Contemplative Photography as Meditation Practice
Class - Photography | Available
Contemplative photography is not about taking “better” pictures. It’s about seeing more clearly and living more deeply. In this gentle and spacious 4-week course, we’ll explore photography as a mindfulness practice—one that helps us slow down, soften habitual patterns of perception, and reawaken to the beauty and sacredness of the everyday world.
Rooted in the Miksang tradition and inspired by Zen and other contemplative lineages, this class offers a unique blend of meditation, visual exploration, and personal reflection. Each session includes a short teaching, a mindfulness practice, a guided photo exercise, and time for reflection and sharing.
Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just curious, this course is for anyone seeking to deepen presence, awaken the senses, and discover wonder through the lens of a camera. Just bring your curiosity, your smartphone or camera, and something to write with.
Timothy Auman
I am an ordained lay Buddhist, certified mindfulness teacher, and former university chaplain dedicated to the application of Taoist and Zen thought to the issues of everyday life. As a visual artist, my approach to photography focuses on learning (or perhaps we could say re-learning) how to see. My work is influenced by the Miksang (the Tibetan word for “good eye”) movement, having studied with John McQuade and Miriam Hall for many years. In contemplative photography, we focus on taking the time to actually see, to become aware of and present with what is actually happening in the phenomenal world, and then create an equivalent image with our camera. The main difference between Miksang Contemplative Photography and other forms of photography is that Miksang is based on clear perception before an overlay of thoughts, interpretations, preferences, story lines, likes and dislikes, what we think might make a good image and so forth arise. Meditation, dharma teachings and contemplation are woven into all I teach. If you want to know more about contemplative photography, please sign up for a class.