At the Meeting House last night - 5th March - we were enthralled by a fascinating talk from Ken Scott ARPS APAGB MBPsS entitled “The Joy of Seeing – An Introduction to Photography and Mindfulness”. Speaking to us over Zoom from West Sussex, Ken spent a great deal of his photographic career in the Lakes. He combines his background in psychology with mountain and light photography to produce this talk.
“Mindfulness is, at its simplest, an awareness of the present moment – wherever you are, there you are. It is also recognised as a highly effective practice for wellbeing, very apt in these difficult times. We all intuitively understand that when the mind is still and free from worry and distraction, we can become more receptive and creative.”
His talk was illustrated with images from his own extensive portfolio, and examples from some very significant photographers. Ken described how photography can be enhanced by being present, by approaching your opportunity without expectations and judgement.
Ken provides workshops and coaching. His work can be seen on his Touching the Light website: https://touchingthelight.co.uk/ - and on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/touchingthelight/. And you can follow him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Touchingthelight/
He left us with a reading list – should our interest be sparked by his talk:
- Photography and the Art of Seeing – Freeman Patterson
- The Practice of Contemplative Photography – Seeing the world with fresh eyes – Andy Carr and Michael Wood
- On Looking – A walkers guide to the art of observation – Alexandra Horowitz
- Perception and Imaging – Photography as a way of seeing – John Suler and Richard D. Zakia
- The Tao of Photography – Seeing beyond seeing – Philippe L. Gross and S.I. Shapiro
- Deviate – The Creative Power of Transforming your Perception – Beau Lotto