A contemplative practice is any act, habitually entered into with your whole heart, as a way of awakening, deepening, and sustaining a contemplative experience of the inherent holiness of the present moment.
James Finley
His quote opens up a lot of possibilities in living a spiritual journey but also apply to photography. I have a daily contemplative practice of prayer and meditation. When I skip them, cut them short, my day is off. I miss things, out of sorts, quick to anger, restless, wandering in my thoughts, judgemental and more. My daily contemplative practice keeps me centered in living life, what I call the present moment.
In my photography his definition of a contemplative practice does two things for me. One is that I gain experience in my craft, where practice helps me become more adept at using my gear. Secondly, it provides me the opportunity to be in the present moment where I’m able to see the dragonfly, or the baby cottontail hiding under a bush, or hear the chickadee sing, or notice the light beam striking a rose or the orange sunset beaming light over the Front Range. I believe a contemplative practice allows me to receive the gifts of nature for my photography as well as in my spiritual journey. I like being in the holiness of the present moment. Now coffee!
In this image you can see the meadow beginning to green up, as are the two pastures on either side of me. 