Perspective Shapes Reality
As a photographer, I can’t help but recognize how our perception and our perspective shape our reality. For instance, if you wake up in the morning and you have negative thoughts, and you consume your morning routine with this dwelling sensation that you’re isolated, alone, it’s you against the world, you will feel defeated and depressed. If you wake up in the morning and feel grateful for the day, you’re eager to watch the sunrise, you’re thankful that you have food in your fridge and the ability to walk for another day, your perspective will change, and you will inevitably feel joy. While I recognize this internal perception that shapes my reality, I believe the way that we look at the external world on the physical front is also important to consider.
The Drama of the Sky
One fun exercise I like to do is to zoom in to the smallest atom and cell within my body, to recognize the heart that’s pumping, the blood that’s rushing through my veins, and then zoom out from a third-person perspective, looking down like I’m an eagle in flight, recognizing that I’m a small speck in the universe. Zooming out to the sun, the stars, the galaxy as a whole provides a humbling and awe-inspiring view of existence.
“When I’m walking with my camera, I make sure to not only perceive the world from the level of my eyes. However, I like to perceive the world from the perspective of a child.”
A child is filled with wonder and excitement for the day. A child looks down low and picks up a leaf and wonders, what is this? A child explores in a park and looks up at the sky and dwells on the clouds and the shapes that form, in wonder and awe. When I make photographs, I make sure to scan all of the details around me. I make sure to utilize my head on a swivel, and to rotate it to the left, to the right, up, down, and look behind me. I appreciate visiting elevated spaces that allow me to look out to the horizon with a Panopticon view because of this very fact that I can perceive all the directions around me.
“Don’t just view the world from your eye, look above and below.”
A Fun Idea for Your Photography
A fun idea for your photography practice is:
- Always carry a camera with you that has the capability of making macro photos.
- Get down low on your knees, and photograph the small details that you typically walk over.
- At the same time, look up high in the sky and watch as the sun shines and the clouds break above the horizon.
- Photograph as much as you do at eye level, as much as you do by looking below and above your head.
There’s a drama in the sky, and the photographs you make of the clouds and the light will be sublime.