The Only Place I Am Is There

“One time, one meeting.”

It was mesmerizing. The color. The lines. The contrast. It was one of those photos I wish I had taken myself. But I didn’t need to own it to be able to fully enjoy it.

I just needed to see it.

Quite often I find myself alone in nature. A short hike though the woods, a long walk on a winter’s beach. The isolation is restorative and at some point I will inevitably attempt to capture the beauty of the natural world surrounding me in a photograph.

Looking through the view finder takes me to a place I’ve spent much of my life trying to find. The present moment. In the view finder a moment is frozen. I scan everything before pressing the button. The lines, the light, the color, the texture, the noise. Every detail in front of me is seen and assessed. I can adjust or decide to capture it exactly as it is. But in that moment, the only place I am is there.

When you discover the present moment you also discover how fleeting it is. 

“Ichigo ichie” is a Japanese expression often translated to mean “one time, one meeting”. This and every moment is a singular moment in time. It cannot be relived exactly as it was. Therein lies its significance, its value intertwined with its impermanence, its rarity worthy of our full presence and attention.

The photos I capture are simply a record of that one particular moment in time. Those exact conditions will never repeat themselves in their entirety. My interactions and encounters with others will never repeat themselves in their entirety either. Life is fluid, transitional, full of precious and unique moments inviting us to see them that way.

When I revisit one of my photos I allow myself the time to see it fully. To notice everything about it. To get lost in every detail, to see and experience everything contained within the image. To honor the preciousness of that moment I captured knowing that it will never be captured in that exact same way ever again.

I strive to see and experience life the very same way.

Photo by Nirmal Rajendharkumar on Unsplash