In contemplative (or meditative) photography, we talk about taking a long, loving look at the real (Merton).
But, what is real? I believe that our perceptions are certainly real for us and we can always practice widening our lens. However, we will never know the whole story.
Photography helps us to widen the lens.
Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg shows us the Hidden Miracles of the Natural World at TED2014. Through time-lapse photography and powerful microscopes, we see what cannot be seen through the naked eye. Schwartzber asks,
What is the intersection between technology, art, and science? Curiosity and wonder, because it drives us to explore; because we’re surrounded by things we can’t see.
Technology helps us to widen the lens.
Physicist Brian Greene goes even further in this interview with Krista Tippet at On Being – Reimagining the Cosmos.
Greene describes the evolution of our understanding of the universe. With Newtonian physics, we were able to describe the world through our senses, yet Greene shows how limiting that knowledge can be.
I mean, if you went by your senses, you would think that this table is solid. But we now know that this table is mostly empty space. If you went by your senses, you would think that time is universal, it ticks off the same rate for everyone, regardless of their motion, or the gravity that they are experiencing. We know for a fact that that is not true. We all carry our own clock, and it ticks at a rate that is hugely dependent on those features of motion and gravity. So there’s a very long list of things that you would be completely misled by if you relied on your senses to understand how that feature of the world works.
Greene goes on to describe the hidden realities (possibly even parallel universes) that are facets of the quantum world, which we human beings can’t see.
Both of these people provide lessons in staying open to wonder and being continual explorers of new perspectives. There is always more beyond what we see. They make me appreciate the mystery at the heart of our world.
Another interesting post to ponder….. being continual explorers of new perspectives is challenging. I am a big fan of Louis Schwartzberg — he is such a gifted cinematographer.
An amazing video by Schwartzberg! This is the reason I love macro photography. I love to explore what my eyes can’t see.
Yet another interesting video by Louis Schwartzberg – though some of the insects close-up look like rather frightening monsters. The accompanying talk, as always, is fascinating. Thank you for sharing. I love the phrase: “… staying open to wonder and being continual explorers of new perspectives.” It’s the seeing beyond the seeing which is the ultimate essence of all that surrounds us.