SEEING NOT LOOKING

A Place of Learning

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it,” the Chinese philosopher Confucius is often quoted as saying.

Have you ever heard individuals remark that they find it challenging to capture photographs in their local surroundings? Or that when they travel abroad, they encounter an abundance of captivating sights to photograph, yet at home, they perceive a scarcity of visually engaging subjects?

I recommend taking your camera out to the streets, beaches, or countryside, and not merely looking, but truly observing the environment around you. Open your eyes to the diverse visual experiences that surround us.

Henri Cartier-Bresson habitually carried his camera while at home in France, capturing many iconic images near his residence. I have adopted this practice as well, to the extent that venturing out without my camera feels unfamiliar and unsettling.

Elliot Erwitt stated, “To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

After a lifetime of exploring the streets, capturing reflections, frames, and shadows, Lee Friedlander was temporarily unable to continue his street photography due to arthritis. During his recovery from a hip replacement, he began photographing flower stems, which ultimately culminated in a beautifully produced book. He was able to discover images even when limited to his home environment.

Reflecting on my personal experiences following the Canterbury Earthquakes, I initially hesitated to pick up a camera, as I was surrounded by devastation. Had I ceased at that point, my “Deconstruction Reconstructed” series would not have come to fruition. Remember the opening quote? I succeeded in finding beauty amidst the destruction—it took time, but once initiated, it inspired me to persevere.

If you are unable to find images in your own environment, it is time to slow down, observe your surroundings, and start recognizing the extraordinary within the ordinary.

It’s not what you look at, but what you see!