{"id":20393,"date":"2021-08-19T10:17:47","date_gmt":"2021-08-19T14:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=20393"},"modified":"2021-08-19T10:19:55","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T14:19:55","slug":"20393","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=20393","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZyfUdwGBjtk\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Receiving Images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Artist and author Christine Valters Paintner explores how we might reconsider traditional approaches to photography. Instead of \u201ctaking\u201d pictures, she asks us to \u201creceive\u201d images similar to how we might welcome the presence of God in contemplation.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contemplative practice is a receptive practice. We make ourselves available for grace to break in; we open ourselves to listen and ponder. . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We often use the word \u201ctake\u201d to describe our relationship with photography. Our culture emphasizes taking time, taking what\u2019s mine, and taking a break. What we are endeavoring to do in this process, however, is to&nbsp;<em>receive<\/em>&nbsp;(rather than&nbsp;<em>take<\/em>) the gifts around us, to be present enough so that, when the photographic moment arrives, we are able to receive it fully, with our whole hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTaking photos\u201d is a common phrase, and changing that perception and process (especially if you use a smartphone, Lomo, or other disposable camera) may be hard to break, but I gently invite you to consider what reframing this process might be like for you and what it evokes in you. I invite you to bring a new awareness to how words and phrases can shape our experience and practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than \u201ctaking\u201d photos or \u201cshooting\u201d them or even \u201cmaking\u201d photos, we will practice \u201creceiving\u201d images as gift. The traditional words for photography are possessive and aggressive. Yet the actual mechanism of photography is that light is reflected off of a subject and&nbsp;<em>received<\/em>&nbsp;by the camera through the lens opening. We can create conditions for a \u201cgood\u201d photo, but ultimately we must stand in a posture of receiving and see what actually shows up in the image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The poet Rainer Maria Rilke [1875\u20131926] writes in one of his poems of \u201cno forcing [and no] holding back.\u201d [1] When we are receptive we let go of our agendas and expectations. We allow ourselves to see beneath preconceived ideas. Rather than going after what we want in life, or \u201cforcing,\u201d we cultivate a contentment with what actually is. Similarly, instead of \u201cholding back\u201d and merely observing life or falling asleep to it, we stay awake and alert, participating fully in its messiness and we keep our eyes open for the holy presence in its midst. Photographing in this way can become an act of revelation. One of the gifts of art in general, and photography in particular, is that the artist can offer others this vision of the graced ordinary moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"311\" src=\"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-8-500x311.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-8-500x311.png 500w, https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-8-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-8-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/image-8.png 1924w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Receiving Images Artist and author Christine Valters Paintner explores how we might reconsider traditional approaches to photography. Instead of \u201ctaking\u201d pictures, she asks us to \u201creceive\u201d images similar to how we might welcome the presence of God in contemplation.&nbsp; Contemplative practice is a receptive practice. We make ourselves available for grace to break in; we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20393"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20393"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20397,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20393\/revisions\/20397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}