so we can all connect together and support each others soulful and expressive work.

Below is the first Xx

1. The Art of Seeing

"To pay attention, this is how I pray"- this has been my mantra for the longest time. It is how I pick up the camera.

One of the gifts photography has given me is the ability to really see, to pause and hold a moment gently, to caress its beauty and notice all its nuances- the way the light touches it, its curves, its shape, its shadows and especially its temporality. We are sensual beings, us humans, and we see with more than just our eyes. We see with our souls, our bodies are the portals to that experience- sight, sound, touch, taste, smell- all enhancing our experience yet to really see is to step through these and beyond, into the infinite moment, to pay attention, deep attention to the moment, to life and the Greatfullness of it.
#aStillLife
 

'Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.' Mary Oliver