Technology has always been a boon to mankind’s rapid progress on the planet, but the 21st century arrived riding on a wave of some truly dazzling disruptive innovation and behaviour changing devices, that now seem to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that we are connected to each other and to information in an unprecedented way. A curse because we seem to be at the mercy of technology’s distractive allure.

In this age of infinite digital data it is our attention which is in short supply. We tend to blame technology for this, and yet one piece of technology can reset our attention & refocus us in a remarkably creative way.

 

In the long time line of great innovation the convergence of a camera and a telephone was not just a smart idea, it was a smart evolutionary step for us to take.

 

Why?

 

Because at the very heart of what makes us human is the artistic impulse to represent reality in images, and then share those images with others. Visual communication is the predominant mode of information exchange.

 

Of course for the attention deficit - and we are all attention deficit these days - using a smart phone camera to make an image is usually just another unconscious act we perform during the day, to take a quick snap shot of something or of somebody. By using a camera in this mindless way, the opportunity is lost to refocus ourselves in the present moment, and regain our diminishing attention span.

 

A camera is a time machine, it records a moment in time as much as it does a fragment of 3 dimensional space. Photography when it is a mindful act can be a way to bring your distracted mind fully back into the present moment. As the father of urban street photography Henri Cartier-Bresson might have said - back into the present 'Decisive Moment' to capture a great image.

 

Once you have reconnected with the present moment things in it will emerge in clearer detail around you. You will become aware of the delicate relationship between the single elements you see in space. The act of being present becomes a more fulfilling experience because you have become more connected to the real world, and not lost in the constant mind chatter in your head, which is the source of distraction & loss of focus. The distraction that dilutes our attention is not technology, or data, or emails or anything else, the cause of our distraction is the endless thoughts we have about things.

 

So we need a refocussing anti distraction device - a camera.

 

I mentioned that a camera is a time machine. Space and time are not two separate things connected, but a continuum, as Einstein pointed out. And part of the experience of time when you are under pressure, is the feeling that it is running out. If time is running out your perception of space diminishes along with it, meaning that you become less aware of what is around you. With this kind of limited consciousness you become less interested in and ultimately disconnected from the real world. This is why we dissappear down our screens in search of meaningful connection, mostly because we have lost the ablity to preceive and appreciate the richness of real space that exists around us. I believe that the mindful use of our smart phone cameras can free us from this fate.

 

World wide 300 million images are uploaded to Facebook everyday, and 40 million images are uploaded to Instagram every day. This social media culture has created a behavioural norm for us, that provides an excellent opportunity to pay more attention to what we are doing when ever we use a camera. 

 

Remember a camera is a time machine and can bring you back to the here & now, from where ever your mind has taken you with distracting random thoughts about the past, or the future. Become fully present to this moment here & now, and the power of your attention will return, along with your ability to focus on what you are doing.

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As human potential researcher Steve Kotler has pointed out in his terrific book The Rise of Superman Decoding : The Science of Ultimate Human Performance Flow Follows Focus. Meaning the focus that photography demands, can trigger the onset of Flow, the optimum state of performance where you produce your best work and you feel your best.

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With quality attention being the single human commodity that is in short supply in the world, I would like to offer some suggestions for using your smart phone mindfully, to refocus your mind & amplify your attention the next time your use your camera.

 

1. Change Your Photography Language.

Replace take a photo with make a image. To take a picture presumes that an image is already out there ready to be ripped from the fabric of reality. A camera in this sense of the word does the taking. To make a image is a creative act that you engage in with your personal visual connection to reality, your camera assists in this process.

2. Really Connect To Your Smart Device.

Technology is accused of disconnecting us from the world, but for the most part we are disconnected from our technology devices. If you were blindfolded and someone placed a smart phone in your hand would you be able to identify it as yours? What colour is your smart phone? How much does it weigh? What are the signature lines of its design? How is the back of your phone different to touch from the front? Can you operated it blind folded? How well do you know the single most important tool that you carry? Connect to your smart device through your senses, and then when it is in your hands you will be present with what you do with it.

3. Slow Down, Breathe & Be Aware Of Your Posture.

When ever you make an image with your camera slow your movements down just a little, don't rush, remember to recapture time for yourself first, before you capture it with a camera. As you do breathe a little deeper and be attentive to your in breath and your out breath. This automatically relaxes you and straightens your posture. With more oxygen to the brain you will be more alert and aware of what is around you. This is particularly important for maintaining situational awareness amidst a busy environment. Mindfulness of breathing will return you to full presence in any situation.

4. Challenge Your Shot Selection & Be Creative.

Move around what you are photographing to gain access to creative angles, take some risks with camera set ups. This will stimulate your curiosity and engage your whole body in the act of making an image. It will help you to become absorbed in what you are doing and will help trigger the optimum psychological performance state called FLOW. In FLOW you are primed for peak performance as a powerful cocktail of chemicals is released from your brain - like Dopamine for pattern recognition, Serotonin for that feel good rush, Anandamide for lateral thinking and Norepinephrine to amplify focus & attention. High performance opiates a plenty that will cascade into your blood stream and remain there as an afterglow, which you can then use in other activities. I maintain that shooting 12 mindful photos with your camera, will trigger a mico Flow state that can transform a negative mood into a positive one.

5. Adopt A Beginner’s Mind. 

In Japanese Zen there is a mindset you take on to engage something creatively. It is called Shoshin, meaning Beginner’s Mind. The term was introduced to the West by Japanese Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki who explained Beginner’s Mind by saying ‘In the beginners mind there are many possibilities in the expert’s mind there are few..’ By being open, receptive and ready to learn, you trigger a heightened sensory response to new information, if new dots can be recognised they can be synthesised into patterns that connect. Often a beginner sees patterns that no one else has connected before, simply because they have no preconceived ideas, their mind is not full of opinions about the way we have always seen it. The same applies to smart phone photography. In these early days of Big Data a Beginner's Mind aproach to interpretation will be an important asset. 

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6. Use Photography as a Flow Trigger. Glow with the Flow.

I have discovered that making 12 mindful images with your camera triggers a micro flow state, and this carries on into any new activity. Photography produces a Flow Glow after effect, that lingers for some time and gives you access to higher perfomance states in other activities. You will do your best work when in Flow but more than this you will experience this highy addictive PhotoFlow effect.

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7. Develop Your Photographic Talent.

Create great images by studying great photographers. Become a photographer who makes pictures, don’t be someone who just takes pictures. Learn the rule of thirds before you break it. You ultimately want someone else to say ‘Great Photograph’ as a compliment and not just comment on who or what is in the image. Every opportunity for using your camera is an opportunity to be creative, creativity feeds off itself, so take time each day to create some images, post them on Instagram or Flickr, get feedback, get inspired, get better.

- Begin to use your Smart Phone as a Mindfulness / Flow Hacking device every time you use the camera. That way you will regain your attention & refocus yourself on what is really important for success in anything  -

 

Your own present state of awareness.

 

  ‘A camera can change your blood chemistry, alter your brain wave speed, boost your immune system, regulate your breathing and hack into the matrix of your mind faster than taking the ‘Red’ pill. It can show you things on earth you have never seen before. It can change how you live. It can make you mindful of relationships you never thought existed. It can make you fearless and compassionate.’ 

 

- Extract from Deep Focus a new book on Mindfulness, Flow & Smart Phone Photography © Martin Wetherill