I’ve had the 5x4 camera now for just over a week and already it is proving to be influential. I enjoy the way of working at a slower pace than usual, there is no quick fire and speed with this camera, everything has to be meticulous and methodical. This then means every photograph has to be thought about and planned before being taken. I had forgotten about this way of working and it’s becoming invigorating finding this again.

The other part of this, which is also good, is the need to be working on your own. As it becomes so absorbing to take a photograph having another person there becomes a distraction and detracts from the solitude. With this in mind it lends itself to be something that can enable and encourage solitude instead of distracting.

Having this sense of solitude is important and there are ways that I am exploring which can enhance this. I read a book recommended by my tutor by Pico Iyer The Art of Stillness, which explores the positive attributes of meditation. I also found a video online where he discusses the book, https://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_the_art_of_stillness?language=en#t-161758

But it has also got me thinking just how much I use technology and the Internet. One point, which is raised in the book and also the film, is the need for a break from technology, primarily the Internet. He discusses how various people, notably the people who have created important aspects of the Internet, find the need to have a regular break. With this in mind, I am going to try the same. So once a week I am going to unplug and not use the Internet or turn on my computer.

Also meditation is something which I used to practice a few years ago but stopped because of time pressures and so on. But as I now do have time I can explore this more fully again and I’ve decided to start the practicing meditation again. So far it’s been a couple of days and I do feel a bit calmer and my frame of mind has improved, but I also feel very tired as I’ve been getting up really early to do it!

I’ve also been reading Photography by Stephen Bull. This is a very well written book that has been put together quite beautifully and the points he raises are very insightful. He mentions a lot about the indexicality of photography and how this is reflected in the different genres such as fashion or advertising. Overall it seems a very steady book but is not one that I would rave and enthuse about. It’s a case of some writers speak more to me than others and Stephen Bull, even though it is very insightful, just hasn’t inspired. Maybe I’m missing the point but so far it hasn’t really connected. Next up is The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin, something that I am looking forward to as this book inspired Andy Warhol and was a major influence.