The Inner Path of Photography – intensive seminar, starts September 8th

Hi…well, the intro class is over, and now it’s time for the big stuff!

4  Tuesdays in September…nine  hours of learning, exploring, and becoming even more adept at listening to your inner voice, matching it with your outer vision, and creating the images and life that bring you joy and satisfaction.

I’m really enjoying sharing my expertise that integrates my background in photography, psychotherapy, and meditative and healing arts; let me share the magic with you.

SEPTEMBER, 2009

“THE INNER PATH OF PHOTOGRAPHY”
Intensive Seminar

September 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009 (4 Tuesdays), 6:15 pm – 8:30 pm
Houston, TX (Montrose area, location upon registration)
Fee: $150.00

“Each artist going in his own direction at some time walks on water.”

- Minor White, Photographer

What is the inner experience of photography? Deep, spiritual, rarely discussed…it is what seduces us and send us out to shoot again and again. We yearn for the taste of the sacred…and through our cameras discover it, the world, and ourselves.

This class is for those who want to explore more deeply the intuitive, mystical part of their photography practice, work with personal blocks to full creative expression, as well as learn more about themselves and life challenges and choices.

Drawing on the tradition of the photographer Minor White, and using techniques and philosophies from Zen, psychology, and other contemplative and healing practices, we’ll come to understand more fully this silent experience, apply it to our art, and enhance the quality of both our photography and life.

Attention, resonance, the “still point”…choices, perfectionism, the “click,”…openness to experience, making art vs. being in the flow, embracing the creative process: these are some of the tools that we’ll explore as you build your inner photography practice and improve your outer resulting images.

As you more deeply understand and work with your inner artistic process, you’ll also see how life parallels art, and through this increased awareness,  learn how to more easily dance with  your own life challenges and decisions.

Class includes lecture, exposure to diverse photographic expressions & philosophy, meditative and other experiential,  outside applications (homework), shooting and sharing of photographs.

***Click here to register  online ****

OR

Contact Heidi at heidi@straubephoto.com or 713.521.1676

I love teaching Inner Path Photography!

Hey, thanks to all who participated in the “Introduction to the Inner Path of Photography” workshop yesterday…We really covered a lot, didn’t we? Inside and out, spiritually and tangibly.

Good insights, good photographs too…and some nice perspectives to apply to our lives, whether shooting photographs or not.

I remembered how much I love to teach what I believe in and that inspires me…and also how much I learn from participants at the same time.

Loved affirming that we all share similar challenges as photographers:  wanting  perfectionism, finding our own muse, avoiding the “shoulds” of others; recognizing the “shoulds” of our own inner slave driver and allowing ourselves to play!

And beginning the discussion of how to work with those challenges, and get back to the joy we felt when we first discovered our new love affair.

“M”: thanks for the “I want to go to bed with my camera again!” sentiment…It captures so beautifully what we’re all yearning for and love to feel when the that photographic/inner spirit passion connects.

Yesterday was inspiring, supportive, and full of camaraderie. That’s what I love about photographers…most are grooving on the joy of life, and enjoy sharing their discoveries and feeling.

Now I’ll get ready for the September intensive….So many ideas, so little time!

(See “Inner Path classes” tab on this blog; also you can find description here on my transformational life counseling site.)

What Happened? Follow up to “Photographer’s Anxiety: Making Choices”

I realized this morning that I posted some of the photographs that I finally printed after my anxiety jag (see postings on August 18), but didn’t share how I actually got to those images.

Curious? Have been in the same situation yourself? Here’s a short recap, to the best of my recollection:

I did go make myself lunch. Food is always good for me, it’s grounding, makes me take a break, away from my brain. Also I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten anxious, depressed, tired, etc. and then after spending far too much time psycho-analyzing myself and trying to figure out why I’m feeling bad (what am I supposed to learn from this? what am I blocking? what is this issue? etc etc)….I realize that I haven’t eaten and 90% of the mental distress is because I haven’t eaten and my body’s out of balance. Hungry body = Heidi’s wacko brain, emotions out of balance.

I’m not suggesting food as the answer to all inner angst, of course…but sometimes the basics (healthy food, sleep, exercise, and yes…sex!) go a long way as a first line of healing.

OK, so I’m well fed and happier.

Went back to the computer to browse the images again. Decided that I wanted to print images from my Martha’s Vineyard trip, because I haven’t spent much time with them, it’s been almost 2 months now, I already started a blog that I posted very little to,  and people keep asking me where my MV pictures are.

Plus some “icing on the cake” motivation is that I’d like to do some work in Martha’s Vineyard this fall or next spring/summer, things like retreats, workshops, Inner Path of Photography classes…and it would be nice to have something simple and visual to jazz up my project proposals and use in marketing.

Great, a decision has been made! Martha’s Vineyard it is.

