PHOTOGRAPHY 

Is it just a snapshot or could it be a path to a deeper vision? Do photographs tell stories? Have you ever been inspired by a photograph? Is there really something called contemplative photography? Can photographs help us meditate on mysteries? 

Join Claire, on Sunday, October 2^nd, as she speaks about how photography helped her reframe her perspective and showed her a path of discovery. Time permitting…you may tell us about a special photograph that has offered you inspiration and made you pause in thanks. 

Claire is an amateur photographer  

I would like to invite all of you to come on an imaginary journey with me.  

Oh, you might wonder, where will we be going?  

The short answer we are going to go on a trip that is not made up not of miles, but of photographs. 

Huh? 

Say what? 

Yes, you heard me right. I said we are going on a journey of and into photography.  

My path into photography all started because I was sooo bored. 

And worse than that, I didn’t have money to spend on expensive answers to boredom.   

We don’t often think of boredom as a gift but let me tell you that it might not be fun, but sometimes boredom can be a big motivator. For instance, when my students would complain that they were bored in class, I would tell them “That is a wonderful thing.” and I would clap my hands in delight. I would explain that was when we might begin to think of ways to engage in something new. 

So, as I was saying, I was bored. I was so bored that I looked through the Ann Arbor Observer’s calendar of upcoming events for the summer of 1997. I mentioned before that I did not have much money as a single mom…well, that meant I was looking for free events.  I found one that would fit into my schedule. It was a lecture on macro photography at Big George’s appliance store in Ann Arbor.  

Ok. I liked photography. I marked the event on my calendar. Oh…did I know what macro photography was? No. Not at all, but it was a free event, it would be interesting, and I might meet some new folks. 

There are moments that you do not realize -at the time you are in them- that they will be pivotal. You might not connect dots to that thought until a few years down the road.  

The speaker explained that Macro Photography is taking a photo of something small and making it the subject of your photo. Think ladybug, dew drops, a blade of grass…you get the gist. Think about viewing the world by just one square foot or inch at a time. The world just got bigger…right? 

No surprise, the speaker then told us what we could buy at the store -a macro photo lens. They were expensive. I wasn’t about to use all of my savings until…until…until…the speaker said that if you started taking macro photos your own backyard would in a sense be as big as the entire Detroit Zoo in terms of how many sights you would be able to see through your lens.  

I didn’t have the money just then to buy the macro lens, but I saved and saved and finally I did buy it and no regrets. I did find that my back yard was huge now and the botanical gardens were like a whole big universe for discovery. I got good…maybe not excellent…but very good at taking macro nature photos. 

Over the years, I put away the macro lens and just started taking photos with my cell phone or a point and shoot digital camera. 

I had figured out by now that all of the photos were offering me unique perspectives on myself and the world. When I looked over the photos I had taken, I started to meditate on the mysteries and beauty of my surroundings. 

#19  

#1 – The smile and take a photo with your hands/ mind 

  Good morning. Well, this is a talk on photography and photos, so I encourage anyone who is so inclined to SMILE.  

This talk is not going to be about the details of photography, even though that does sound interesting to me.  

A generous portion of the talk this morning will be about using photography as a way of seeing gifts along the way of life.  

To help us, let’s play a game now. I would ask those who would like to participate to either hold up an imaginary camera or simply take a photo using your mind and power of memory.  

In a minute, we will all take a photo at the same time as each other. When you are finished taking your imaginary photo, pause for a moment in gratitude. You might even bow to your subject, outwardly or inwardly. Bless it –bless the thing that captured your attention and gave you pause.  

Let’s hold up our mind cameras whether you are here in person or on Zoom or Facebook. Find something in your surroundings to frame in your pretend lens for a pretend photo.  

Your new shoes, the art on the wall, your friends or family, your view from the window. I promise playing make believe can be quite entertaining.  

We only have a minute for this experiment, I will start by taking a photo my photo first. Smile, I am pointing my camera at all of you to help me remember in my mind this day. So smile, and let’s go! Now, your turn. Go ahead take a photo NOW and have fun. 

