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Thread: ARTS: Yugen Photography

  1. #1

    ARTS: Yugen Photography

    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.. IMG_20210117_200800.jpg

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    Last edited by Jundo; 01-24-2021 at 02:28 AM.

  2. #2
    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
    Thanks for sharing this

    gassho, Shokai
    stlah
    合掌,生開
    gassho, Shokai

    仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

    "Open to life in a benevolent way"

    https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

  3. #3
    Treeleaf Unsui Nengei's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Minnesota's Driftless Area
    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.

  4. #4
    Wonderful picture!

    Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Shokai View Post
    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
    Thanks for sharing this

    gassho, Shokai
    stlah
    Haha, 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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  6. #6
    Treeleaf Unsui Nengei's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Minnesota's Driftless Area
    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.
    Last edited by Nengei; 01-17-2021 at 10:51 PM.

  7. #7
    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.

    Gassho,
    Seikan (Rob)

    -stlah-

  8. #8
    Kyotai
    Guest
    Perfect,

    Gassho, Kyotai
    ST

  9. #9
    Kyotai
    Guest

    Walking with Bear.
    Gassho, Kyotai
    ST


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  10. #10
    It's a very nice photo. Thanks for sharing.

    Gassho,
    Gareth

    Sat today

  11. #11


    USA tonight


    Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

  12. #12


    USA tonight.

    Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

  13. #13




    USA tonight.

    Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

  14. #14
    Jishin, amazing pictures.. I like them!

    Nengei, thanks for the link, very interesting

    Gassho
    Horin

    Stlah

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  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Nengei View Post
    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
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  16. #16
    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.

    This is a photo of beech trees in the fog I took a few autumns past... https://www.flickr.com/photos/238249...posted-public/

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday-
    Last edited by Kokuu; 01-18-2021 at 01:51 PM.

  17. #17
    715 in AM from West Texas today.



    Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

  18. #18
    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.
    FB_IMG_1607074850132.jpg

    Gassho
    Sat

  19. #19
    Sunrise over sacred Mt. Kailash in Kalpa village.

    Attachment 6983

    Mountains have something mysterious in them.



    Gassho
    Sat

  20. #20
    Beautiful Ania!

    Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Ania View Post
    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.
    FB_IMG_1607074850132.jpg

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

    Gassho

    Horin
    Stlah

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  22. #22
    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

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  23. #23
    Another long exposure: on a lake. I tried to capture the stillness of the lake that I felt.

    Gassho
    Horin
    Stlah

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    Last edited by Horin; 01-18-2021 at 09:06 PM.

  24. #24
    Can you imagine the snow crunching under the feet? A morning walk by a local lake in winter

    Gassho
    Horin
    Stlah

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  25. #25
    "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
    Hensho: Knitting Strands / Stranded on a Reef
    "Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises." -Elizabeth Zimmerman

  26. #26
    If the conditions are right, a seed sprouts even in the desert...

    ..a closeup in summer 2015

    Gassho

    Horin

    Stlah desert.jpg

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  27. #27
    FB_IMG_1611139728886.jpg

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

    Gassho
    Sat

  28. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Inshin View Post
    FB_IMG_1611139728886.jpg

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

    Gassho
    Sat
    Stunning!

    Gassho

    Horin

    Stlah

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  29. #29
    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
    Last edited by Tai Shi; 06-13-2021 at 02:23 AM.
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

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