But which images? I was there for 7 days, and have a folder for each day with about 100 images each. Here we go again.

So what did I do? I went with the energy, with my curiosity, with what turns me on.

As I browsed through the images, I realized that there were some that I thought I “should” print…because the woman I rented my cottage from would like to have those that I took of her place, because people who’ve never been to the Cape and Islands have never seen the type of houses/architecture that is there and I could show them that…on and on…all of the reasons to do what will make other people happy.

Yes, I would still like to do that. But as I mentioned before, I want to do fine art prints, and the images above felt like snapshots…I could print those out on my little HP printer in minutes, or throw them up onto a Google website, and people would be happy.

Some could eventually be printed as fine art prints…but they weren’t where my energy was drawn to, so I passed.

I’ve been very intrigued with beach photos in the past year, especially taking them at the end of the day in near darkness, or on rainy or foggy days. Remembered that I had some nice foggy shots, so went searching for them.

And finally found ones that felt good to look at, remember the experience, and want to express the magic, charm, joy, mysticism in them.

I’ve posted some of the results. Some rolled easily off the printer; others took more work at printing skills that I am learning.

I’ll post more as I work through them…

But the point I want to share here is that my decision making became clearer, and my anxiety decreased when I got in alignment with what personally gave me energy. Not what would give others energy, what I “should” print, or what was technically the best, most impressive image.

I followed my curiosity and willingness to be different. I printed what made me feel expansive. I allowed myself to re-engage with the feelings I had when I was shooting, and to celebrate the whole experience through feeling, printing, completing.

I also threw away my need for each image to be the ultimate shot. There were  some images that I wasn’t sure I liked, that felt potentially “boring,” but that were still calling to me. I played with them anyway, realizing the gift of my photo group that evening: What better place to take images I was unsure of and see what others made of them? I basked in the enjoyment of printing what I loved, and in the richness of anticipating the group support and creative exchange.

So that’s my story. More angst and anxiety to come, I’m sure…but getting back in the flow was great…and I’m still riding the wave

P.S. Photo group was great…lots of discussion, interesting work by all, great camaraderie, pizza, and wine!

And more…

State Beach, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. This is the first image of a triptych of waves...I haven't figured out how to put the three together for a final image yet...hmm, sounds like another Photoshop lesson needed...there's always something...

Leaving the Vineyard…last piece of land seen from the ferry…

The results (see photographer’s anxiety post)

Windsurfer, early evening, Sengekontacket Pond, Martha’s Vineyard

Beginner kite surfer…he was doing great! and very happy…(Sengekontacket Pond, Martha’s Vineyard)

Photographer’s Anxiety: Making choices

Today I finally have a whole afternoon that I can print photos. I scheduled it that way, and have been looking forward to it, particularly because a group of my photographer friends are coming over tonight to share our work.

“This will be great!” I thought, “I’ll have so many (wonderful, of course) images to show!”

Well.

I’ve been sitting here for the last 45 minutes, browsing through photo shoots with hundreds of images, trying to decide which ones to print.

And feeling totally anxious, truly,  physically anxious…my chest tight, hard to breathe, body tense.

What’s that about?! This is supposed to be fun!

I’m looking…looking…trying to choose…

I have photos from Martha’s Vineyard in June, photos from my brother’s visit and our trip to Galveston in July, photos from my niece and family’s visit to my mother’s in Connecticut. Photos from my latest move, images of my latest storage home , images from the first day I moved into this beautiful housesit, squirrel images, rain images……aaaack!!

And I want to print them all…RIGHT NOW.

But I can’t print them all this afternoon. Why not? Because I’m not just printing snapshots, I’m printing fine art prints. Which involves making light and color decisions, choosing the best image among similar ones, making paper decisions, trying out prints, seeing what works best, coming up with the ultimate version that makes me happy.

And that takes time. And now I’m already running out of it. And I feel like I have to choose “the most important” images in order to use my time well. Plus, ok, honestly, I want to have something wonderful to show my friends tonight.

What else? Ahem…a little deeper: There’s a whole emotional piece here,  the proverbial elephant in the room.

I  can’t decide whether I want to go the family portraits route and get into that emotional connection, go the landscape direction and be in expanded ocean feeling, or go play with artsy documentation of the moving transition I’ve been making.

They all sound good! They’re all different feelings! I want them all! Now!

And any one of those directions also has the potential to make me feel…conflicted. Not as talented as I’d like to be. Bored. Wishing my life were different.

Crazy-making, right? No wonder artists get such a reputation for being neurotic! I guess we are

But “neurotic” in a good way.

I like my standards of excellence. I like seeing that I have many choices of artistic direction.

I like the feeling of creation and finally getting into the flow and seeing magic happen as the photos emerge on paper.

And I realize that there’s also the flip side of the creative process: the resistance, the fear of failure, the feeling that it must come out right as soon as possible, the not wanting to “waste” time even though you know that “wasting” time is actually part of the process.

