APRIL 2024: STEPHEN WILKES
“PHOTOGRAPH zen”
This month, the American fine art and commercial photographer Stephen Wilkes sets an assignment that asks you to explore peace, calm, and meditative photography. This assignment was initially set in episode #427.
THE ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
From Stephen: “I’m thinking of the word Zen as being the photographic assignment this month because in a World where we have so much tension going on right now, I feel it would be interesting to see if listeners could relate to being Zen. What is Zen, a visual sense of Zen in a photograph?
It might be a lone tree, a lake that’s calm, it could be a person sitting on a bench. It’s anything that reflects calm to you, like a quiet moment that allows you to experience a certain kind of calmness or meditation. I find myself, when I look at rocks on a beach feeling very Zen and meditative for example.
This picture could be very still or involve some kind of movement, though overall this is a picture that evokes a feeling.”
HOW TO ENTER. IMPORTANT NOTES ON FILE SIZE AND ENTRIES
Send your entries to stories@photowalk.show. Pictures should be 2,500 pixels wide, if possible, for online optimisation. Or send the full-resolution photo, which we will optimise. Feel free to provide text as well if you think it will help explain the location, context, etc.
Entries are shown below, and good luck!
Neale
COMING SOON: PLEASE NOTE, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF IMAGES STILL TO BE UPLOADED TO COMPLETE THE COLLECTION
STEPHEN WILKES
Stephen Wilkes is looking for a photographic that reflects a certain level of Zen, in April’s assignment. This photograph is from his Tapestries collection.
GLENN SOWERBY - FLASK WINNER FOR APRIL
Thank you for introducing me to some amazing and thought provoking photographers and their journeys. I really appreciate each and every episode and share where I can. Attached is my submission for the Stephen Wilkes "Zen" assignment. This is the first one I have entered, but hopefully not the last! For me "Zen" is the feeling of peace and calm and being in awe of your surroundings. Personally I find this when at the coast, whether with camera in hand or just sitting admiring the view and soaking in the experience whether it is crashing waves or a calm low tide. The image is of a recent sunrise at Roker Pier, Sunderland, on the North-East coast with a slightly longer exposure to smooth out the incoming tide. The sunrise, the smell and the sounds of the coast combining for my Zen tranquility. Just an amateur who enjoys being out with the camera. See more of Glenn’s work on his Instagram.
RICHARD BIRKET
Fog and mist seem to be a rare thing in Oxford. But one Saturday morning, I woke up to dense fog. Lots of rain had been falling (for months it seemed), so my local park, Florence Park, was quite flooded. Here, a path between an avenue of cherry trees was more like a narrow canal.
Calm. Quiet. Tranquil.
Xen.
Taken on my Fuji G617 panoramic film camera on Ilford FP4 120 (4 pictures per roll!).
JERILYN OWEN
This photo was taken along the beach at Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a part of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum which features the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The Edmund Fitzgerald actually sunk near Whitefish Point of Lake Superior. He was sound asleep sitting on this piece of driftwood. Actually this beach was filled with driftwood.. I refer to it as the driftwood cemetery. So many beautiful pieces of driftwood.
The gentleman was definitely in zen mode as his wife scoured the beach for sea glass that she uses for her crafting. She actually makes beautiful artwork and pictures with sea glass. They will travel to beaches where seagrass is known to be found from their home in Florida. They shared with us about their trip to the shores of Lake Huron, another of the Great Lakes - to the east of Lake Superior. He told us the shores of Lake Huron along the state of Pennsylvania have beautiful seagrass and rocks.
VICTORIA ROBB
This gives me a sense of zen - a mug of tea early in the morning looking out into the garden. The pebble held in the palm of the hand has a curved, cool and heavy feel that brings me calm if I need it. Together they whisk me away to the seashore, if only in my imagination.