What did you take a photograph of? You can all say it out loud at the same time if you feel inclined. Let’s go… 

Wonderful. And now is a good time to ask you for a favor. At the end of today’s talk, I would like to make a change in format. Instead of giving me feedback on my talk, I would like to ask anyone who is inclined to tell us about any photo from their life that is extremely memorable. Just a few brief words about a photo you own or that you have taken. A photo of a loved one, the family portrait, a nature photograph, a cityscape photo, a photo of your car, your kitten, or your hobby. Just start thinking about a photo that your mind has archived and saved as being meaningful. 

Before I get too much further along in this morning’s talk, I am going to tell you about how I became interested in photography.  

                     Boredom/ No money/ My Big George’s story 

Part 2: 

So many people are taking photos every day. We see photos every day.  

So, why would something this common be important to me?  

Why might it be important to you? 

Maybe the answer is that for some people, that this common practice of taking photos actually has helped them connect with others, with the flora and fauna on the path they take, of a divine presence when they pause to take a photo of the heron lifting to flight, or when they study the love seen on the faces of their loved ones.  

Maybe there is something that is spiritual in this practice? 

Part 3:  

In our Friday zoom social hour, I asked everyone what they thought about me giving you some pop quiz during my talk. The incredibly fun and witty Al told me he thought that would be fine. I liked that answer.  

The quiz is only for your benefit.  Your answers will not be graded, spoken aloud, or even shared.  

I am simply going to ask you guided questions so that as a team we will lay the groundwork together for coming to the point of this morning’s talk. My hope is that each question will help you access your photo memories and how they have guided you. 

My idea is that we each have different answers and that is part of what I hope to express this morning.  

We have different answers.  

I have personally asked myself all these questions while doing my junk journaling so it was easy for me to write them down. 

I will go through the thought provoking questions quickly because I have so many questions to ask. Let your mind just drift where it may as you try to think about answers that work for you. 

#1) Can you think of a photograph that you have viewed with utter amazement?  

Have you felt elated when you find a bird’s nest or a wildflower that you can photograph?  

Have you marveled at a photo in National Geographic or a photo taken by a family member or friend? 

#2) In life, we sometimes must reframe our thinking. As a photographer, you must choose the subject of our photo and frame it for the lens.  

Have you ever taken the time before pushing the shutter button to think about what the photo will look like? About what story you want the photo to tell? 

#3) Have you ever slowed down to take a photo?  

Have you ever fallen behind the rest of the group because you wanted to capture a particular photo?  

Is there a lesson in slowing down- pausing- and truly focusing in on the moment?  

Also, have you ever knelt down in order to better take a photo of your subject?  

#4) Did you ever see a photograph that you wanted to share with someone else because it was so inspiring or uplifting?  

The sunrise over the river, the railroad tracks at dawn, the newborn baby, the goofy look on your dog’s face?  

Have you sent or posted a photo because you wanted to share with others that joy and feeling of being uplifted?  

Have you ever longed for a way to say thank you?  

Did you photo document a vacation so you could share your experiences with others. Have you photographed your plate with a sumptuous dinner? 

#5) Did you ever use a photo to help you contemplate or meditate? What comes to mind? A lotus blossom, a rainbow, a waterfall, a snowflake, your cup of hot tea? The cover of a good book you are reading? 

#6) When you study a meaningful photo, can you view the world through the eyes of the divine and see the extra-ordinary in the ordinary?  

Has viewing photography helped you fall more in love with creation?  

Have you ever made a simple walk into your big adventure because you have a camera?  

Have you ever thought that what you are doing right now is enough?  

Do you believe that with no photographic training but just by taking photos you can be a mystic? 

#7) Do you want to be a seeker? Do you want to learn and discover? 

 Has photography helped you do that and how?  

How has looking at photographs that were shared with you by others helped you catch a glimpse into what inspires and drives the person who took the photo? Like, why am did Tom post 17 photos with views of his kayak trip up north? 

#8) Has a photograph ever called you to action?  

How did seeing a photo of an injustice help you move to visioning yourself trying to be a part of the solution? 

