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Seeing things as they really are
When we engage intensively with photography, philosophy and time, we cannot avoid the concept of Zen. But be careful! The essence of Zen is not to calm us down through meditation, to see the beauty in nature or to teach us a certain view of the world.
The aim of Zen is also not stress reduction and relaxation. Above all, Zen is not an escape from life’s challenges, but a way of facing them with clarity and acceptance.
Zen and the moments of now
The word Zen ultimately goes back to the term emptiness. The unexposed film in our camera represents emptiness. Zen asks us to first achieve such an emptiness within ourselves by freeing ourselves from the constant circling of our thoughts. Only then will we be able to recognize the reality of the moment. In photography, this means not pressing the shutter if the image is not really essential to me. Less is more.
The emphasis on the present moment is perhaps the most striking feature of Zen. Instead of focusing on the past and future, Zen is primarily about reclaiming and expanding the present moment.
Zen also emphasizes simplicity and straightforwardness in grasping reality and acting in the here and now. Zen encourages us to see the things immediately before our eyes for what they are. At the same time, this view makes us extremely successful in life, because reality always wins in the end. And we are only successful if we are in line with reality.
Photography captures a moment in time and immortalizes it as a visual representation. That is the difference between photography and painting. A painter works for hours or days on a picture. When we take photographs, we work with time. Photography creates a tangible representation of the moment when we press the shutter release. It urges us to lose ourselves in that moment, to consciously perceive it; to see it, to feel it, to use it, and to force ourselves to act – to press the shutter or not. This way of seeing leads us into the present and reality, where something is going to happen right now.
Photography is reality driven. The pictures are not fantasy, but created by real existing light. Reality always wins in the end! So deal with reality.
Zen and the Art of Minox Maintenance
Photography is also about becoming one with the camera. Then I would say: my camera makes me smile. To be one with the camera, you need to know it inside out. Ideally, you know its technical inner workings and are also able to maintain this camera.
In his world bestseller Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig emphasizes the importance of being present in the present moment and focusing on what you are doing. He illustrates this with the metaphor of motorcycle maintenance, where attention and care are crucial. He challenges the conventional notion of quality and argues that it is not objectively measurable, but a subjective experience.
Anyone who sets out to repair technical devices will experience the problem of getting stuck. All assumptions as to where the fault could lie prove to be wrong. You are stuck. It can’t go any further. Then you need distance in order to perhaps discover a completely new approach to the problem. For Pirsig, Zen is the art of sticking with it. Zen is then not a fashionable spirituality, but the willingness to face life and prove oneself in the challenges of everyday life – instead of fleeing into spiritual avoidance.
So it’s no coincidence that I devote special space on this website to the maintenance of my favorite camera. First and foremost, it’s about keeping this photography tool in good working order. Basically, however, I am less concerned with the result (a functioning camera) than with the act of immersing myself in the inner workings of this machine. It helps me to become later one with the camera while taking pictures and to make myself smile.
See for yourself: Inside Minox
