My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Do you have what it takes to explore what your life might look like if you made the change, made the art, or made the difference your heart is calling you to make, in full view of the risks (which might be very real or only perceived but form a terrifying barrier nonetheless) over which you’ll have to climb to find out?
David duChemin
I believe answering this question by taking action is life changing. Have a wonderful week!
I began journaling about 18 years ago. Not sure how I got started. I was in a confused place in life and maybe thought it would help me through it. I have used it ever since although not on a daily basis. It has become a way for me to reduce the chatter in my head, get a better view of myself and where I’m at. Yesterday was one of those days where I needed to write. Before I knew it I was headed out the door and ended up at a local coffee house. As I walked in the door they served up my usual, a decaffeinated mocha. I found a table on the west side of the patio and sat down. I brought along David DuChemin‘s book, Within the Frame, read from it for awhile. But my primary purpose was to write down my thoughts and feelings in my moleskin. As words found their way onto the pages, confusion and serenity began to settle in. Before I knew it I was enjoying a beautiful sunset and I felt so much better.
If your into knowing why we take the images we do and why the images have an impact on us then David duChemin’s book Within the Frame is an excellent read. It was one of those books where I made sure I had a pen ready to jot down little snippets of good information and underlined some really good stuff. He has some great images that are worth spending time studying to see what his vision is and how he presents that to us.
I like the fact he does not go into much technical details but really touches home with his emphasis on our vision and the emotion photography can create. His interest is in street portraiture. This interest in people goes deep and shows in his images. His writing has a spirituality tone mainly because of his spirituality, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed it. He also has a wonderful blog with some interesting writings that lead to even more interesting commentaries. I highly recommend this book. He also has a new book coming out soon called Vision Mongers: Making a Life and Living in Photography.
When his book arrived I headed to one of my coffee shops to sit outside and read. Isn’t that what all of you do with a new photography book? Anyway, I bumped the table and splashed a small amount of iced coffee on the book. 🙁 I quickly wiped things up and only messed up the edges of the book. As a suggestion, please don’t do the same, move the coffee farther away!
“Living in the moment is more than just a principle upheld by the enlightened, it’s solid photographic wisdom.” from Within the Frame by David duChemin