Spiritual Photo Tip 2: Simplicity

I’m a big fan of simplicity – in my life and in my photography.

By de-cluttering your images, conversations, schedules, homes, and so much more, you focus your attention on what’s truly important.

This gives you, your priorities, and your creations room to breathe and shine without distractions.

May this 2nd element in my bi-weekly spiritual photography series help you open new ways of seeing your world & your life.

Absolutely no-one sees the world the way you do. What catches your attention may go totally unnoticed by others. By sharing it in a photograph, you’re sharing your way of seeing.

It’s wonderful to get pleasure from the simple things in life.

For example, the line of the white fence against the blue ocean at a lighthouse on Bell Island (see above) caught my attention. Yes, I took  dozens of photos of the lighthouse… but this one was my favourite as it captured the sense of open space I was so grateful for.

When someone looks at your image, it’s great if they can immediately identify its subject.  What is this photo about?

If you want to focus on your best friend, don’t place her in a crowd unless you can find a way to make it clear she’s your subject. If the crowd itself is the subject, then that’s different.

Here, the bush and water hose caught my attention. I liked the simplicity of lines and shapes as well as the questions it left in my mind.

 

If I’d photographed a wider shot of the scene, including the building behind the fence, you wouldn’t know what I was trying to show you. Even including a sliver above the fence was distracting (on left). So I took another shot without it. Do you agree that it’s better? (Note: click on an image to see it full screen.)

This butterfly image was never a strong one, but it captured a moment before it flew away.

That’s where cropping comes in handy if it’s too late to take another photo. Smart phones make this easy with their built-in app or you can do it on your computer.

As the human eye is drawn to white/light first, the eye kept being drawn to the bottom left corner and a few other distractions on the edges. After cropping, the image was better. Not great, but better.

In the windowsill shot of the geraniums, the white sky totally takes away from the image. Simply change the height and tilt of your camera to cut out the sky.

By the way, white skies rarely look good in a photo. Cut them out. Overcast days, however, are the best for close ups, portraits, or many other kinds of shots without sky because there aren’t any harsh shadows!

Here’s another important reason to watch your edges. When I looked at the first photo of the wild grasses, I got a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d cut off just the tip of that one stem, making it very uncomfortable.

It’s that same feeling if you have an almost full body shot of someone but cut off their feet at the ankles. There are natural places to cut off your shot... not at the tips/ankles. By taking another photo with a bit of space above that tallest stem, nothing distracts from the simple beauty of the scene.

I rarely only take one photo of a subject, especially during this era of digital photography.

I’ll often grab a photo to capture that first feeling of excitement. Then I’ll come in closer or move around until my subject isn’t lost in its background.

Here, shifting just a bit put the shed to the side instead of behind the flowers, making it stronger.

With this hummingbird, I took dozens of shots before it flew off.

See how it’s lost in the chaos of the first photo?

I did 2 things to improve on that. First, I kept taking photos until we were both positioned to have a less busy background.

Next, I changed the depth of field for a shallow one (low f stop) on my SLR camera.  You can also do this on your smart phone. If you tap on the subject that’s close to you, you’re telling your phone where to focus.

The closer it is, the blurrier the background. With a soft background, your subject stands out.

Here, there are 2 photos of the hummingbird with a simple soft background. Whether you prefer the lighter or darker one is a matter of personal choice.

Here’s another example before you go out to practice.  With these lady slippers, I wanted an overall context shot. But the first was too chaotic. The second made it clearer what my subject was within its context. Then I kept working my subject to simplify both the subject & background.

It’s the same in your life as it is with photography.

By simplifying, you’re focusing your attention and others’ on what matters most.

When you’re talking to someone or writing a social media post, can you keep it simple and to the point? Or do you suffer from verbal diarrhea? 

Customer service reps will be the first to report that those who get the best service are those that clearly identify the point or question without going too far into the details or drama.

Simplifying your conversations gives more room for both to talk & listen. It takes the interaction from me to we. It can also be a sign that you’re coming from love, not fear of not being heard or other fears.

I’ve been accused of writing way too much in my blog posts. And although I can easily spend days without talking to anyone but myself, I can also embark on a monologue that takes the listeners all over the place or right out of the conversation (and connection). Awareness is key.

After all, it’s what I teach when it comes to asking your Team of Divine Helpers for Guidance. Stick to one subject at a time. With a clear question comes a clearer answer.

How good are you at cleaning up your edges? your distractions?

When I’m in the writing or painting flow, it’s so important that I block out solid periods of time in my schedule without appointments, dinner dates, interruptions, social media notifications, etc.

According to Gloria Mark, it takes almost 25 minutes for the mind to refocus after checking Facebook (23 minutes and 15 seconds, to be exact). Wow!

I’m definitely the most connected & fruitful during my 12 to 16-hour marathons. They don’t happen every week, but if I have a big project, I prefer focusing on 1 thing at a time for a long time.

It’s the same for my nature walks. They’re so much more enjoyable if I don’t have a fixed time to get back home.

The less things in my schedule, the more space I have to follow my intuition and work on what matters most.

And if I do have a series of errands to run, I like to borrow the car once and get them all done effectively in a loop. Getting easily drained in crowded spaces has helped me become very organized.

How do you function when surrounded by chaos? 

If my desk, desktop, walls, studio, or fridge are too cluttered, I don’t feel as motivated to create.

If my house is too cluttered, I don’t feel as comfortable or at ease.

And if my schedule is too cluttered, I can easily tip into overwhelm or frustration.

Creating a life by design that focuses on who or what’s important to you means saying no to other things. It’s all about priorities. 

Focus, clarity, beauty, and love stand out when you let go of the rest.

It may not have been easy financially to become a full-time artist – yet! – but I’m so grateful for the simple life I lead focused on what I value most: time in nature, creating art, sharing inspiration, 2-week trips to Ottawa to be with my family, studying, etc.

I’m certainly not suffering! I’ve just learned to spend wisely and earn creatively.

When I returned from a year of art studies overseas in 2014, I rented a room in a beautifully peaceful home by the river close to downtown St. John’s. I live in the lap of luxury at a fraction of the cost! I not only get to share this beautiful nature sanctuary and car with my generous house-sister, but I get to spend my time creating and sharing in ways that are aligned with my values.

I’ll admit, more painting sales would simplify both the management of my inventory and occasional concerns about finances. So if you’re moved to beautify your space & your life, check out my energy-infused art & intuitive services.

How can you apply the photo & life tips in this blog post to live a simpler & richer life?

And please share some of your photos with your friends online or in person. It’s a great way for them to get to know how you see the world.

Remember last week’s Spiritual Photo Tip on Context and add Simplicity to the mix.