The Mindful Photographer

Your guide to mindful photography, peaceful contemplation and a slow creative practice, including hands-on assignments, enlightening concepts and inspirational stories.

In a world where millions of images are shot at every moment of every day and where fast-paced environments exhaust and stifle creativity, The Mindful Photographer proposes an antidote: slowing down. Through twenty concepts as varied as ‘Confidence’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Playfulness’ and ‘Compassion’, all combined with hands-on assignments, Sophie Howarth invites readers to reflect on their photographic practice and learn to pause, pay attention and become more at one with the world around them.

From the canonical to the contemporary, The Mindful Photographer features the works of photographers including Saul Leiter, Rinko Kawauchi, Sally Mann, Edward Weston, Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Teju Cole, Sarker Protick, Tamsin Calidas and many more. Their images are accompanied by quotes, stories and anecdotes to inspire the reader, simultaneously broadening their photographic knowledge and creative perspectives.

Putting aside preconceived ideas and the competitive pressures of picture-perfect Instagram posts, the book rewires our relationship to photographic practice as one to be experienced as unconditionally joyful and rewarding. Sophie Howarth’s insightful and soothing texts work as a guide to both a mindful approach to photography, and a photographic approach to meditation. Offered in a highly affordable and pocketable format, this will be the must-have companion for anyone seeking the spiritual benefits of creative practice and a more mindful approach to engaging with their world through photography.

Contents List:

1. Clarity
2. Curiosity
3. Devotion
4. Confidence
5. Humility
6. Cultural Mindfulness
7. Gratitude
8. Receptiveness
9. Flexibility
10. Playfulness
11. Perseverance
12. Compassion
13. Honesty
14. Acceptance
15. Generosity
16. Impermanence

About the Author:

Sophie Howarth is an artist, writer and social entrepreneur. She was co-founder of The School of Life and a former curator of Public Programmes at Tate Modern. Her previous books include Street Photography Now and Family Photography Now, both published by Thames & Hudson.