Shows
Contours of SilenceProcess Of Field Work In Landscape Photography - Part 2This episode traces the development of a personal fieldwork process, from its early structured phases involving Satipatthana meditation and haiku to a more simplified contemporary approach. It explores the delicate balance between the analytical mind and instinctive feeling, illustrating how haiku serves as a bridge between the two. The discussion also covers the shift toward intensive multi-day photography trips and the practical necessity of midday rest to sustain creative energy for the evening light. Website: VerseOfLight.comInstagram: @verse.of.light Instagram: @contours.of.vision Audio Credit:
2026-02-1711 minContours of SilenceProcess Of Field Work In Landscape Photography - Part 1In this episode, I examine the paradox of structure in the artistic life. While a rigid process can become a hindrance to free exploration, a lack of structure often leads to anxiety and a disconnected, mechanical approach to image-making. I share the specific routine I developed four years ago to manage the internal pressure to "deliver" results. By incorporating time for meditation and arriving well before the light, I explore how slowing down allows art to emerge as a natural byproduct of witnessing, rather than a forced objective. Previous episodes mentioned here:https://w...
2026-01-2511 minContours of SilenceHow New Year Can Sometimes Lead Into Anatta AppreciationA tradition repeats, yet nothing repeats. Each New Year’s Eve, a small painted ornament receives a private note; the next year, it is opened and read. The surprise is not what the note says, but who it seems to come from: the handwriting is recognizable, while the writer feels absent. From that simple discomfort, the reflection turns toward Anicca - the ceaseless unfolding of change - and Anatta - the absence of a fixed, permanent self. The episode invites a quieter kind of honesty: what moves through the year is less an “entity” and more a living process, reshap...
2026-01-0807 minContours of SilenceDirection and Single StepsAs 2025 comes to a close, this episode offers a personal reflection on a year dedicated to art - a year of creating new portfolios, participating in exhibitions, and deepening a meditation practice. It looks forward to 2026, which will be a year of strengthening the artistic core and beginning a new journey into the world of printing. The central theme explores the critical distinction between direction and single steps. It posits that while both are essential, like the two wings of a bird, a clear direction must always come first. Without it, our actions, no matter how energetic, can become...
2025-12-3006 minContours of SilencePortfolio Simplification and the Journey of Single ImagesSometimes, to strengthen our creative work, we must be willing to let parts of it go. This episode is a personal account of revisiting and simplifying photography portfolios. Using my "Fleeting Existence" portfolio as an example, I share how removing three images led to a more powerful and cohesive result. I also explore the ambiguous case of my unpublished "Harris" work, where the "filler" images might be essential. Ultimately, it’s a reflection on the fluid nature of art, the importance of asking the right questions, and the quiet strength found in simplification. Link to Blo...
2025-11-1212 minContours of SilenceReflections On Developing Style - 1Style is not a technique to be learned, but an unknown territory to be explored with a quiet mind. It is about learning to recognize the subtle, vague hints your whole being responds to when you look at a piece of work. By pausing to ask why an image works for you - exploring its mood, its colors, its feeling - you gather another building block for your own style.Previous episodes on style development:Developing our own styleCreative DNA Website: VerseOfLight.comInstagram: @verse.of.lig...
2025-10-2708 minContours of SilenceThe Power Of Listening To OurselvesWhat is the true source of creativity? This episode begins with a reflection on the poetry of Walt Whitman and journeys inward to explore the profound power of listening to ourselves. We consider how this quiet, internal attention is the foundation beneath all creative habits and techniques - allowing us to distinguish our path, know when to rest, and build the confidence to create work that is genuinely our own. Website: VerseOfLight.comInstagram: @verse.of.light Instagram: @contours.of.vision Audio Credit:"The Tem...
2025-10-1804 minContours of SilenceProcess Of Portfolio CreationThis episode explores the journey of building a photographic portfolio, step by step. Using “Fleeting Existence” as a case study, I share how old raw material can gain new life once we ourselves are ready to see it differently. From first selections to final refinement, this is a story about patience, structure, and allowing images to reveal their own direction. Portfolio: Fleeting ExistenceWebsite: VerseOfLight.comInstagram: @verse.of.light Instagram: @contours.of.vision Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of...
