I have found myself being drawn to spending more and more time in nature. For me, it induces an exalted state: the mind clears itself from the exhausting busyness of everyday life, and I become imbued with the spirit, the beauty and whispered wisdoms that nature provides.
At its best, a photograph captures a transient moment in time. An architectural and commercial photographer by profession, I spent decades facing the challenge of mastering the intellectual and technical aspects required to produce succinct, descriptive work. My method of approaching my subject matter was technical and studied. Using a checklist of rules governing light, composition, texture, etc., my main concern was always focussed on what the final print would look like.
When I applied this same method for taking photographs of nature, I realized that there was a profound disconnect with the spirit that was at heart of the process. I needed to find a way to communicate through the camera while remaining fully present to the source of the inspiration. It became important to me to move beyond merely taking a photograph. Nature speaks to me differently than buildings!
My new process requires me to be engaged in an ongoing visual conversation with nature rather than simply an outside observer. It is a meditative exercise which allows new discoveries to emerge throughout the creative process. I need to remain fully present which means pivoting away from merely looking at nature to staying open and seeing what wonders will reveal themselves to my eye.
The “Buddha’s Eye” series has its genesis in the coastal rocks of Hornby Island, on Canada’s west coast. It is a tribute to the beauty and solace that nature accords, sometimes in the least obvious of places.
