The Haiku Lens with David Morris Cunningham
We live in a complex world. The amount of information we have to process daily is staggering. We are bombarded by the equivalent data of more than 174 eighty-five page newspapers every day. We receive more than five times as much information now then we did in 1986. It’s no surprise so much of our focus is someplace other than in the present.
The Haiku Lens will bring you back to the present and connect you with the quiet artist within. It’s about simplifying our lives: clearing out the clutter and turning off the chatter. It’s about being in the moment and sharing that moment as clearly and simply as we can in our work.
Open to all levels of participant, the workshop centers around making haiku, written and visual. Haiku, a Japanese form of poetry written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables is most often about an aspect of nature or one of the seasons. Writing haiku is sharing a moment with someone in such a way as to allow them the opportunity to experience feelings similar to your own when you wrote the haiku.
wind chimes sing softly
in the fading summer breeze—
chilly night ahead
In order to evoke a similar experience the haiku photographer must strip away all but the essential elements within the frame while maintaining the structure of the haiku. Show too much and you’ve used far too many syllables. Show too little and the story remains untold. The haiku photographer always walks the thin line of less/more.
As much as possible our workshop will be conducted outdoors. Using our cameras and our pads and pencils we will explore the world around us through a series of projects and exercises designed to practice mindfulness. Sprinkled throughout will be readings and discussions and slide shows and conversation on topics including (and certainly not limited to): intention, perception, wabi-sabi (the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete), books to read and more.
The Haiku Lens is not a ‘build your portfolio’ workshop. The goal is not to write the best haiku or make the most impressive haiku image. It’s about exploring and digging deep and taking risks and freeing ourselves from worn-out beliefs. It encourages us to take notice of what we notice and stop trying to see what we think we should be seeing. It wants us to make the time to create and play and meditate. And in doing so remember who we are and what we want our lives to be. It wants us to return to nature and get back in touch with ourselves.
The Haiku Lens is not a ‘build your portfolio’ workshop. The goal is not to write the best haiku or make the most impressive haiku image. It’s about exploring and digging deep and taking risks and freeing ourselves from worn-out beliefs. It encourages us to take notice of what we notice and stop trying to see what we think we should be seeing. It wants us to make the time to create and play and meditate. And in doing so remember who we are and what we want our lives to be. It wants us to return to nature and get back in touch with ourselves.
Due to the logistics of processing and printing film we will work with digital cameras to make our images. Using digital will not affect your workshop experience so long as you agree to three things: Only take the number of images you are asked to take, Don’t look at the images you’ve taken until the end of the day and don’t delete any images you’ve taken. Regarding your camera: The simpler the better. Leave the big, complex, feature-laden cameras with the long lenses at home this time. If you can’t carry your camera in your jacket pocket then it’s too big. I use my iPhone (in airplane mode) and my current favorite app, ShakeItPhoto, for the workshop.
We will spend as little time as is necessary discussing technical aspects of photography. We will, however, talk about the different types of cameras and materials available to make your images. Each combination has its own look and feel. Finding the combination that best fits your vision is akin to a painter choosing between watercolor or oil or pastels.
The more you can comfortably disconnect yourself from the outside world during your time at the workshop the better. Leave your phone turned off. Better yet, leave it in the car. If you are using your phone as your camera keep it in airplane mode during the workshop. No wireless data in, no wireless data out. To maintain the energy there will be no distracting beeps or buzzes or ringtones during the workshop.
In addition to your pad, pencil and camera you should bring:
- A working understanding of your camera. (bring the instruction manual along should you need to refresh your memory of a specific camera function).
- A laptop computer with the requisite cables/adapters/readers and knowledge to download images from your camera to your computer.
- A USB flash drive to store and transfer files.
- Chargers, extra batteries, extra memory cards (if applicable).
- Clothing/supplies appropriate for being outdoors and hiking in the woods during the season and location of the workshop.
- A watch or timer that can countdown in minutes and seconds.
I also recommend the following:
- A flashlight
- A light, collapsible camp stool or canoe chair.
- An insulated water bottle.
- Rain gear in the event of showers.
- An appropriate sized daypack (with waist belt/sternum straps, if possible) to carry your gear (excluding your laptop).
