In the pool. One of my favorite photographers Gregory Crewdson says that he thinks up the composition of his photographs while swimming. I’m finding that it is doing a similar thing for me. I’ve been swimming a little over a mile four times per week these days mostly during the M-F afternoons.
It takes me a little over an hour to do the swim and I find that this hour is my favorite hour in the day. There is something about being underwater and forced away from distractions that lets your mind wander in all kinds of directions. There is no iPhone in the pool, no internet, no MacBook, just you and the water.
Swimming helps me get in tune with my body and there certainly is the physicality of it, but more importantly it lets me get in tune with my mind.
I’ve thought a lot about my photography while swimming. I’ve come up with many new ideas for ways that I can show my work. How to print and display my work, how to collaborate with my work, how the internet and digital can intersect with the physical and fine art.
It’s something that I’m going to continue doing and is something that I look forward to most afternoons these days.
Great shot
Great post Thomas.
I am actually planning on getting in the pool hopefully twice a week for cross training for my hockey. As well as I want to try a triathlon next year.
I hope my experience is that of your own.
Thomas – I’m glad you’re enjoying swimming. I’ve been a competitive swimmer since age 9, and I still love it for many of the same reasons.
It clears your mind, let’s you be alone yet with other people when you want to be, and there’s nothing like it for your body as far as I’m concerned.
I’ll have to start thinking more about photography when I swim, now 🙂
-NontrivialMatt on Zooomr
Great shot, and great blog… I enjoy it. What I’d really like to know though is how you even find enough time in the day to do all these things… kids, CEO, constant photos, and now swimming? I must be doing something wrong! Anyway, keep up the good work.
Swimming really is a great retreat, eh? I remember when I started a few years ago, I complained about having to count my strokes, be conscious of my breathing, etc… A friend said “give it some time. you’ll be pretty bored soon.”
Soon enough I realized he was right. You get into that groove, and your mind can just go and think without the distractions of everyday life.