MICHAEL MIXON
We're fortunate to live right next to a little patch of forest. On really warm days, I've found that the moment I walk into the forest, the temperature drops about 10 degrees. Similarly, my internal temperature (driven up by work or any number of petty annoyances) drops once I wander in and spend a few moments among the cool, moss-covered trees and the enveloping quiet. See more of Michael’s work on his Instagram.
PAUL HUGHES
My entry for this month's assignment of 'Zen' comes from something very new to me that I have been experimenting with this week. On Tuesday evening at our local Newport Photographic Club (Shropshire) meeting we had the pleasure of Janina Wilde presenting on the subject of multiple exposure photography. Although I had dabbled with it a little previouly - when I found a new button to twiddle on my Fujifilm - I had not really done much more. Janina gave a really interesting overview of both in and out of camera editing techniques and some very exciting and varied examples of what could be achieved. I was particularly drawn to the 180 and 360 degree work (ie moving around something taking multiple shots) of trees. I found this really quite inspiring and became my mission for Wednesday morning's photo/dog-walk. Attached is my latest attempt after my third trip back to the same tree in the middle of a farm field. I was thinking about capturing 'Zen' in an image, but what I actually found was the zen itself, and the completely immersive experience of making the image - pacing around a large oak tree, finding the angles and 'layering' the exposures together was completely engaging. This shot was made in-camera from 4 exposures covering 360 degrees of the tree and the surrounding landscape. There are little edits apart from a small crop and resizing. I have only been making images for 18 months so it is really nice to find something you have not really seen before and make something of it for yourself. See more of Paul’s work on Instagram.
PAUL FRIDAY
This picture of a single bird is at Swinsty Reservoir in North Yorkshire, just up the road from the top secret base at Menwith Hill.
PATRICK SHOENMAKERS
We have recently come back from a short holiday on the northwest coast of Spain where one day we passed a bench on this amazing, rugged coastline. I just had to take this photo of my wife and dog on it. We spend some great time there and felt totally zen. Zen on a bench.
DREW BROWN
For me, there are many situations in the landscape while photographing that are in the here and now, simple, straightforward, calming and beautiful : an expression of Zen. I saw a Zen quote saying, ‘breathe in with gratitude, breathe out with love’. That is exactly what I did while witnessing the temperature inversion attached at sunrise in the Peak District at Winnats Pass (below). I also find waterfalls to be incredibly beautiful places that encourage mindfulness and being at one with their beauty, as the featured Lumsdale Falls in the Peak District (above).
JEFF SMERALDO
Hello from America-land. I am submitting the attached photo for the Zen assignment. I took this photo one morning at a friend’s new house on the Pasquotank River near Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Our friends bought this property as a refuge after a pair of family losses (a parent and their son) and were looking for a place to find some calm. When we visited my friend pointed out this tree and the view. I got up the early next morning and took this photo as I enjoy looking for those moments of quieting and being present which is what I felt when I was out on the river that day.
MAURICE WEBSTER
For me, one (of the many) joys of visiting Japan is the quantity of stunning shrines and gardens in every town and city. In addition to the spiritual and cultural significance, they provide an opportunity to escape the crowds and hustle of city life in a tranquil and calming environment. This photo was taken in a small shrine in the heart of Fukuoka. Sitting next to a koi carp pond, I was mesmerised by the light and abstract shapes on the water - a truly zen moment. See more of Maurice’s work on Instagram.
PETER TURNBULL
The ocean can be a wild and unpredictable beast at times but, even at its meanest, watching and listening to waves crashing can give a sense of calm. And then there are the moments when it’s just you and the ocean, letting life’s worries wash over you as you drift. This shot of a single surfer, alone in her thoughts, was captured at my favourite place, Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast (Qld). To our right was a pack of 30 plus others, competing for waves. It proves you can be alone in a crowd, especially in the ocean. See more of Peter’s work on his website.
