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Q&A With the Authors

We would love to hear from you. Please post your questions about contemplative photography, comments about the book, or other observations about contemplative mind and life. We will do our best to respond to whatever you post. (Please keep in mind that we are running as fast as we can, and may not get to this as soon we would like.)

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Recent Questions and Answers:

Naming the images

Submitted by Christiane
Question: 

Hello from Vienna, Austria, I would like to ask you about your view on naming the images. To me it is difficult, because as soon as I start thinking about a name, I get a feeling as if I would try to influence the way the viewer looks at the picture. Somehow that feels "off" to me. Would love to hear your thoughts on that. Besides that, I would like to tell you, that my journey with Miksang started with your book and it has been one of the most rewarding and enriching journeys of my life. After meeting Arawana Hayashi, learning from her and working with her, no wonder your book found me (though I didn't know there was even a personal connection until much later). When I started to practice Miksang it was like coming home. Thank you! All the best, Christiane

Answer: 

It does feel like naming the pictures adds something unnecessary to the experience, but they do need to be identifiable for various reasons. One strategy is to just use the location and date as a name, or some such identifier.
 
Thanks a lot for writing about your contemplative photography journey. It's great that you've found such value in the practice.

Copyright

Submitted by StuartFphotography
Question: 

I assume copyright remains with the original photographer when posted to this site?

Answer: 

Yes it does.

The Book

“This is not your usual ‘how to be a better photographer’ book. It takes you into deeper water. It requires investigation and commitment to areas new to you. Among other things, you will think about perception in new ways. If you read this book with care, and without skepticism, it will radically expand your thinking, seeing, and photography.”

—Jay Maisel, photographer
and author of Light on America