Have you experienced tremendous compassion when looking at a photograph? Have you ever cried for mercy or help because of a photograph? 

#9) Have you ever stopped to caption one of your photos?  

Did it make you feel clever or humorous?  

Did you think your words added to your photos?  

Would words alone really express the entire story of the photo?   

If I captioned a picture of a solitary tree in a field using the words “Standing sentry” would that be a new way for you to see that tree? 

What if a photo of tree was captioned: Artist: God. 

#10) Do you think it possible that a photo can stretch your imagination?  

What do you think about as you stare lovingly into photographs of your dear ones? 

#11) Do you think that you would only feel spiritual inspiration by looking at or taking purely religious photos? Stained glass windows? Monks praying? A sanctuary or temple? Or…do you think you could find spiritual inspiration just as easily in the photo of an unusual cloud or a photo of the trail you are hiking? 

#12) Can taking a photo help the photographer see things in a new way? Do the lines on the leaf look like a tiny aerial map of streets?  

#13) Do you think that a photographer is only trying to get noticed by other people? Or could you believe that a photographer is trying to help tell the story of others?  

#14) Do you think you can almost feel the energy flowing from certain photographs?  

Does the world entertain you? 

#15) Can photography be a way to express our artistic natures? 

#16) Could a photographer potentially see something mysterious in the tiny world of macro photography? And could a photograph like that touch someone deeply in amazement? 

#17 Are you an outliner or a detailer? Are you both? Outliners might look at the general focus whereas detailers look at the details. 

#18) Did you ever want to make your garden last through the summer and decided the best way to do that was to photograph it? Before you recycled your children’s artwork have you ever photographed it? Are photographs some of the most precious keepsakes we can own? 

Part 4- My top 14 conclusions 

That was quite a list of questions and I hope that they helped you start to think about all the ways that photography and the visual arts can build a strong connection between you and the world and bolster your spiritual nature. 

I hope your unspoken answers have begun to form the basis of this very talk. In my teaser about what today’s talk would be about, I wrote that photographs could help us meditate on mysteries. Probably your own answers to my questions would affirm that. 

When writing my description of what this talk that was to be used on our website as a description, I wrote and I quote: Is it just a snapshot or could it be a path to a deeper vision? Do photographs tell stories? Have you ever been inspired by a photograph? Is there really something called contemplative photography? 

I think that we might be arriving at the answer being YES to those questions. And, I think there are many who will, upon reflection, state that indeed photography can be contemplative or meditative. 

Now, I am going to share some of my observations about this topic so that you can see why there is so much that photography has offered me and can offer to all of us.  

#1) People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Guess what? We are the beholders! Knowing that I am the beholder empowers me to find beauty in many places and ways.  

Also, I understand that nature is perfect at being sometimes imperfect and I let that message speak to me as I allow myself to accept my perceived flaws and imperfections more gracefully. 

#2) I am a planner. I plan everything and I always make daily assignments for myself. Photography is helping me learn that I do not always need to plan. I can let there be surprises. 

 I am learning that each moment is unrepeatable. I have learned that the world is full of magical things. I have learned to stop and just say out loud, “oh” when I see the sun rise over the river. 

#3) I honor that the vision is mine when I decide to take a photo. It is not my sister’s, my friend’s, but my vision and other people can see that.  

How very humbling and beautiful. This most humbling of all thoughts came to me one day…that in all things of nature there is also something of me. 

#4) I have learned to see things with fresh eyes. I pretend sometimes that the rose I am looking at is the 1^st one I have ever seen. This practice takes me to a great calm and a memory of my curious self. 

#5) One of the ways photography is meditative is because I am pausing to let quiet thoughts and reflections flow through me. It is a gift of love to anyone who wishes to receive it. 

#6) It is a way for us to practice the art of paying attention to our now. 

#7) I believe that sharing our photos is a way to be generous. I think that photography has helped me understand that the little things are not little. 

#8) We ask folks to smile for their photo. I believe that is because we all profit from those smiles! They are a type of peace offering. 

