In Philippe Gross's book "The Tao of photography: seeing beyond seeing" Gross emphasizes, through his photography and other more well known photographers works, the Taoist philosophy and wisdom. I found this books message not only creative ,but both inspirational and instructional. He couples photographic works with informational text to help more deeply understand his philosophy. Gross emphasizes creativity and heightened awareness rather than formal techniques. Straying away from formal techniques is something that I feel I have been trying to do when I take pictures. This photo book has helped me understand new ways of approaching the camera. Upon opening the book in the store I was instantly drawn into the photos. The ones that I liked the most were the works that had an obvious theme of light ,but more so they all had a wonderfully beautiful feel to them, a feel that I want my photographs to have. An clear theme of light is what I try to incorporate in my photos. A streak of light in a dark room or a soft window light detailing a bed sheet are the little nuances that make great photographs. Simplistic forms and details created by light are things like I like to see and pay attention to when I look at photographs. After reading the book and understanding the Taoist approach to taking photographs I not only appreciated the photographs much more , it made me want to take better photographs.
The photograph Light ray by Philippe Gross has a simple bean of light seemingly peeking through a door crack. The simple light ray is so sharp and so alluring. The pointed light is coming from the right corner and leading into the left. The direction of the light drew my eyes into the photograph. The light is so bright and the room is so dark it provides a great and interesting contrast. This one beam lights up the dark corner of the cement block wall providing a light gleam of light separate from the main ray.
"Main Concepts of Taoism: Yin and Yang." Taoism and the Taoist Arts. April 2002. http://www.taoistarts.net/main.html#yin LeGuin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2000.
Toropov, Brandon and Chad Hansen. The Complete Idiots Guide to Taoism. Indianapolis, IN: Beach Brook Productions, 2002. E Book.
Susan Sontag said photographs sends across the harmlessness and helplessness of the human life steering into their own ruin. Furthermore the bond connecting photography with departure from life tortures the human race. (Sontag 1977:64)
of light being the main focus in this work. Shadow also plays a large part in the
"A picture is worth a thousand words," we say. From the eyes and mind of the archivist studying the pictures of Robert Ross' experience with war, they are worth a lot more. The photographs in the epilogue of Timothy Findley's "The Wars" play an important role in Findley establishing both a trust with the reader, and a sense of realism to his war story. This satisfies the need for realism in his tale. The result of this image that is brought forth through the medium of the photograph, is that we are forced to see the "before" and "after" of Roberts "experience" and figure out our way through what is deposited in between: the cause and effect.
Sontag, Susan. "Essay | Photography Enhances Our Understanding of the World." BookRags. BookRags. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
This book is a note written by Roland Barthes to record the dialectical way he thought about the eidos(form, essence, type, species) of Photographs. Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist in his lifetime, but surprisingly he was not a photographer. As Barthes had a belief that art works consists with signs and structures, he had investigated semiotics and structuralism. However, through Camera Lucida, he realized the limitation of structuralism and the impression to analyze Photography with only semiotics and structuralism. Barthes concludes with talking about unclassifiable aspects of Photography. I could sense the direction Barthes wanted to go through the first chapter ‘Specialty of the Photograph’. He tried to define something by phenomenology
Taoism has less of an earthly focus and places “harmony with the Tao” as the ultimate reality, forming the universe and everything around us. Taoism looks inward to improve the individual. Taoism is also a religion or philosophy that revolves around a single master, and relies heavily on the direct writings of Lao Tzu, the founder. The “Tao Te Ching” is the main text in poem form. These readings guide a practitioner to contemplate himself and the universal energy using the following four themes as described in the textbook Religions of the World. 1. The basic unity behind the universe is a mysterious and indefinable force called the Tao. 2. Life is the greatest of all possessions. 3. Life is to be lived simply. 4. Pomp and glory are to be despised. The reward, improved social order, is gained not only in this life but mainly the life
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” - Karl Lagerfeld. Photography is a beautiful thing that has evolved over the years. With the help of technology photography has came along ways from when the very first photo was produced in the 1700’s . We have found faster ways to produce a picture and the colors and format has became more appealing to the human eye. Photography has helped generations see the earlier generation for decades. We can only receive so much imagery through words until we turn to a photography that says it all. It all goes back to the old saying of “a picture says a thousand words”. The evolution of the camera and the history of photography are the true beauty in what made pictures what they are today.
Ever since I began reading about Taoism I have change my point of view about life. “Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart”(Tao). This line in itself has taught me to not look at life as objects but to look at it as a gift. People today have lost touch with what is really important about living. No one goes around smiling anymore. I can remember as a child seeing people smile all the time, maybe that was because I was young and did not see a lot of people. I believe that if people would start to read Taoism and try to understand it than people maybe happy to be alive. This paper is going to focus mainly on ways that the average person can use Taoism to better his or her life.
The theory of photography originated from the discovery of the camera obscura phenomenon – light that enters a darkened chamber through a small hole is projects an identical inverted image on the interior wall of the outside scene. The first recordings of scientists recognizing this concept was in the writings of Greek philosopher, Aristotle (384 – 322 BC).
Photography is a part of almost everyone's everyday life whether it is through a smartphone, laptop, or professional camera. Before the late 1800s, though, even a simple picture was not possible. Although many people worked hard and put their ideas and inventions of new cameras in the world, Louis Daguerre is among one of the most important. Michael Hart, in his book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, ranks Daguerre as the 47th most influential person in the world. This ranking is appropriate because of the many ways his invention influenced today's world. His technique was practical and widely used in the 1800s. Although his methods are different
This chapter takes a look at mindfulness and contemplation and how it can mean many things in many cultures, religions and faiths, and how it relates to photography.
When going for a walk, a person takes in the beauty around them. On this particular day, the refulgent sun is extra bright, making the sky a perfect blue. White, puffy clouds fill the sky, slowing moving at their own pace. The wind is peacefully calm, making the trees stand tall and proud. There is no humidity in the air. As this person walks down the road, they see a deer with her two fawns. The moment is absolutely beautiful. Moments like this happen only once in a great while, making us wanting to stay in the particular moment forever. Unfortunately, time moves on, but only if there were some way to capture the day’s magnificence. Thanks to Joseph Niépce, we can now capture these moments and others that take our breath away. The invention of the camera and its many makeovers has changed the art of photography.
The battle for superiority and dominance between words and images is long and on-going. Both can be found everywhere, mostly in books, magazines, television, paintings, and movies. However, in more recent years, the dominance of images over words can be seen. In a world where better, faster, and easier communication is necessary, images are a far better option than words. Mitchell Stephens in “By Means of the Visible: A Picture’s Worth,” Ward Churchill in “Crimes Against Humanity,” and the director of Within These Walls, Mike Robe, concur that images such as gestures, symbols, and pictures have a widespread and profound influence. In truth, “painting is much more eloquent than speech, and often penetrates more deeply into one’s heart” (Stephens 473). Thus, images are more powerful than words because they communicate more clearly and concisely, cater for a wider and more diverse audience, and connect with people on a deeper level.