As summer draws to a close, I’ve found myself taking a more contemplative approach to photography. For me, photography serves as a powerful tool for mindfulness, and it offers a unique avenue to be fully present in the moment - especially when most the time, it’s just me within the landscape during early morning. When we engage with our camera, we can easily find ourselves attuned to the world around us, noticing intricate details, subtle shifts in light, and the beauty in everyday scenes that often go unnoticed.

This heightened awareness naturally leads to a state of mindfulness and an almost Zen like feeling, where we let go of distractions and immerse ourselves in the act of capturing something unique. I could be focusing on the play of shadows during the golden hour or framing a perfect vista or seascape. It is this process that encourages one to just breathe, observe, and truly connect with our surroundings. Treating photography this way allows it to become not just a creative outlet, but also a profound practice in mindfulness, allowing us to find serenity and inspiration in the present moment.

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

— Henry David Thoreau

I mention the word Zen as this serves as a mental state – one of calmness, minimalism, introspection, approaching with a fresh perspective, and an ability to discover beauty in everything. Whenever I head out with my camera, I try and keep these principles in mind. Whenever my mind goes towards this state, I often find that the end result revolves more around my inner disposition than the actual content I’m photographing.

I find that the key to being more contemplative or Zen lies in embracing nonjudgmental thoughts, allowing them to flow through your mind like a river of ideas. If something catches your eye, then seize the moment, place the viewfinder to your eye and capture it. Try and allow your conscious knowledge and analytical thinking to step aside for that moment in time and instead, let your intuition and instinct guide you, akin to an expressionist painter who lets their body create art rather than their conscious mind.

Lately, I've found great pleasure in using the 105mm macro lens with the Nikon Z6ii. This lens is incredibly sharp and by far one of the best lenses that I have for the Z system. It may feel a tight focal length for some, but I’ve found it a great walkabout lens, and one especially that allows me to capture those fine details in the everyday. Being f/2.8 and macro, it’s also allowed me to craft some delicate and sometimes dreamy vignettes of what I see.