Street photography has many benefits, from going outside to documenting the world and creating art. But it could also work as a way to meditate. How does that work? Well, keep reading!
For street photography, it’s relatively essential to go outside. It is walking and looking around for situations or objects to photograph. A casual stroll to discover whatever might happen. And essentially, photographing it.
For meditation there are multiple ways to do it. Some people like to sit down; others prefer lying down. But some also want to go for walks. They use all their senses to explore the world and turn into themselves. Feel the ground on their feet, sense all the scents, and listen to what noises come your way.
You might already know where this is going. While doing street photography, it can become all too easy to focus too hard and look for something to photograph. Of course, that’s fine to do. It can provide you with results.
But perhaps it’s also good to sometimes just roam around. Experience all your senses and not look too hard for anything. Observe what you come across. Perhaps nothing catches your eye; maybe some things you’d otherwise miss would pop up.
You might already do this. Consciously or not. It could be nice to be aware of doing it.
The great thing about both meditation and street photography is that it’s a practice to see what comes up.
Going about a meditative street photography walk might differ for each person. Try out what works best for you.
You could want a guided walk with an app like Headspace. Or have a meditation session before starting the trek. It could be that you prefer any other ritual first.
A good thing to remember while doing any meditation is not to expect it to be easy from the get-go. Your mind will still wander, and that’s totally okay.
It can also be a good practice not to keep walking. But stop sometimes. Experience the place in its entirety. The sounds smells, people walking by, buildings, sun, reflections in puddles or on buildings, …
I’m curious about your experiences in meditational street photo walks. Let me know in the comments below!