Artists living and creating in this environment must
always struggle to see with fresh eyes. Raised from infancy on the accepted
and "normal" ways to interpret their surroundings, the reality
they perceive is for the most part secondhand, mediated by a thick overlay
of language. Conventional wisdom is the "fast food" of the mind,
streamlined, efficient and readily understood by all. It is also the enemy
of original vision. In photography, it contributes to work that is, at
best, fashionable and at worst, trite and cliché. Zen can provide
a new direction. While all aspects of Zen are not specifically relevant
to photography, we believe that the 
following
are photographically essential insights.
Focus on the Moment
According to Zen, the only life we have is that which is found in the present. Everything else is memory or anticipation. We must be awake to really live. That is what the word Buddha means - one who is awake. Mindfulness is a technique that is employed in Zen to encourage waking up to the present. It is not easily mastered, and can take years to develop, but it is extraordinarily important and fulfilling. It is also highly effective for photography. To be truly sensitive to the unique visual offerings of the moment, we must not be lost in abstractions, expectations, objectives or deadlines. If our minds are quiet and not preoccupied with agendas, we will be able to respond to the intuitive and spontaneous reactions of our being as it responds to the beauty and wonder of life. Those advanced in Zen believe that the best work has the quality of an accident. Careful planning and manipulation play little role in the Zen production of art, though prior training in technique has its place. It is believed that we must go with our feelings more than our thoughts, and tap a deeper and more genuine level of ourselves at the moment of creation. Only after the fact, when assessing the pictures earlier taken should reason and judgment play a significant role.