MICHAEL TENBRINK
I shot this earlier this week out the window of my seat on a Trenitalia train somewhere between Bari and Milan. At 7.5 hours, this was the longest train trip I’d taken since moving to Italy 18 months ago from California. I was excited about the journey for days ahead of time, and I wasn’t disappointed. My husband and I enjoyed hours of beautiful coastal views as we made our way up much of Italy’s eastern coastline before finally turning west. This trip reinforced my belief that train travel is the best travel. It gives me a feeling of peace and calm that cars are simply not able to provide. See more of Michael’s work on Instagram.
FRANK BITETTO
I hope you can sense the calm this photograph gives to me. Amazingly, it was taken amidst a cacophony of noise and action in the middle of a small amusement park. This woman was in a zone of her own and the objects around her each seem to have a place of their own — each just right where they belong. That gentle s-curve sweep of hair that falls in front of her face and the photo’s soft colors enhance that sense of peace.
AMANDA WOOD
I caught this Black Breasted Buzzard in a very Zen-like pose! He lives at Eagles Heritage in Margaret River which is one of Australia's largest bird of prey sanctuaries dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of injured, orphaned or displaced raptors.
DAVID HIGTON
The image of the lady in front of the red shutters was taken on a recent trip to Stockport-land, birthplace of Fred Perry in case your other listener doesn't know. After alighting the train, rather than heading into the town centre, we went to nearby Edgeley which as well as home to Stockport County FC, used to be one of the rougher areas but is now on the way up. We wandered down the pedestrian main street and the folks I passed were very friendly. The lady in the image was sitting outside the frozen food shop enjoying a moment of zen in the sunshine. As you can see from her attire, it hadn't been the warmest day earlier but she was definitely enjoying the welcome sunshine given the unseasonable cold and wet weather recently.
Apologies for sending a second image (below); however, when the assignment of zen was shot, I immediately thought of this photo that I had made in January in the indoor market in Macclesfield-land. It isn't a big market and there weren't many customers, mainly a few enjoying a cuppa in the nearby cafe. The gentleman seemed at peace working on his needlecraft as he sat in his haberdashery stall. Aside from the captured moment, the image has interest given the disappearance of this type of stall and retailer to the internet.
DAVID HORNE
Whenever I’m at the beach or any body of water for that matter, I find peace, Just something about it makes me feel calm, focused and at peace. Maybe it’s the waves melodically hitting the beach, the calm ocean breeze, or the call of the gulls searching for food, the whole scene just makes me relax and drink it all in the instant I arrive. This shot of the lone palm tree, the beach walker and the empty chair inviting me to sit epitomizes my Zen. See more of David’s work on his VERO.
MARILYN DAVIES
I spotted this scene when I was out for a photowalk on Sunday. This park is next to an historic landmark in Brisbane city (the old windmill) and the serenity of the location grabbed me and the light was just right. The park is King Edward Park in Wickham Terrace. I could just imagine sitting there with a good book and whiling away a few hours. This image has been with me all day when considering Zen.
KIM COFIELD
I am an avid collector of house plants; I don’t know exactly how many I own, I stopped counting at 100! I keep my eye on the plants daily, providing water, feed, pest prevention, repotting, taking cuttings etc dependent on each plants individual requirement. It is not unheard of for me to spend a couple of hours tending to them (not every day, mine you, perhaps every fortnight or so).
You may find myself asking why would all this work provide me with moments of zen? I find it difficult to find the words to explain it, other than to say working with my plants calms my mind. There is something in the act of holding a plant, giving it the care it needs in that particular moment that allows me to focus on the plant and nothing else, providing me with a state of mind that can only be described as zen.
This photo is an in camera multiple exposure of my Philodendron Verrucosum. The veining of the leaves and the glorious contrast of the red and green seen within each leaf was calling to be photographed. Which of course provided me with another moment of zen!
May you always walk in beauty.
See more of Kim’s work on her Instagram grid.
