water dreaming

water dreaming, originally uploaded by z e n.

I take a lot of photos. I take photos of what my friends consider nothing - less than trivial - scraps of paper, overpainted staples in bulletin boards, blades of grass, places where something was rather than where it is is now. I'm pretty methodical about it, too. I see something, approach it as mindfully and mindlessly as possible (giving up thought, but keeping as much of the ethics and respect for it to be my equal). It's my process and it's just how i 'work.' Mostly.

Several days ago at the French Broad park on Amboy, i was just standing on the bank, camera in hand as usual, and not really processing anything. A moment of moving meditation that i only noticed later i was looking at these leaves, this water, this reflection. The dog yanked on the leash and i moved away. A bit refreshed.

Only at home did i notice that i had actually taken a picture where i stood. And only one. Usually, i work a subject - moving in like i'm hunting image - stalking light and darkness - taking photos all the while, composing, recomposing, cropping, adjusting the light balance, etc. But i don't even remember taking this photo. Not a bit. And it was glaringly solitary in the digital contact sheet. In fact i had to think about my trip to the dog park to try and place where this shot was - as if i stumbled and my camera went off accidently. But i took the shot alright. It was an awesome/awe-full moment when the universe for me took a breath and i noticed nothing at all was happening.

In a way it feels like for a moment, the process reversed and the image or the world or something took a picture of my thoughts thinking. Or of me being wonderfully nothing.