My all time favorite quote is from the 1st century Roman philosopher, Publilius Syrus, "The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing." I read that quote some years ago when I was building another website for one of my other passions - photography. I think the reason it stuck with me is because, as an avid photographer, every time I go out on a shoot, that quote runs through my mind as I search for the perfect landscape image. I am after the image of what I envision in my mind, not what I see with my eyes.
I want to tell you a story about one of my weekend jaunts that turned to pure serendipity. It best describes the link between the minds eye and creativity.
Years ago when I lived in the Bay area, I would make the two hour drive to the Big Sur area of northern California pretty much every weekend. To me, its a photographers paradise. I have traveled all over the world, and in my opinion, Big Sur is by far, the most beautiful place I've been. For those willing to put in some walking and a lot of hours waiting for the right conditions, the photographic results can be awesome. The combination of rock, sea and mountains is like no other place I know.
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On this one particular weekend, it was very gray and overcast coupled with high winds and periodic downpours. The seas were really boiling against the rocky cliffs. This was going to be a really good weekend for dramatic shots or it was going to be a bust with all the wind and rain. The equipment I use is not very friendly in these conditions. My 4 x 5 wooden view camera requires a tripod and careful setup and is pretty much useless if the wind gets above 15-20 knots. The conditions that weekend easily exceeded 20 knots, but I just knew if I got lucky and hung around that maybe I could get something.
I scouted a location that looked really promising, but the wind was crazy and the rain was nonstop. So I sat in the car and waited. I leaned back in the seat, flipped on some Pink Floyd, closed my eyes and imagined how I would like the shot to come out. I had a vision in my mind what the perfect image would be. It was nothing like the current heavy gray overcast with wind and rain but still, there was this urge to hang around for a little while longer. After another 30 minutes or so, the rain stopped but the wind was still an issue. I don't know why, but I decided to give it a try.
The Image Comes Alive
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I climbed out on this high rocky outpost exposed to some very high winds but at least it wasn't raining. I remember thinking how fast the clouds were moving. The wind was really whipping me as I tried to set up my equipment. I thought this was nuts, there is no way this is going to work. But no sooner than I had that thought, the clouds parted and the sun came out. For 15 - 20 seconds, the sun lit up the clouds and sea. I was stunned since it seemed to come out of nowhere. I couldn't believe it.
I was shocked to see the landscape in front of me. It was the EXACT image I had in my mind while sitting in the car. It was one of those defining moments I will never forget. A few seconds later, the clouds gathered back and the gray overcast returned. Only one thing. I couldn't remember if I had snapped the cable release. I waited for another hour until dark but the sun never came back. I thought I might have screwed up a perfect opportunity. This was in the days before digital and I wouldn't know the results until I had the film developed.
The following day, my last day before returning home, I returned to another location that I had been scouting for a couple of months. The scene was never right because of low tide but I returned again for another chance, all the while, envisioning the image in my mind. The wind conditions were horrible, but I felt I had to give it a try. The camera shook from the wind and was sprayed with sea salt but I went ahead and took the shot. I thought it was a total disaster.
The Following Monday
The next day I had the filmed processed and held out a shred of hope that I had captured something. The lab technician handed me the film and I laid the 4 x 5 sheets out on the light table. When I saw the images, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
The two images I had so clearly seen in my mind were captured on film exactly as I had envisioned them. I just stared and smiled at the images. The young lab tech leaned over, took a quick look, "Cool," he said, and walked off. He had no idea just how cool it was. Those two images have been my most popular. Both have been bought many times over and Fuji Film used one of them to market they're large format film.
I use this process all the time and have captured additional images just as spectacular, but on that particular weekend, it worked really well. Those two images had such a profound impact on my life, that I had to find out more about what I experienced. That experience made me hungry for more information. Did I get lucky$%: Was it fluke, coincidence$%: I don't really know. That's the easy answer; to dismiss it as some kind of luck or coincidence. But I do know this.
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I set myself up to capture those images. I put myself in a position to follow through with the creative process. Despite all outward circumstances of the clouds, wind and rain, I trusted my intuition enough to move forward. I held the images in my mind, trusted the process and let my mind do the seeing. Did I create my luck$%: Maybe, but I like to think I created my reality.
Is the lesson in this all too allegorical$%: I mean, I could've just given up and driven back home. I honestly don't know why I didn't. But it points out a pretty obvious lesson that's bigger than a couple of photographic images. Just when you think its going bad, and there's nothing to hang on to, keep following your visions. Never give up on them. Your dreams are your "nows", just waiting to be walked into. Listen to your inner voice and follow your urge. Keep the vision going and believe in your dreams.
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