Transformational
imagery, life-changing symbols images healing pictures photos dreams Carl Jung,
psychology, art, transform, mitosis, spiritual growth,
transcendental images pictures photographs inspiration inspiring |
This
page is part of the
Living
Pictures online photo magazine
Healing
pictures and art
"Imagery is "superior to dreams in defeating the unconscious
and promoting maturation of analysis."
Carl Jung
"Even as a great fish swims along the two banks of a river,
first along the Eastern bank, and then the Western bank,
in the same way the Spirit of man moves along beside his two dwellings;
this waking world and the land of sleep and dreams."
Upanishads
"Occasionally a single image can be so powerful it becomes a permanent
embedded in our conscious memory.
It may even transform our awareness."
Photographer Paul Smyres
Photographic images have become an indispensable part of life in the modern
world. They permeate every part of culture, so much so that we often fail to realize
their effect on us. The people who produce these images are nearly invisible, in
many cases, since they are always behind the camera. Professional photographers are
often ignored, except in a few cases where both they and their work is glamourized.
"I
chose photography as a medium of expression for several reasons. First, it forces
one to focus on single moments, tiny fractions of a second. It's very
exhilarating because it requires an alert concentration and deep sense of
appreciation. In my work I seek primarily to present pure beauty, a reflection
of life as it is. Consequently, I rarely use any filter except a polarizer, unless
I'm shooting in black and white. I try to extract the beautiful and sublime
from ordinary scenes. I also look for odd juxtapositions of images that are real,
instead of being posed.
Secondly,
one photograph can say so much, for so long a time. Because we live in a visual age,
photography in all its forms is the medium preferred by the public, primarily because it
is instantaneous and transcends words. Occasionally a single image can be so
powerful it becomes a permanent part of our conscious memory. It may even transform
our awareness.
The
average person is bombarded daily with an immense amount of imagery, some of it horrible
or chaotic. Most of it is also moving, that is, in video form, which can be very
distracting or even disturbing. Because a moving image contains inherently more
information, it's often presumed to be more valuable. However, it is generally easier
to remember a still image. The challenge is therefore to choose which image to record
out of many possibilities.
By
paying close attention to those images which evoke harmony and beauty, a sense of
upliftment comes, and a realization of the many gifts that exist simply by being
alive."
Many
of the images used on the website are simply a record of common images, objects, and
situations we deal with daily but do not normally remember. I try to record those
images with as much attention to artistic principles as possible under the circumstances,
but there is deliberately a journalistic and storytelling element in many the
photos. There may be asymmetry in one or more ways, often reflecting the view that
is actually seen, not an idealized one.
One
of the advantages of publishing directly to the internet is the ability to immediately
crop unwanted elements of the image. This allows great flexibility in shooting, which
is important because many of the photos are shot under far less than ideal conditions, and
often with a simple camera. |
