|
Instructor |
|
George
DeWolfe |
|
Location |
|
The Woods
Inn
Conference Center, Inlet, New
York |
|
Begins |
|
September
11, 2008 at
9:00 AM |
|
Ends |
|
September
14, 2008 at
12:00 PM |
Suggested
Lodging |
|
Deer Meadows
Motel and Cottages |
|
Overview |
|
Many years ago I stood
calmly on a ridge of sandstone overlooking a plain in
Arches National Park. It seemed ordinary to me, this
landscape of pinion and juniper and red rocks. A storm
passed in the distance over cliffs rising north on the
Colorado River. I have been to this desert solitude many
times, and it somehow represents to me a sacred place
where I visit and can reflect and be calmed. |
|
Although the landscape
appeared ordinary in every way, I had a feeling that it
contained something of a mystery that I could not see,
so I set up the large format camera and dutifully made
an image or two of the scene before me. After the
negative developed, I quickly made a rough first print
out of curiosity. The image that emerged from the
developer was magical. It contained the ordinary scene
surely, but it also included what I might call the
“feeling” of the place more than any other image I had
made of Arches. This one photograph, shown above, was
the singular basis for what I now call The Contemplative
Landscape Workshop. It was made in 1986. |
|
Contemplative Landscape’s
essence seeks to represent both the known and unknown
aspects of reality while combining our sense of
intuition and perception. It strives to be “concept
free” and allows photographers to engage the mystery of
the world, reality, and their interior heavens. It’s end
product seeks a wholeness out of which we can photograph
and express truly what we feel about the fundamental
reality that exists in front of us. I have seen, over
the years, people’s lives and photography change in the
course of the workshop. It often broadens a person’s
spiritual life, although each person brings their own
sectarian beliefs to the workshop, and all are welcome. |
|
The Contemplative Landscape
begins with perceptual exercises in photography that
have been developed by me over the past 35 years. It
offers primary access to the actual visual working of
the human eye-brain system, the tool with which we
create our images. The perceptual exercises are meant to
pull you away from the defeating process of copying
other landscape images made by others and concentrate on
what “you” see. The perceptual exercises are followed by
awareness training that puts us in the moment when the
photograph has to be made. Lastly, we finish with a
series of what I have called Visual Koans, riddles about
reality that can only be answered by your authentic
response to the reality in front of you and not by
rational discourse. |
|
The Contemplative Landscape
is taught in places known for their solitude and beauty.
Digital cameras are preferred, but any format is
acceptable, including those who want to work in large
format and Polaroid materials. We will not be using
computers as such, but students are encouraged to bring
their laptops. We will offer printing from small and
portable inket printers. |
|
The Contemplative
Photography Landscape seeks simplicity, wholeness,
peace, and grace. It attempts to make a clean break from
the accepted conventional world where we usually live
and casts us into the “spiritual desert” of ourselves. |
|
Cost |
|
$770 ($100
deposit required at registration time) |
|
Discounts |
|
10% off for
those registering by May 11, 2008,
alumni, and members of our
Adirondack partner
organizations. |
|
Meals |
|
All
meals are included
in the cost of the workshop. |
|
Lodging |
|
Not included |
|
Participants |
|
15 max. |
|
Who should
attend |
|
This
is a workshop about seeing. People with the basic
knowledge of photography and digital capture with simple
digital or DSLR cameras should attend. No printing
or Photoshop experience is necessary, but a laptop
computer with a program to store and view images is
optional. |
Registration
Info Packet |
|
DeWolfe_2008.pdf |
