‘Look beneath your feet.’ ~ Zen Buddhist proverb

I have long been interested in Eastern philosophy, especially its concept of the ‘beauty of the blank space’. I love the Zen Buddhist question, ‘what is right before your eyes?’ Such deceptively simple curiosity cuts right to the essence of art, not least photography! I am drawn to a sense of mystery, unity and tranquillity alongside the Japanese concept of ‘ma’ (negative space) to explore absence and emptiness as an integral part of the subject. I take a notepad with the intention of complementing each picture of various scenes, sketched through the written word laying the basis for a haiku or poem, which sort of mirrors the technique of shooting an image in RAW before post-processing. I aim for contrasting images – a sort of yin-yang effect, drawing from Kandinsky’s ideas regarding the relationship between colour and music: shadows would be the bass tones, greens – mid-range, while whites and yellows are the treble; the poem or haiku forming lyrics to complete the ensemble.

Bridford Wood

shadows cast over
leaves and twigs on woodland path –
the afternoon sun