#9) Sometimes my photo is pretty bad…if you are a perfectionist, this can be very troubling until you think about another gift that taking a lot of photos teaches you. That you can laugh. You can belly laugh at the selfie with the double chin on view or the photo of your dog that looks like just a blurred smear of motion or their nose pressed against the camera lens. You can laugh!  

Trust me, my worst photos crack me up! I took a photo at Matthei Botanical Gardens while on a walk with my friend Heidi. The photo ended up being just a motion blurred picture of the path. I love this poorly captured photo because what I was getting close to that my friend Heidi saved me from was bending down to better photograph what turned out to be a rattlesnake. 

#10) Photography can be healing or help us with our tender egos. Story of Oprah. 

#11) Connect with your younger self’s limitless imagination – ask a million questions. 

#12) Own your own paths to creativity – Creativity is not the lottery that someone else one. We all can use our powers of creativity. 

#13) Ann Patchett: “Never be so focused on you’re looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find.” 

#14) I have learned that the past cannot be different, but we can learn how to find acceptance and move on. That wherever we are is our entry point to today, now and tomorrow. 

#15) My photographs also collect moments of dreams and discovery. They give me a chance to give a great big embrace to all that I see. 

Part 5- The end of my talk 

Every picture tells a story. I hope that some of the questions I asked you today and some of my conclusions about photography have helped you want to tell more stories. I hope it makes you want to breathe in life with reverence. 

Some people tell me they are not creative and so photography isn’t an interest to them. I hope that someday we stop looking at creativity as a lottery that someone else won. I hope everyone can see by nature we are creative. (My humble opinion) 

I honor that so much joy in my life has come from the visual arts. From studying paintings, illustrations, and yes…photographs. In fact, I have experienced so much joy from art that I feel like it is worthy of a grand party! A joy party! And, the thing about joy is that it often comes as a complete surprise. So, in closing, let me just say…. I am glad we are planning a big anniversary party at the Interfaith Center. What a lovely thing to do! 

I believe that looking at photos, sharing photos and taking photos can help us along a path to love. They are a way to say stop and rest here in this beauty that surrounds me. They are a reminder to be curious enough to notice that the divine is here…or for those who are atheists a time to just see goodness. 

When I am actively looking and noticing things along my life path, I become more receptive to each moment. I become more still inside. I notice. I take my time. Then I take a photo.  

Some things in life are so mundane…think chopping carrots here. By opening our senses, we can see the sacred beauty of the mundane. Just an old leaf, the petunia growing up in the crack of the sidewalk. Any simple thing becomes something to stop and savor. 

When you look at a photo or take a photo. I encourage you to do this practice in gratitude. Perhaps you might want to talk to your subject and bow to the tree with the gnarled bark while you mouth the words thank you. Bless the things of our photos and then continue our day while noticing all the while. 

I encourage you to feel inspired and to find a way that your photo can tell why something or someone captured your attention. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words – I think it is many more words than that. 

And so it is! 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Is it just a snapshot or could it be a path to a deeper vision? Do photographs tell stories? Have you ever been inspired by a photograph? Is there really something called contemplative photography? Can photographs help us meditate on mysteries? 

Join Claire, on Sunday, October 2^nd, as she speaks about how photography helped her reframe her perspective and showed her a path of discovery. Time permitting…you may tell us about a special photograph that has offered you inspiration and made you pause in thanks. 

Claire is an amateur photographer  

I would like to invite all of you to come on an imaginary journey with me.  

Oh, you might wonder, where will we be going?  

The short answer we are going to go on a trip that is not made up not of miles, but of photographs. 

Huh? 

Say what? 

Yes, you heard me right. I said we are going on a journey of and into photography.  

My path into photography all started because I was sooo bored. 

And worse than that, I didn’t have money to spend on expensive answers to boredom.   

We don’t often think of boredom as a gift but let me tell you that it might not be fun, but sometimes boredom can be a big motivator. For instance, when my students would complain that they were bored in class, I would tell them “That is a wonderful thing.” and I would clap my hands in delight. I would explain that was when we might begin to think of ways to engage in something new. 

