Art | alan frost photography

A Still retreat – a mindful approach to creative photography with Paul Sanders

I have recently returned from arguably the best photographic workshop I have ever attended. I could stop there but let me explain my reasons for why I feel this way and share with you some of the images I made.

The workshop, or to use the correct term, retreat, was organised and run by Paul Sanders of Discover Still. I first met Paul a number of years ago when I heard him give an inspiring talk at Fotofest in Bath. He explained how being the Picture Editor for The Times drove him to the grip of depression before leaving that role in 2011 and turning to landscape photography. On the ‘About’ page of his website he states:

‘I traded noise and materialism for something far more precious: peace.’

The idea of attending one of his retreats only came to me a few weeks ago. Reading its description appealed to me on several levels. Firstly a holiday in a beautiful quiet location, staying in a manor house and enjoying the food prepared by a private chef. Secondly the opportunity to meet like minded photographers and to be inspired by them. Thirdly and out of choice, to have a complete break from all television, news, social media and any of life’s other distractions. And lastly to be encouraged and motivated by a facilitator who’s images I greatly admire and who I thought would adopt a very different approach to the concept of a photographic workshop. This was not about rushing to one ‘honeypot’ photo location, taking a few pictures, then moving on to the next destination trying to find the tripod holes left by the previous group of image makers. The retreat was based at The Stewardry on The Boconnoc Estate in Cornwall and there we would stay for the duration.

On the evening we arrived Paul explained that each participant could take things at their own pace, going to out to photograph when ever they wanted, or just stopping and being quiet to take in the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the nature around us. He made it clear that it was only by giving ourselves permission to stop, look around, touch and listen that our minds would begin to absorb nature and in so doing images might reveal themselves to us.

He reminded us of a quote by the American Photographer Minor White –

‘Be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence.’

‘Shadows of the Wanderer’ in Chichester Cathedral

This is a truly wonderful and thought provoking exhibition by the artist Ana Maria Pacheco, which is currently on display in the North Transept of Chichester Cathedral in West Sussex, and runs until the 14th November.

There are ten figures all wearing dark robes, each one carved from a single lime tree, with eyes made of onyx. The two central figures, again carved from a single piece of wood, depict a man carrying an elderly person. Based on Virgil’s Aeneid from 29BC, Aeneas carries his lame father on his back to escape the burning ruins of Troy. The other figures in the shadows have very differing expressions and postures, which provoke a wide range of emotions in the viewer. As you take in the scene it is impossible to escape the synergy with todays issues of migration and people fleeing from their homes in a stricken country, all seeking refuge in another place.

I rarely photograph art installations or exhibitions, as they can turn out to be nothing more than record shots. However I felt this was different, as the sculptures gave themselves to a form of portraiture, which also allowed me to make a set of images which I hope does justice to the artist’s work.

I was very fortunate to find myself in the Cathedral at a time when a single shaft of light from a high window moved through the ‘shadows’ to illuminate just one figure in the scene, almost as if the light of God was showing them the way.