The wanting to have it all, express it all, share the urgency of feeling/seeing all of this beauty and spirit with others, yet knowing that others may not appreciate it.

Hmm, another life theme  as well as a creative challenge. Wanting to do it all, resisting making choices, wanting to know the “right” one, afraid of wasting time. Wanting others to appreciate my efforts. Forgetting that my life’s path is not a rational, straight line, and that any choice will make things unfold, and the adventure will continue.

Enough! Here’s what I’m going to do.

Stop writing this blog.

Embrace my anxiety and delight in my artist’s dilemma (this anxiety must mean I’m a true artist, right?

Go in the kitchen and eat lunch.

And return ready…

…to be an amazing photographer, in the flow, listening to my inner knowing.

Ready to make some choices, let go of perfectionism,  see what my spirit finds to play with, find the magic, and enjoy the process.

Ready to share the outcome, whatever it may be, with others.

Stay tuned…

“Introduction to the Inner Path of Photography”, Saturday, August 22, 2009

This will be a really interesting class…an “appetizer” for the intensive “Inner Path of Photography” 4-week seminar that will held in September…register now!

“Introduction to  the Inner Path of Photography”
Saturday, August 22, 1:00 – 4:00 PM (location to be sent upon registration, Houston, Texas, Montrose area)
Fee $45.00. This class requires pre-registration by Wednesday, August 19th. If space is available, drop-in fee is $60.00.

For photographers as well as spiritual seekers, this afternoon seminar will give participants a “taste” of the 4 week intensive seminar that I’ll be offering in the fall.

In the tradition of the famous photographer Minor White, this class is for those who want to explore more deeply the intuitive, mystical part of photography, and through this process, improve their photography as well as discover more about themselves.

Instead of worrying about aperture, using the right lens, or having correct composition, you’ll begin to learn about resonance, inner knowing, how you make choices, and what keeps you from “taking the shot”…in photography and in life.

Apply what you learn to your photographic process and become a better photographer; apply it to your life process and create a better life. All that is required for this intro class is your curiosity, openness, and a camera.

To register for “Introduction to the Inner Path of Photography” or for further information, please contact me at heidi@straubephoto or through the Contact Heidi section of my website,  or 713.521.1676.

Workshop this Saturday the 8th…”Envision Your Life: Create a Vision Board and See Your Life Unfold”

Hi, here’s a new class! If you’re in Houston, come and have fun…

“Envision Your Life: Create a Vision Board and Watch Your Life Unfold”
Saturday, August 8, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Guru Ram Das Ashram, 1120 Jackson Blvd, Houston, TX 77010.
Fee $35.00
Bring poster board of any size and color, scissors, magazines, glue stick

Vision boards are a physical reflection of what your inner self desires. Through the use of images, you become aware of what you want in your life and what is possible.

You’ll do some yoga, meditate, connect with your inner knowing, and then let your intuition lead you to the images that you resonate with. You’ll have fun arranging and glueing the images onto poster board (artfully or not, it doesn’t matter!) and then be amazed to see what inspires, surprises, and makes you happy.

Class ends with techniques of how to use your vision board to remind you of what’s important, and next steps to bring that into your life.  This Saturday morning workshop is fun and light, while bringing you powerful results. No artistic experience required

To register for “Envision Your Life,” or for further information, please contact me through  e-mail, hs@heidistraube.com or 713.521.1676.

Did You Know…(MFAH Sculpture Garden)

…that the sculpture garden at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) is open every night until 10 PM?

And that there are new cafe tables and chairs, so you can read, write, or picnic with your friends and family in the  beauty of the garden?

One of Houston’s hidden treasures — and there was even a nice breeze tonight.

Moonlight conversations, anyone?

Impermanence and the photographer’s experience

“Mr. Cunningham often spoke and wrote movingly about the nature of dance and would laugh about its maddening impermanence. “You have to love dancing to stick to it,” he once wrote. “It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.“

(Quote from NY Times, Alistair Macaulay, “Merce Cunningham, Dance Visionary, Dies,” July 27, 2009)
(Bolding added by Heidi)

Yes, this is how I feel in the middle of shooting photographs, when all comes together, no mind, no planning, just being…me and the camera and all around me as one…and that is why I feel alive after a photo shoot, whether it be commercial, personal work, or casual family and friends.
Wouldn’t our lives be much better also if we could transfer this experience to each moment of our day…

Those who practice Buddhism are already aware of this approach to life…but one doesn’t have to be a Buddhist in order to live in this manner. The act of taking photographs is a spiritual practice in itself, as one connects with inner resonance and truth, and expresses it in the outer finished photograph.

The essence of shooting is an immersion in the joy of impermanence….where nothing else matters but now…and now…and now…timelessness and total feeling alive at the same moment.