Before I start

Submitted by Zsolo

Question:

Dear Andy and Michael, I'm so greatful for this book. Thank you so much! For me in Hungary (as André Kertész :) ) is a little bit difficult to get to a miksang workshop. So far I've been learning from the site and from the net. But now I can start working on this on a much deeper level. Really greatful for publishing! I think with this you gave the opportunity to a much wider public!!! But before I really start the assignments, I have a couple questions (this is so great opportunity also!) - I noticed that you didn't give titles to the pictures in the book, and here you have to. Why is that so? - When I read the colour assignment first I thought that I should declare at the beginning which colour I'm looking after. But I think I misunderstood. Or is that an idea also? - Is it important to take the assignments in order along with book? And my most important question is: - As I undersand the goal is to notice the flash of perceptions and to be with it. The assignments focus on one or the other quality of these flashes. But what if I for instance go out and take on the colour assignment and during that time a flash comes that is rather belong to another assignment: space. I notice something clear space. Should I ignore this and move on as I'm out to shoot colour right now, or should I take a break and focus on that aspect of flashes also? Maybe at the beginning I should rather stick with the given assignment? Thank you dearly your answers! Zsoló

Answer:

Hi Zsoló,
Thanks for your generous message. We're delight that the Practice of Contemplative Photography is hitting its mark!
For techinical reasons, we needed to have people put titles on their pictures on the site, so that they could be identified. We sometimes need to put discriptive titles on our own work, for the same reason, but titles often seem to give an unnecessary conceptual twist to images, and we prefer to let the images do the communicating on their own.
When you are doing the color assignment, you don't need to look for particular colors. Whatever color provokes the flash is just fine. Likewise, when you are doing an assignment, and you have a strong flash of perception that is not related to the assignment, go with the flash; do the visual discernment; then form the equivalent. The purpose of the assignments is to give people reference points to provoke flashes of perception.
Having said that, try to be faithful to the assignments when you are setting out. If your intention is vague when you are training, your seeing will probably also be vague.
—Andy

Comments

Submitted by Zsolo on May 18, 2012 - 1:00pm.

Thank you, Andy for your answer.

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