Landscape photography and Chinese philosophy - scito te ipsum
Different types of photography might differ as immensely as, say, ballet and hip-hop. Classification, however, seldom goes any deeper than a certain genre of photography and looking further into what appears a solid block of categorization and then adding a bit of a cultural/philosophical perspective might unveil a few interesting things.
Traditionally the two main elements of the classic Chinese landscape are water and mountains and a typically beautiful scene would include both of them - this is perfectly reflected in a Chinese idiom for striking scenery, 有山有水, which literally means “presence of mountains and water”.
Water and mountains represent the two major constituents of our natural surroundings and their character is opposite yet supplementary enough to constitute bipolarity. Water is soft and flexible yet steadfast and unforgiving; mountains, on the other hand, are grand and immovable yet merciful and tolerant. The relationship between water and mountains is that of mutual constraint and compliance - water goes around mountains, mountains are shaped by water. Extending these attributes onto the paradigm of human universe would suggest that water is representative of sense while mountains stand for sensibility.
Confucius believed that man is an indivisible part of his natural surroundings and, due to this, water and mountains inevitably influence or represent (it would be rather difficult to pin down the cause-and-effect relationship here) certain aspects of the human character; in other words, the fundamental essence of water and mountains is imprinted upon our souls (or represents our nature if you prefer to be on the other side of the cause-and-effect argument). Apparently with this in mind, Confucius has said:
“智者乐水仁者乐山”
“Sage favours water, benevolent favours mountains”
Now from the standpoint of a landscape photographer I believe that the types of scenery we choose to photograph are not picked randomly, nor are they selected equally; I in fact think that there is an easily traceable trend in what kinds of landscapes each of us favours. If you reflect upon your usual photographic destinations I am sure you will be able to easily identify your preferences and, furthermore, establish what speaks to you in them in particular.
If there is a certain relationship between the essence of the key elements of one's preferred landscapes and his character then looking closely at what kinds of scenery you tend to like - not only photographing but also looking at in other photographers' work - and then examining quintessence and traits of its major elements might help you to obtain a deeper understanding of your personality. Do you often find yourself in the mountains or near water? Do you make decisions spontaneously or is logic your forte? As suggested by Confucius there is a certain correlation between the two and knowledge of the former is a basis for a better understanding of the latter.
This also gives a whole new meaning to landscape photography. Chasing light to create aesthetically beautiful photographs is only what it is on the surface - on a deeper level we seek consistency between what appears before our eyes and our inner selves. Put differently, we intuitively search for reflection and affirmation of our basic tendencies on the outside and a much grander scale and then try our best to capture that connection using the means of photography. In other words, the images we produce are important to us not only due to their aesthetic value but also as an abstract representation of our utmost essence.
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Which one is you? And if you think you belong in between the two camps, |
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