So, as I was saying, I was bored. I was so bored that I looked through the Ann Arbor Observer’s calendar of upcoming events for the summer of 1997. I mentioned before that I did not have much money as a single mom…well, that meant I was looking for free events.  I found one that would fit into my schedule. It was a lecture on macro photography at Big George’s appliance store in Ann Arbor.  

Ok. I liked photography. I marked the event on my calendar. Oh…did I know what macro photography was? No. Not at all, but it was a free event, it would be interesting, and I might meet some new folks. 

There are moments that you do not realize -at the time you are in them- that they will be pivotal. You might not connect dots to that thought until a few years down the road.  

The speaker explained that Macro Photography is taking a photo of something small and making it the subject of your photo. Think ladybug, dew drops, a blade of grass…you get the gist. Think about viewing the world by just one square foot or inch at a time. The world just got bigger…right? 

No surprise, the speaker then told us what we could buy at the store -a macro photo lens. They were expensive. I wasn’t about to use all of my savings until…until…until…the speaker said that if you started taking macro photos your own backyard would in a sense be as big as the entire Detroit Zoo in terms of how many sights you would be able to see through your lens.  

I didn’t have the money just then to buy the macro lens, but I saved and saved and finally I did buy it and no regrets. I did find that my back yard was huge now and the botanical gardens were like a whole big universe for discovery. I got good…maybe not excellent…but very good at taking macro nature photos. 

Over the years, I put away the macro lens and just started taking photos with my cell phone or a point and shoot digital camera. 

I had figured out by now that all of the photos were offering me unique perspectives on myself and the world. When I looked over the photos I had taken, I started to meditate on the mysteries and beauty of my surroundings. 

#19  

#1 – The smile and take a photo with your hands/ mind 

  Good morning. Well, this is a talk on photography and photos, so I encourage anyone who is so inclined to SMILE.  

This talk is not going to be about the details of photography, even though that does sound interesting to me.  

A generous portion of the talk this morning will be about using photography as a way of seeing gifts along the way of life.  

To help us, let’s play a game now. Even though most of us have real cameras with us right now on our cell phones, I would ask those who would like to participate to either hold up an imaginary camera or simply take a photo using your mind.  

I am asking us all to take a photo at the same time as each other. When you are finished, pause again in gratitude. You might bow to your subject, outwardly or inwardly. Bless it –bless the thing that captured your attention and gave you pause. How? 

Let’s hold up our mind cameras whether you are here in person or on Zoom or Facebook. Find something in your surroundings to frame for a pretend photo. Your new shoes, the art on the wall, your friends or family, your view from the window. Go ahead and have fun. I promise playing make believe can be quite entertaining.  

We only have a minute for this experiment, I will start by taking a photo of something I want to remember about today. I am going to take a photo with my pretend camera of you! So smile, and let’s go! Now, your turn. 

What did you take a photograph of? You can all say it out loud at the same time if you feel inclined. Let’s go… 

Wonderful. And now is a good time to ask you for a favor. At the end of today’s talk, instead of giving me feedback on my talk, I would like to ask anyone who is inclined to tell us about any photo from their life that is extremely memorable. Just a few brief words about a photo you own or that you have taken. A photo of a loved one, the family portrait, a nature photograph, a cityscape photo, a photo of your car or your hobby. Just start thinking about a photo that your mind has archived and saved as being meaningful. 

Before I get too much further along in this morning’s talk, I am going to tell you about how I became interested in photography.  

                     Boredom/ No money/ My Big George’s story 

Part 2: 

So many people are taking photos every day. We see photos every day. So, why would something this common be important to me? Why might it be important to you? 

Maybe the answer is that for some people, that this common practice of taking photos actually has helped them connect with others, with the flora and fauna on the path they take, of a divine presence when they pause to take a photo of the heron lifting to flight, or when they study the love seen on the faces of their loved ones. Maybe there is something that is spiritual in this practice? 

