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The home of enthusiastic supporters of Fine Art Photography. We respect its history, admire its present form, and look forward to its future.

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PHOTOGRAPHY|WRITING|CREATIVE WRITING

Shooting London

Meditation-powered photography

2 min readApr 14, 2025

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The parent/carer and the child happened to walk into the frame as I tried to capture St Giles Cripplegate in the background. I love how long their shadows are(all photos by author)

The background story is as important as the images themselves. The pictures in this post were taken on Saturday just gone at the Barbican. The previous five days, Monday through Friday, I had been working in Victoria Park, east London. The cycle journey from home to work was roughly eight miles each way. In addition, I’d signed up for a shift with the charity Refugee Community Kitchen on Friday evening. Oh, and before I forget, I’d run a half-marathon on Sunday, 6th April.

By late Saturday afternoon, when these photos were taken, I felt wiped out.

My partner and I had just come out of Noad Davis’s retrospective at the Barbican Art Gallery and decided to have a breather on the terrace. I closed my eyes and went into a meditative mode. I didn’t fall asleep, nor did I even doze off lightly. I was still able to hear the sounds of voices around me, whilst a weak spring sun warmed my face.

At some point, I focused on my breathing, inhaling, holding, and exhaling, and really concentrating on the long out breath. This went on for about a quarter of an hour.

When I opened my eyes again, it felt as if I were watching the world anew. It was still the same Barbican, the building whose…

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The home of enthusiastic supporters of Fine Art Photography. We respect its history, admire its present form, and look forward to its future.

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