After 20 years on Flickr, I razed my photostream to the ground. Wiped clean—I started anew. I burnt out doing photography professionally during COVID and have been languishing creatively ever since. I've put all my gear aside and I am making a spiritual homecoming. I started with a Nikon F3 and a single 50mm f/1.4 lens when learning this craft. It was a slow process that demanded presence. I've come so far from that style of shooting.

As I've gotten older, I've felt myself drawn to a more contemplative style of life, including when making photos. I have purchased a Nikon Z ƒ and a single Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 manual-focus-only lens. The Z ƒ looks so much like the F3. It’s an early birthday gift to myself. One camera and one lens—with the simplicity that brings—and an aim to reclaim the Zen idea of a beginner's mind. In the mind of an expert, there are few possibilities. That expert mindset blinded me to seeing the world with fresh eyes, dampening the desire to pick up my camera and simply create because I enjoyed making pretty images. I aim to find beauty in the mundane again.

The lens is full of imperfections, so its flaws render a touch of emotion and fullness that so often is lacking with modern lenses. I value precision, but I’ve come to recognize the primacy of humans as emotional creatures and have learned to see the value in that. I’ve come to see the pursuit of perfection as a kind of dis-ease, and that embracing the messy parts of life leads to a sense of ease.

This lens has no autofocus, so I must slow down and be more present for the images that I make. This will engage me more fully in the photographic process and should lead to greater satisfaction in taking photos, regardless of the outcome of pressing the shutter button.

This philosophy for photography is a reflection of my own spiritual journey. So, here, I embark on a new path in my journey as someone who takes photos. I do not know where it will lead, but I am taking the first step towards the unknown. May it be a therapy for me.