ARTS: Yugen Photography

[Horin]

Hello Folks,
I want to start a thread that is dealing with one of my favorite concepts of Japanese aesthetics called Yūgen (幽玄). It's almost impossible to explain or translate its meaning. The most precise may be "deep" or "mysterious". We can experience these moments in everyday life but in general it's a profound experience of something mysterious that is very impressive, like a walk in an old forest that causes a deep feeling of all-one-ness, watching the vast ocean or the sunset that let us realize how unimportant our problems are, or any other moments that brings some depth into our experience..


... I want to share a picture that I made in spring. I was driving with my car in the fields outside of the city where I live in a cloudless night to find a dark area without lights around to catch the night sky. It was one of the nights where the lyrids meteor shower crossed the earth. At 3:30AM I arrived and when I get out of the car I encountered a deep silence although various insects were singing and sheep's bleating around me. It was very dark, I think it was new moon. There were countless stars printing the milky way over my head and I saw 2 shooting stars falling from the sky.

I made a photograph of the night sky and stacked the pictures, each with a duration of few seconds to avoid star trails. Unfortunately no picture can catch the mood of the moment.. 6981

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[Shokai]

Unfortunately no picture can catch the mood of the moment

Horin;
I think this picture came very close to doing just that; beautiful. I could hear the crickets, but then again that was probably the tinitus I've been living with for fifty years [scared]
Thanks for sharing this

gassho, Shokai
stlah

[Nengei]

Horin-san, what a singularly beautiful photograph! And a wonderful concept. I presume you are familiar with the photography of the late John Daido Loori Roshi, who pursued photography similarly.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Jishin]

Wonderful picture!

Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Horin]

Horin;
I think this picture came very close to doing just that; beautiful. I could hear the crickets, but then again that was probably the tinitus I've been living with for fifty years [scared]
Thanks for sharing this

gassho, Shokai
stlahHaha, sorry that made me laugh, Shokai!
But thank you for the feedback, guys.

Nengei, oh I didn't know that Loori Roshi was into photography! Amazing, I need to take a look at his pictures!

Gassho

Horin

Stlah

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[Nengei]

Horin, yes, Daidoshi was a photographer professionally. He merged his artistic work with his Zen practice for all of his Dharma life.

Here are few of his images: http://www.sensri.org/loori.html

EDIT: Second link removed; they weren't his photographs.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Seikan]

Horin,

I love your photo. It is simply sublime.

I am only somewhat familiar with the concept of Yugen, so I am grateful for this reminder to look into it a bit more. gassho1

Gassho,
Seikan (Rob)

-stlah-

[Kyotai]

Perfect,

Gassho, Kyotai
ST

[Kyotai]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/e8555dd14fa3b0dce70a7422deb194bf.jpg
Walking with Bear.
Gassho, Kyotai
ST


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[Gareth]

It's a very nice photo. Thanks for sharing.

Gassho,
Gareth

Sat today

[Jishin]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/a158d7eb0b360b9e5898d3c7b30180eb.jpeghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/6ae3a04979267546ae4ed19f2d334d7a.jpeghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/6e98f7efdb1dba221ce86f334a3602b7.dnghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/c38b07e00fa35dc248c417e0e56b4f0a.jpg

USA tonight


Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Jishin]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/d610896bb90fe469b7400de7f68db43e.jpeghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/86505de33502e67ed5403a24b8e2db55.jpeghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/8f1e9e6a652118e3d5c6a90900db7e58.jpeg

USA tonight.

Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Jishin]

https://youtu.be/iOy6JPPIyEg

https://youtu.be/WCweYwYGoUE

USA tonight.

Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Horin]

Jishin, amazing pictures.. I like them!

Nengei, thanks for the link, very interesting

Gassho
Horin

Stlah

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[Meitou]

Horin, yes, Daidoshi was a photographer professionally. He merged his artistic work with his Zen practice for all of his Dharma life.

