28 Jul 2014

Phases of Life and Photography: & where "Minimalism" fits in.

We all pass through three phases in life, each shaping our art. Align your photography with your current phase, and your work transforms reflecting your mind’s true state.

Phase I: Accumulation

Phase II: Moderation

Phase: III: Shedding

Phase I: Accumulation

By accumulation I mean the race for material gratification in objects like cars, bikes, mobiles, gadgets, jewellery, luxurious houses, vacations etc and money in general. In this phase one wants to accumulate as much as he/she can or all of what is possibly available.

This is a good phase to explore street photography: crowded frames, layered textures, competing subjects.

The chaos in the frame mirrors the restlessness inside. In accumulation, nothing feels insignificant and everything demands attention, and that energy translates naturally into busy, dense compositions. This is an ideal form for people who identify themselves in this phase.

Please See: Be it Photography or be it Art, it is all but a reflection of the photographer's/ artist's mind and what is he/she is currently experiencing in life and the phase he/she is passing through.

Street photography of a trader at Pushkar Ajmer Rajasthan by Prakash Ghai

Street Photography by © Prakash Ghai

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Phase II: Moderation

In the phase of Moderation, a quiet realization settles in that what you have is enough. The daily struggle has eased, life has found its rhythm, and contentment replaces the constant chase.

This phase calls for contemplative landscape photography. You are no longer rushing through life, you are watching it. The world has slowed down enough for you to notice its quieter beauty. Still waters, long shadows, solitary trees. You are present and unhurried, and that stillness translates naturally into landscapes that breathe. You are no longer chasing the frame, you are waiting for it.

A row of multi-story buildings along a lakefront in an Indian city, with their colorful facades perfectly reflected in the calm water below, set against a hazy blue sky and distant hills, shot by Prakash Ghai

Contemplative Landscape Photo By © Prakash Ghai
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Phase III: Shedding

It is only when you have reached Phase III is when you realize that you need to do away with all the Extra stuff that you have. This is where Minimalism could seep in.

Your understanding towards the benefits of "less" increases by the day and it starts reflecting in your personality. It is now that you really understand the importance of simplicity over luxury. The new luxury for you now is Convenience which is a by-product of simplicity. You also now have more time for yourself and have most of the answers of life that you have been looking for all your life.

This is a good time to look at doing Minimalist Photography as now your mind is almost like an empty slate with only the necessary data to hold. When such a mind depicts itself via Minimalist Photography, the results are usually fantastic.

Black and white minimalist photography of a sea dock curve with still water negative space by Prakash Ghai

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The three phases are not a hierarchy. None is better than the other. Each produces honest, powerful photography when you shoot from where you actually are.

The only question worth asking is: which phase am I in right now, and is my photography reflecting that honestly?

That alignment between your inner state and your frame is what makes the difference.

Prakash Ghai

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