Watch Without Words

Benefit: Helps develop a ‘wider gaze.’ Useful as a daily practice. Helps to become more aware of photograph-able things happening in moving or crowded situations.

This is effective when coupled with deep, steady breathing to help stay creatively effective in highly emotional or moving situations.

Step backwards.

Step back, as if moving your body.  Make the movements to step back, sensing everything: temperature, your pulse, your breathing, the fabric of your clothes, your muscles in your knees and feet.

Step back again.  Keep stepping back until you feel a release of breath, a relaxing.  Keep breathing, steadily, deeply.

Watch without naming colors, reading words, or signs.

Open eyes wider, open ears, open nostrils, relax jaw.

hold it briefly, lightly, gently.

Gradually have all senses open at the same time.

hold it briefly, lightly, gently.

Open your pores, feeling in all fingers and toes, all at the same time.

hold it briefly, lightly, gently.

Continue to hold in that middle. surrender. breathe. go deeper with whatever your body feels. hold it briefly, lightly, gently.

Take a deeper breath. Come back to your focus gently.

Please write if this exercise works for you: I would love to hear if this helps you imbue your creativity and photography with deeper emotional content.

Dorothy Perry is a Chicago photographer specializing in modern portraits. Contact her here.