ROB SPICER
This picture of my Pomeranian Ellie is my Zen. It was a very lazy Sunday afternoon and she was sleeping in the sun. There wasn't another sound in the house except the ticking of a clock. Of course when I pressed the shutter the sound woke her up and she climbed up on the couch beside me and we lay there while I gave her a belly rub until we both fell asleep for a little nap.
PHILIP ALLEN
I thought of this image as soon as the assignment was announced. It was taken in the Barbican a hive of brutalist architecture where this gentleman decided to have a very mindful moment. It feels like he has found his spot for quiet peaceful relaxation.
GREG PICONE
This image I’ve submitted is one of my Zen retreats. The Toms River meanders through Winding River Park. I’ll drop by there quite often when I need to refresh. It’s an unhurried, ever changing landscape offering calmness and relief.
ALEX HACKNEY
At the time of this photo, I didn't realize this image would fulfill my monthly assignment. Once I got back and was looking at it, that is all I could think about. I was visiting some family down in North Carolina near the Holden Beach area and we came to this riverwalk. It had been a hectic day of travel to even get to the state and being able to walk around with my camera to document our time together really put me at rest. This image was taken at the riverwalk.
MARTIN PENDRY
Here’s my submission for this month's assignment; a captivating image capturing Zen's essence amidst nature's tranquil beauty. As I embarked on a weekend escapade with my husband, visiting an old friend nestled in the serene outskirts of Henley-on-Thames, I was greeted by a scene that resonated deeply with the spirit of renewal and harmony.
At Stoner House, amidst lush greenery and the promise of spring, we stumbled upon an Easter egg hunt for the children. Amidst the festivities, my gaze was drawn to a remarkable sight: a moss-covered rabbit, seemingly caught in a moment of stillness, casting its shadow against the backdrop of the season's burgeoning life.
In this image, the moss-covered Easter bunny is a poignant symbol of the cycle of life and the passage of time. As spring unfolds its splendour, the bunny stands as a sentinel of renewal, a testament to the eternal rhythm of nature. Its presence amidst the vibrant foliage speaks to the quiet beauty of existence, urging us to pause and reflect on the fleeting moments of serenity that grace our lives.
As we capture this moment through the camera lens, we are reminded of the delicate balance between growth and decay, between the ephemeral and the enduring. Just as the Easter bunny will eventually retreat to its burrow, allowing summer to envelop the landscape, so too do we witness the ever-changing landscape of our own lives, guided by the gentle rhythm of the seasons.
Through this image, I seek to evoke a sense of tranquillity and introspection, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the timeless beauty of nature and find solace in the fleeting moments of Zen that grace our journey through life.
See more of Martin’s work on Instagram.
HARRIET LANGRIDGE
The story behind the picture is one of me being in a local hot rod shop, taking some pictures for an exhibition/competition that the camera club I currently belong to is running. I told the guys who work there what I was doing and to ignore me, but tell me if I got in the way. None of the pictures I took were posed. I didn't get in the way, and had a great time doing it. This was a picture I happened to see as I was walking back through the shop of one of the guys who I had previously seen doing bodywork on a Morris Oxford. Zen.
RICHARD SMITH
A moment of Zen in a field of sunflowers. A photo I took of my wife having a moment of appreciation for an endless view of a sunflower field. See more of Rick’s pictures on his Instagram.
RICHARD OLDROYD
This is my Zen... sat in a hide at our local nature reserve, Pennington Flash. This hide shows the area to the right of the image where the Grey Heron nests. If you look to the top right you will see a Heron fishing and an assortment of waterfowl across the image. I mainly shoot for the stock sites, so I do not really keep up with my Instagram, but I do occasionally post as every now and then we need to shoot for ourselves, and nature is one of my favourite places to be.
See more of Richard’s work on his Instagram.
GRAHAM GOODWIN
This is my contribution to the Zen assignment. This guy was standing in one of Melbourne's busiest streets completely oblivious to the world around him and focused entirely on his child. See more of Graham’s work on his Instagram.