Here are few of his images: http://www.sensri.org/loori.html

EDIT: Second link removed; they weren't his photographs.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

We did an entire project based on JDL in the Art Circle, he was one of our main influences - what a shame if you didn't see it at the time. The project is still there if you search - I see everything has been archived-but not difficult to find.
The seven aesthetic aspects are very interesting and would make a great frame for any creative project, particularly photography and writing. A rather lovely little book to keep on hand is 'Ikigai and other Japanese words to live by', written by Mari Fujimoto with photographs by the wonderful Michael Kenna.
I'm currently working on an art book project portraying the 72 Japanese Microseasons, hoping to work from my own photos based around the seven aesthetics.
I would say that when we respond to these images in a profound way, we're actually witnessing and responding to the beauty of the dharma in all things.
Gassho
Meitou
Sattoday lah

[Kokuu]

Nengei, oh I didn't know that Loori Roshi was into photography! Amazing, I need to take a look at his pictures!

Thank you so much for this Horin. Your night sky picture is wonderful! I don't think any art ever captures the moment but is a version of it. It doesn't mean it isn't worth doing though!

Daido Loori published a number of books of his photography and teachings on it including the lovely Making Love With Light (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/929055.Making_Love_with_Light).

This is a photo of beech trees in the fog I took a few autumns past... https://www.flickr.com/photos/23824911@N05/10891840434/in/dateposted-public/

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Jishin]

715 in AM from West Texas today.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/13f353f16179c339cd20fb8216c5ae5a.jpg

Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Inshin]

Thank you Horin for starting this thread. I love to capture those moments, photography is a wonderful thing. Oh how I miss the starry nights like the one you've captured!

Here is one of my Yūgen moments, in 2007 I was blessed to witness McNaught comet in Cape Town.
6982

Gassho
Sat

[Inshin]

Sunrise over sacred Mt. Kailash in Kalpa village.

6983

Mountains have something mysterious in them.

https://youtu.be/3w8WIz2QcIw

Gassho
Sat

[Jishin]

Beautiful Ania!

Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Horin]

Thank you Horin for starting this thread. I love to capture those moments, photography is a wonderful thing. Oh how I miss the starry nights like the one you've captured!

Here is one of my Yūgen moments, in 2007 I was blessed to witness McNaught comet in Cape Town.
6982

Gassho
SatWow, so powerful!!
That's a great mood, thank you for sharing, Ania,

Gassho

Horin
Stlah

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[Horin]

Another moment,
2015, in Spain, I was capturing a flash with the Bulb mode of my camera.
I was sitting at the back of the house and watching a summer thunderstorm in the mountains, listening to the rain. It was a great ensemble, with the fresh breeze shaking the trees..

Gassho
Horin
Stlah https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/39905942fe9d801fd8bb242cf606ba2e.jpg

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[Horin]

Another long exposure: on a lake. I tried to capture the stillness of the lake that I felt.

Gassho
Horin
Stlah https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/ad9dd5c287be8a04eb6ead5ea9365442.jpg

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[Horin]

Can you imagine the snow crunching under the feet? A morning walk by a local lake in winter

Gassho
Horin
Stlah https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210118/f701cc671ae45d5cad065881c25bfc09.jpg

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[Hensho]

"I would say that when we respond to these images in a profound way, we're actually witnessing and responding to the beauty of the dharma in all things.""

--Yes! Yes! I completely agree.

Gassho,
Hensho

[Horin]

If the conditions are right, a seed sprouts even in the desert...

..a closeup in summer 2015

Gassho

Horin

Stlah 6985

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[Inshin]

6992

Ascension. Christ the Redemeer above the clouds of Rio de Janeiro.

Gassho
Sat

[Horin]

6992

Ascension. Christ the Redemeer above the clouds of Rio de Janeiro.

Gassho
SatStunning!

Gassho

Horin

Stlah

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[Tai Shi]

I admire Jishin's photographs. In most countries I am a rich man. I have 4 D.S.L.R. camera bodies, models spanning 10 years, what photographers call "low end." Years ago. my camera bodies were about $1500 or more but my current cameras take better photos. I have only one camera that was new at $500.One less than $400. Two less than $200 . Three weren't new. My cameras take good pictures. I have 8 lenses which were all new but one. I have easy software. I know a few features of my software. I have an average printer and a great computer, but my computer does many things. Life as an avid armature is good. From 1967 to 2021 I have spent thousands on cameras which take good pictures. My iPhone 11 is a good camera. None of these are top models. All is fun. Am I selfish?
Gassho
sat/ lah
Tai Shi