Nothing quite like a brisk Spring day, bright sunshine, deep, rich colors and a steady hand with a camera in it. It's gray and cool in Austin now. Today. About a week and a half since I returned from my fun trip to Montreal. An okay day to swim. But not a great day here for photographing bold colors and blue skies.
Swimming is so sweet. Gliding through the water is akin to flying. Flying is something humans don't do well without a lot of "structure" around them. But swimming and gliding through water is a complete immersion into 360° sense of touch, of feel. Every square centimeter of your body in touch with something elemental.
It's not something you can describe to the left brain but something you can enjoy with your right brain. It's not a formula, It's a sensation. A feeling. To be a bit closer to everything...
And all at once you are self-propelled. Making your way through another transparent medium.
Photography is, to me, the process of immersing into an ever changing landscape that sits just in front of me. Awareness of every sensation makes it more real. More visually accessible.
Holistic Art. The process of being immersed in your own reality.
That is the nicest description of swimming that I have ever heard.
ReplyDeleteThanks James. It's a heartfelt paean to my favorite activity... well, after photographing...
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