I grew up in a Catholic household and every year got that little ash smudge on my forehead signaling the beginning of Lent and the 40 days before Easter. Every year, my dad still sends me an email reminder to consider giving something up for Lent, which is done traditionally as a form of penitence and reflection. To be honest (and sorry Dad), I don’t usually end up following through on this. Giving up chocolate just never felt like it was going to bring me closer to a spiritual connection. Well, this year, I decided to go for it. But not in the traditional sense. Instead of picking something to give up, I wanted to commit to doing something creative, something meditative, and something joyful. I committed to photography for 40 days.
In 2012, my then fiancé and now husband got me the most thoughtful and fantastic gift of a camera for Christmas. But instead of diving right in on my photographer’s journey, that puppy intimidated the heck out of me and it stayed in its box for the next 6 months gathering dust and guilt. When we got hitched the following June, I finally decided to get over myself, take it out of the box and bring it on our honeymoon. Love was in the air not just with my new hubby, but my new love – photography! It’s so crazy to me now that I could I have been so scared of something that I am now so completely excited and inspired by!
Since then I’d been snapping away at parties, family gatherings, during travel, with my dog, you name it. But I was still shooting on Automatic.
Which brings us to this past Lent. 40 days of photography on Manual. Every day, with my dog Henry on a waist-attached leash and the big khaki sun-hat I got at Costco, I was walking around my neighborhood, keeping my eyes peeled for inspiration and then figuring out how to capture it. I didn’t want to overthink it, I just wanted to fumble my way around, learning as I went. No pressure, just for fun.
From the first day, I was shocked by the beauty that was suddenly being brought into focus. I had walked these four blocks countless times, but it was like I was seeing them through fresh eyes. Rather than the passive glance at a garden as I strolled past, it was a concentrated and curious “seeing” that made colors start to pop and details sharpen. As I searched for subjects to photograph, I realized I didn’t have to look far at all. Inspiration was truly all around, and I didn’t have to go far to find it.
I made friends with the bees as they danced around lavender flowers, I marveled at the hummingbirds as they flitted about and did their acrobatics, I met roses in their glory only to see their beauty faded the next day and new buds saying hello, I watched shadows move and change shape, I saw the detailed miracle of butterflies and beetles in close-up shots, I got to know the dynamism of daylight as it moved from morning to dusk, and I discovered that every leaf, petal, blade, and stalk is a work of art.
During my walks, I was more aware, present and content than I could remember being. There was no end goal or assignment to fulfill. Just being guided by the daily practice and staying open to whatever caught my eye was a beautiful form of meditation.
I soon found opportunities to photograph families, children and babies and wow is there a whole other level of beauty in that! Being present to the connection among loved ones, catching small gestures, a glance, a laugh, is such a heart-opening experience. I was so fascinated and humbled to observe these relationships in an intimate way.
As an actor, I crave opportunities to be in the moment, to truly listen, to be present with others and to create magical moments. I love that photography has given me another opportunity to explore relationships, emotions, details, expressions, quirks, and beauty on a whole new and unexpected level.
At the end of these 40 days, it was Easter, a time for celebration. And my heart was full and the future was open and new. It’s so amazing what you can discover about yourself and what new paths open up for you when you do a little exploring and when you commit to a practice.
I haven’t stopped shooting since, and I’ve even started working at a photography company to learn even more. This journey is just beginning for me. I encourage you to find something simple and creative to commit to every day for 40 days. It could have you seeing and being in a whole new way.
Check out some of my work here: http://www.catherinekresge.com/#!photography/c2303
And find me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/catherinekangphotography
Around my neighborhood…