Part 3:  

In our Friday zoom social hour, I asked everyone what they thought about me giving you some pop quiz during my talk. The incredibly fun and witty Al told me he thought it would be fine. I liked that answer. The quiz is only for your benefit.  Your answers will not be graded, spoken aloud, or even shared. I am simply going to ask you questions so we can do team work to help come to the point of this morning’s talk. I have personally asked myself all these questions so it was easy for me to write them down. 

I will go through the thought provoking questions quickly because I have so many questions to ask. Let your mind just drift where it may as you try to think about answers that work for you. 

#1) Can you think of a photograph that you have viewed with utter amazement? Have you felt elated when you find a bird’s nest or a wildflower to photograph? Have you marveled at a photo in National Geographic? 

#2) In life, we sometimes must reframe our thinking. Taking a photo helps us to learn what we want the to be the subject of our photo. Have you ever taken the time before pushing the shutter button to think about what the photo will look like? 

#3) Have you ever slowed down to take a photo? Have you ever fallen behind the rest of the group because you wanted to capture a particular photo? Is there a lesson in slowing down- pausing- and truly focusing in on the moment? Also, have you ever knelt down in order to better take a photo of your subject?  

#4) Did you ever see a photograph that you wanted to share with someone else because it was so inspiring or uplifting? The sunrise over the river, the railroad tracks at dawn, the newborn baby, the goofy look on your dog’s face? Have you sent or posted a photo because you wanted to share with others that joy and feeling of being uplifted? Have you ever longed for a way to say thank you? Did you photo document a vacation so you could share your experiences with others. Have you photographed your plate with a sumptuous dinner? 

#5) Did you ever use a photo to help you contemplate or meditate? What comes to mind? A lotus blossom, a rainbow, a waterfall, a snowflake, your cup of hot tea? The good book you are reading? 

#6) When you study a meaningful photo, can you view the world through the eyes of the divine and see the extra-ordinary in the ordinary? Have you fallen more in love with creation? Have you ever made a simple walk into your big adventure? Have you ever thought that what you are doing right now is enough? Do you believe that with no photographic training but just by taking photos you can be a mystic? 

#7) Do you want to be a seeker? Do you want to learn and discover? Has photography helped you do that and how? Has looking at photographs that were shared with you by others have you caught a glimpse into what inspires and drives them? 

#8) Has a photograph ever called you to action? How did seeing a photo of an injustice help you move to visioning yourself trying to be a part of the solution? 

#9) Have you ever stopped to caption one of your photos? Did it make you feel clever or humorous? Did you think your words added to your photos? Would your words alone really express the entire story of the photo?  If I captioned a solitary tree in a field using the words “Standing sentry” would that be a new way for you to actually see that tree? 

#10) Do you think it possible that a photo can stretch your imagination? What do you think about as you stare lovingly into photographs of your dear ones? 

#11) Do you think that you would only feel spiritual inspiration by purely religious photos? Stained glass windows? Monks praying? A sanctuary or temple? Or…do you think you could find inspiration in the photo of an unusual cloud or a photo of the trail you are hiking? 

#12) Can taking a photo help the photographer see things in a new way? Do the lines on the leaf look like a tiny aerial map of streets?  

#13) Do you think that a photographer is only trying to get noticed by other people? Or could you believe that a photographer is trying to help tell the story of others?  

#14) Do you think you can almost feel the energy flowing from certain photographs? Does the world entertain you? 

#15) Can photography be a way to express our artistic natures? 

#16) Could a photographer potentially see something mysterious in the tiny world of macro photography? And could a photograph like that touch someone deeply in amazement? 

#17 Are you an outliner or a detailer? Are you both? Outliners might look at the general focus whereas detailers look at the details. 

#18) Did you ever want to make your garden last through the summer and decided the best way to do that was to photograph it? Before you recycled your children’s artwork have you ever photographed it? Are photographs some of the most precious keepsakes we can own? 

#19)  

Part 4- My top 14 conclusions 

That was quite a list of questions and I hope that they helped you start to think about all the ways that photography and the visual arts can build a strong connection between you and the world and bolster your spiritual nature.  

Now, I am going to share some of my observations about this topic so that you can see why there is so much that photography has offered me and can offer to all of us.  