2025-09-1511 minContours of SilenceReflections on Vipassana and ArtCooler winds bring the turning of seasons, reminding us of the cycles in both nature and creativity. Returning from a ten-day Vipassana retreat, I reflect on how silence and meditation sharpen sensitivity - first inwardly, then outwardly - until art itself becomes a process of seeing beneath surfaces. In the stillness of field work or the quiet of editing, images arise not as trophies to be captured but as subtle truths revealed. Meditation, like art, is less about striving and more about attunement: a way of living, perceiving, and uncovering deeper realities. Website: VerseOfLight.com
2025-09-0912 minContours of SilenceSources Of InspirationIn this episode, I reflect on the sources of inspiration that sustain us in times of struggle and doubt. From nature’s quiet unfolding to the fresh perspectives of children, from the generosity of young volunteers to the wisdom found in books, inspiration appears in many forms. These encounters can shift our state of mind, moving us from worry to wonder, from heaviness to lightness. They not only keep us going but also shape our art and deepen our sense of meaning.Website: VerseOfLight.comInstagram: @verse.of.light Instagram: @contours.of.vision
2025-08-1808 minContours of SilenceExploratory photographyAs morning light gives way to clarity, this episode explores a new facet in my practice - creative play and unburdened photography. With the Fuji X100VI, I found a tool that invites lightness, spontaneity, and freedom from post-processing. I reflect on the purpose behind this change, and introduce @contours.of.vision - a quiet stream of playful works, untethered to outcome, yet often surprisingly meaningful. These are glimpses into a freer process - one that may gently shape future work. Website: VerseOfLight.comInstagram: @verse.of.light Instagram: @contours.of.vi...
2025-07-3106 minContours of SilenceTarget-oriented vs Exploratory photographyFrom a space between immersion and observation, this episode offers a contemplative look at two modes of creating: exploratory and target-oriented photography. Whether we begin with a clear vision or allow meaning to emerge through presence, both paths reveal something essential. One filters with purpose; the other receives with openness. Together, they form a creative dialogue - between what we know and what we’re still discovering. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kale...
2025-07-1707 minContours of SilenceHow many things we need to create art?We often chase the shimmer of new tools, hoping they will guide us somewhere profound. But art does not always respond to noise. It listens for whispers. In this episode, I explore the dance between desire and necessity—how the tools we crave might charm us, only to lead us away from the very heart of creation. Is it complexity that helps us see—or simplicity that frees the path? Through the lens of photography and beyond, we return to this quiet place, asking: what do I really need to make something true? Link to the w...
2025-07-1006 minContours of SilenceFear and CreativityFear can shut down the mind or sharpen it. Living in a place touched by ongoing war, I reflect on how fear—whether physical or psychological—affects our ability to create. Sometimes it blocks subtlety. Sometimes, it demands expression. This episode explores how fear might not end creativity, but deepen it. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan" by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under CC BY 4.0.Link to License: https://creativecommons.org/li...
2025-06-2605 minContours of SilenceThe Art of Playful ExplorationMany describe haiku as “playful verse”—a term that captures both its lightness and its depth. In this episode, I explore how this sense of playful experimentation not only shapes haiku, but also underpins all creative expression. From resisting rigid thinking to creating with freedom, I share the journey behind my latest photography portfolio, “Horizons,” and the liberating power of letting go of outcomes. When we stop aiming to produce and start playing, we may uncover something genuinely new. Link to “Horizons” portfolio:https://www.verseoflight.com/icm/2025/horizons Link to the webs...
2025-06-1909 minContours of SilenceBenefits of the small stepsSignificant breakthroughs—whether artistic, spiritual, or personal—rarely happen by chance. They arise from the quiet persistence of small steps. This episode explores how minor, consistent actions hold profound transformative potential. Drawing from examples in science, art, and everyday choices, I reflect on how habits like weekly creative sessions or limiting screen time can gradually shift our lives. It's a reminder that lasting change isn’t sudden—it grows slowly, one small step at a time. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperatur...
