Just still.
Simply beautiful photographs inspired by stillness, space and air.
Every month we invite artists to share work that’s inspired by stillness. My friend and photographer, Alan Burles, very kindly shared a series of stunning images of horizons from around the world. You can see the complete series on the BreatheSync instagram feed here and a selection below.
Here is a short interview with Alan about the photographs:
Why did you agree to the collaboration?
Firstly because Michael Townsend Williams has been a friend for many years and I admire BreatheSync and its approach and goals. And secondly because Horizons is a series specifically about stillness, space and air.
How did you approach it?
I’ve been shooting it for a number of years now so it already existed. The concept is simple, the executions are not quite as simple as they look in that finding flat areas of sky demands careful watching of the light and positioning of the camera.
How does your relationship with breathing affect your creative work?
While actually shooting it is important to breath deeply and then be still while the shutter is pressed. This not only makes for a sharp photograph but I want my photographs to have a stillness and presence to them and it is being still that helps empty the mind so that photo ‘takes itself’. later in the process I tend to get lost in processing my photos and can find myself slumping in front of the computer. Breathing and my awareness of BreatheSync help me regain posture and good breathing habits.
Any advice for budding photographers?
Sure. Depending on your style of photography, I find it’s important to get out of your own way when taking photographs. I don’t need my personality to be in there, I just want the photograph to speak (sing) for itself.
This is how Alan explained his thinking behind the series:
A horizon is the line at which the earth’s surface and the sky appear to meet. But note the word ‘appear’. A horizon is an illusion. It looks like a solid line but it’s not. It also looks like somewhere to be reached, a destination. But on apparent arrival, the view will be yet another apparent horizon. Ad infinitum. The only constant about a horizon, as in our lives, is the boundless space (awareness) in which it manifests — what I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see.
Thanks Alan. We couldn’t agree more.
If you are inspired to breathe the world better with words and images, please get in touch.
