I know, there is no such word as photoprayer, that is a specially coined word for me by my mediation guru during a retreat in India about eight years ago. Up in the hills of Kodaikanal, tucked away in the mountains while I was on an Ignatian retreat, and as usual, I had my camera with me. At some point, the retreat master noticed that I spent much of my prayer time in the gardens with the camera and asked my why. My response was that I find photography very meditative, soothing to the soul, and having the camera in the hand when I am not on assignment or working on a project helps me think and pray.
From that moment on, the prayer sessions were re-designed for me to include the camera and I have not changed that. So when I have storms raging through my soul, challenges to overcome or basically need to meditate but am too restless to sit still, I grab my camera. Some people turn to the rosary, or hold the comfort cross, perhaps even fiddle with a medallion of sorts, but not me.
Short of writing this blog entry at 4:00am in the dark because the pain in my knee and my mind was racing at a gazillion miles an hour, I had a rotten night’s sleep. The cats gave me a dirty look when I got my camera out a 5:00am and set up in the kitchen. They mistook the opening of the fridge door for feeding time and eagerly awaited breakfast. They are still waiting. I got stuck in a mushroom prayer wheel and the flight of the crabapples.
I find it much healthier to turn towards photoprayer rather than eating or mentally blasting cities and immersing in imaginary scenarios. Even worse, creating a thousand checklists of things I have to prepare for.
Nope.
Screw that.
Serenity.
Breathing.
The FrogDiva is ready to face the world again.
No, wait.
Breathe in.
Oh just hand me the darn camera.
What can I do with onions and eggs and a soft ligh?
FrogDiva Thoughts 