#1) People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Guess what? We are the beholders! Knowing that I am the beholder empowers me to find beauty in many places and ways. Also, I understand that nature is perfect at being sometimes imperfect and I let that message speak to me as I allow myself to accept my perceived flaws and imperfections more gracefully. 

#2) I am a planner. I plan everything and I always make daily assignments for myself. Photography is helping me learn that I do not always need to plan. I can let there be surprises. I am learning that each moment is unrepeatable. I have learned that the world is full of magical things. I have learned to stop and just say, “oh” when I see the sun rise over the river. 

#3) I honor that the vision is mine when I decide to take a photo. It is not my sister’s, my friend’s, but my vision and other people can see that. How very humbling and beautiful. This most humbling of all thoughts came to me one day…that in all things of nature there is also something of me. 

#4) I have learned to see things with fresh eyes. I pretend sometimes that the rose I am looking at is the 1^st one I have ever seen. This practice takes me to a great calm and a memory of my curious self. 

#5) One of the ways photography is meditative is because I am pausing to let quiet thoughts and reflections flow through me. It is a gift of love to anyone who wishes to receive it. 

#6) It is a way for us to practice the art of paying attention to our now. 

#7) I believe that sharing our photos is a way to be generous. I think the waves that we give the other people on our path or sidewalk offers peace. I think that photography has helped me understand that the little things are not little. 

#8) We ask folks to smile for the photo. I believe that is because we all profit from those smiles! They are a type of peace offering. 

#9) Sometimes my photo is actually pretty bad…if you are a perfectionist, this can be very troubling until you think about another gift that taking a lot of photos teaches you. That you can laugh. You can belly laugh at the selfie with the double chin on view or the photo of your dog that looks like just a blurred smear of motion or their nose pressed against the camera lens. You can laugh! Trust me, my worst photos crack me up! I took a photo at Matthei Botanical Gardens while on a walk with my friend Heidi. I have a picture of dirt that is all blurry. I love this poorly captured photo because what I was getting close to that my friend Heidi saved me from was bending down to better photograph what turned out to be a rattlesnake. 

#10) Photography can be healing or help us with our tender egos. Story of Oprah. 

#11) Connect with your younger self’s limitless imagination – ask a million questions. 

#12) Own your own paths to creativity – Creativity is not the lottery that someone else one. We all can use our powers of creativity. 

#13) Ann Patchett: “Never be so focused on you’re looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find.” 

#14) My photographs also collect moments of dreams and discovery. They give me a chance to give a great big embrace to all that I see. 

Part 5- The end of my talk 

Every picture tells a story. I hope that some of the questions I asked you today and some of my conclusions about photography have helped you want to tell more stories. I hope it makes you want to breathe in life with reverence. 

I honor that so much joy in my life has come from the visual arts. From studying paintings, illustrations, and yes…photographs. In fact, I have experienced so much joy from art that I feel like it is worthy of a grand party! A joy party! And, the thing about joy is that it often comes as a complete surprise. So, in closing, let me just say…. I am glad we are planning a big anniversary party at the Interfaith Center. What a lovely thing to do! 

I believe that looking at photos, sharing photos and taking photos can help us along a path to love. They are a way to say stop and rest here in this beauty that surrounds me. They are a reminder to be curious enough to notice that the divine is here…or for those who are atheists a time to just see goodness. 

When I am actively looking and noticing things along my life path, I become more receptive to each moment. I become more still inside. I notice. I take my time. Then I take a photo.  

Some things in life are so mundane…think chopping carrots here. By opening our senses, we can see the sacred beauty of the mundane. Just an old leaf, the petunia growing up in the crack of the sidewalk. Any simple thing becomes something to stop and savor. 

When you look at a photo or take a photo. I encourage you to do this practice in gratitude. Perhaps you might want to talk to your subject and bow to the tree with the gnarled bark while you mouth the words thank you. Bless the things of our photos and then continue our day while noticing all the while. 

I encourage you to feel inspired and to find a way that your photo can tell why something or someone captured your attention. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words – I think it is many more words than that. 

And so it is!