The Art of Seeing in a 24/7 World

Introduction: The Art of Seeing in a 24/7 World

In a time of unprecedented change, the professionals who will get ahead are those that can see beyond what's there. You have to make connections, even among things that appear to have nothing in common. Below I explore two photography books, but they are not the typical ones. These books introduce you to the art of seeing.

Let us spend some time with How to Look At Everything by David Finn & The Zen of Photography: How to Take Pictures With Your Mind's Camera by Paul Lester. Interestingly enough The Zen of Photography has five 1-star reviews on Amazon. However, I enjoyed it. The book is more reflective and introspective in nature. And I think that's needed if you want to take excellent pictures.

A few years ago I attended a series of photography events hosted by the Toronto Camera Club. Richard Lautens, a Toronto Star photojournalist led one of the events. Richard suggests that taking the picture is easy, the harder part is setting up the shot. Before you click, click, click, he recommends that you first ask yourself,

“What's going on here and how do I feel about it?”

To me, this means that you remove the dividing line between photographer (or amateur photographer) and subject. The other thing is that when you master the art of seing what you are going to take a picture of, you hone your observation skills. And if you take photos of people, after a while you become skilled at accurately reading them.

In How To Look At Everything, the author David Finn writes,

“The artist Henri Matisse used to tell his students that the inner feeling that they had when looking at something was more important than what they saw literally with their eyes. What was important was to “render the emotion” awakened within them. He urged them to close their eyes and hold the vision, and they would see the object better than with their eyes open.”

How can you apply this to your life? Do you stand on the sidelines and watch life go by, or do you fully immerse yourself in life? Are you separate from this world or do you consider yourself to be a part of this world?

Later in the book David asks:

“Is your mind focused on other thoughts as you try to get where you're going as fast as possible? When you stand at the corner waiting for a traffic light to change, does your eye wander to see what's happening while you wait, or do you just stare at the sign that reads DON'T WALK, waiting for it to change? Is the time you spend walking in the city a meaningful experience, or is it just a period empty of meaning…”

In The Zen of Photography there are 100 Zen sayings, many of which we can also apply to our lives. I've pulled 10 of the sayings and listed them here as great ideas. I'm sure that your 10 sayings would be very different from mine. And that's why I encourage you to read the book. I think the best way to absorb the book is to take one saying at a time and reflect on it.

10 Great Ideas from How to Look At Everything by David Finn & The Zen of Photography

1. The past is a learning memory. The future is a yearning goal. The present is the only moment that exists. You can stretch that moment out forever if you are constantly aware of every now.
2. Every person has a story to tell. Every person is looking for a caring spirit that will listen.
3. When you begin to care you realize, as you look in a passersby eyes, we have all experienced the same tragedies, triumphs and fits of boredom. We all feel the same emotions. We are all the same person.
4. Anything can be practiced. A guitar piece to a positive way of life. Practice is simply concentrating on a single action or idea until it no longer exists in your conscious mind.
5. You can only learn when you are ready to listen.
6. Technology interferes with the spirit. Machinery suppresses the fun. The mind thwarts the heart.
7. Your goal is not to be the best photographer, the best runner, the best musician, the best writer, or the best anything. Your goal, if you really need a goal, is to be yourself.
8. You cannot want to be anything. Either you are or you are not. If you are, you are being your natural self and peace will come. If you are not, your ego directs your actions and you will always be disturbed.
9. A teacher learns from the student. Who then is the real teacher/student? If the teacher is the student, then we are all students learning from each other.
10. Since no one can learn unless ready, the best teacher does not give answers. The best teacher facilitates questions.

Final Thoughts: The Art of Seeing in a 24/7 World

I found many ideas inHow to Look At Everything by David Finn & The Zen of Photography: How to Take Pictures With Your Mind's Camera by Paul Lester were profound. Everything is connected. We're all connected, that there is no us against them. We can do better in life, if we stop, listen and experience the moment. There is truth to the adage that we should stop and smell the roses.

How will you practice the art of seeing in a 24/7 world?

The most accomplished people use books as problem solving tools. They carve out the time in their schedule to find solutions in the pages of a book. Let me help you to solve your own problems. Additionally, this program helps you to learn valuable career skills. Click the link MoreReads: Blueprint to Change the World to buy.

If someone clicks on a link and buy something from Amazon, the company will pay me a small commission. UPDATE: This post was first published in August 2009

 How to Look At Everything The Zen of Photography Zen and the Magic of Photography The Soul of the Camera The Essence of Photography