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Photography as meditation

I walk a lot. Perhaps I got tired of driving after my last road trip through Europe; perhaps the Camino got me hooked. Whatever the reason, I am obsessed with walking.

Of course, I always carry a camera with me. Sometimes, I'll listen to music or to a podcast. Most of the time, though, I'll just take in whatever is around -be it birds chirping or a loud highway.

Almost all the photography I've done during these past 2 months has been done on these walks, I barely used the car. This is a big shift from the way I used to do photography, not too long ago. I've found joy in just walking around with a compact camera and capturing whatever I see, wherever I happen to be.

In fact, photography while walking has become a meditation of sorts for me. During those walks, I don't think about anything, I don't reach for my phone, I don't worry about the images I'm making. I feel present and in the moment, seeing what's around me, and capturing whatever feels right. Only time will tell if the images are any good, but I've been enjoying these walks so much that it doesn't really matter.

Don't worry, though, in just a few weeks I'll be hitting the road again, on a trip that will take me to 3 islands. Stay tuned!

For now, some images I made this morning: