I step outside, camera in hand.  Walking, starting to look about - around.  An initially restless I've lost it shoots through my discursive mind as I hunt for a shot. Slow, I say, seeing my impatience. 

In an attempt to break my mind's chatter I do start to slow and give other senses their place, feeling the warmth and breeze on my skin - the shifting pressure through my foot as I step. I start to experience quiet and can feel the gradual shift from hunting to experiencing.

An object catches my eye, it's been photographed before my mind says. Here is judgment. I walk away.

Again, I am caught by a visual hit. I approach and start to frame, and then recompose to make it more interesting. Here is manipulation. I walk away.

I am struck by the play of light and color on an object. Clouds momentarily intervene. As I wait for the clouds GIVE back MY shot back I feel excitement rise. What will it be to show this shot to others. Will they admire me?  Will they love me? Here is a cognitive-emotional mess.  I walk away.

Now I am moving slowly -- seeing -- the visual world starting to appear as though through the eyes of a beginner. No objective, just experiencing.  Suddenly my mind is stopped by a strong "visual" experience, which in turn stops my body.  In that gap, before I analyze, before I label the emotional experience...

Imagine you are standing in a room with your eyes closed. Now spin around. Open your eyes quickly.  In that first disoriented instant as the visual phenomenal world rushes in, before your mind labels the objects, applies it's filters. That's the moment.

I linger for just a moment.  I attempt to let the "ness", tree-ness, place-ness, come in without letting my mind work it.  I frame...

Click.

 -   There it is.  I walk away...

 Wayne Williams

I'd like to thank my teacher, Michael Wood, who introduced me to the practice of Miksang which is the application of Buddhist teachings to the art of photography. His work, which is quite beautiful, can be found here.