2025-06-1206 minContours of SilenceCreative DNAIn this episode, I explore the idea of “Creative DNA,” inspired by Twyla Tharp’s book The Creative Habit. This concept suggests that each of us has a unique creative code—an internal compass that shapes the way we see, create, and express. I reflect on how this idea aligns with previous thoughts shared here about developing a personal style, and how understanding this inner DNA can bring clarity and depth to our work. I also share my own process of self-analysis using Tharp’s 33 questions and the insights gained from reviewing my photographic portfolios. Through this, I’ve come to reco...
2025-06-0507 minContours of SilenceThe Illusion of NeedDesire often wears a convincing mask. In this episode, I reflect on a recent experience with longing—a rekindled craving for a Leica camera—and how it revealed the mind’s talent for illusion. Guided by the Buddhist notion of Mara, I explore the tension between creative aspiration and quiet simplicity. What follows is an invitation to question not just what we want, but why we want it. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kale...
2025-05-1509 minContours of SilenceWhy we create art?A brushstroke, a verse, a sculpted form—each an echo of a journey, but never the journey itself. What if art is not the artifact, but the space it carves within us? The artist steps into the flow, dissolving into the act of making. This episode lingers in that space, exploring the quiet force that compels us to create—not for the world, but for the act itself. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Ka...
2025-05-0815 minContours of SilenceDeveloping Our Own StyleHow do we develop our own artistic voice? Is it something we create, or something we gradually discover? In this episode, I wander through questions of artistic voice—how it forms, why imitation is both a teacher and a weight to shed, and why stepping into uncertainty is essential. From the drip paintings of Jackson Pollock to the color fields of Mark Rothko, the path of self-discovery in art is long, often unclear, and deeply personal. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temp...
2025-05-0114 minContours of SilenceArt Requires TimeThe path of art is not hurried. It asks for time—not just to create, but to see, to listen, to grow. Like a river carving stone, our artistic vision forms through rhythm and dedication. This episode explores how to integrate art into daily life, the importance of conscious engagement, and the necessity of letting go of distractions to make space for artistic growth. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan" by Chris Zabr...
2025-04-2407 minContours of SilenceHow Titles Transform Perception Of ArtTitles carry weight. They shape perception, offering insight or mystery. In this episode, I reflect on my own struggles with naming images and portfolios, and how a simple change transformed my connection with a body of work. Through personal experience, I explore the role of titles in art—how they can deepen meaning, shift narratives, and enhance visual storytelling. Link to the Shadowlands portfolio:https://www.verseoflight.com/2024/shadowlands Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of th...
2025-04-1707 minContours of SilenceReflections on my photography journeyPhotography has been a lifelong journey—beginning with childhood experiments in the darkroom, evolving through years of digital excess, and finally arriving at a place of intentional simplicity. In this episode, I share my personal struggles, insights, and transformations in photography, hoping they may help others find their own artistic path. I discuss the shift from quantity to meaning, the realization that "less is more," and the ongoing process of refining creative vision. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air...
2025-04-1016 minContours of SilenceRethinking the Name of ICM PhotographyIntentional Camera Movement (ICM) photography is often described in purely technical terms, but does that name truly capture its essence? In this episode, I reflect on the history of ICM, its artistic roots, and why the term feels inadequate. Is there a better way to describe this approach—one that honors the painterly, expressive nature of the images it creates? Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan" by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under CC B...
2025-04-0305 minContours of SilencePhotography Of Nothing - Part 3In this final episode of the Photography of Nothing series, I reflect on Shadows of the Outer Hebrides—a moody, low-key triptych that emerged from my evolving relationship with darkness in photography. From early struggles with confidence to embracing deep shadows and bold red hues, this episode explores artistic limitations, the power of scale, and the delicate balance between restraint and expression. Links to the portfolios:https://www.verseoflight.com/icm/2024/shadows-of-the-outer-hebrideshttps://www.verseoflight.com/icm/2024/whispers-of-the-outer-hebrides Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com...
2025-03-2706 minContours of SilencePhotography Of Nothing - Part 2A photograph is often expected to contain something—an object, a subject, a story. But what if we let go of this need? What if emptiness itself could speak? In this episode, I return to Whispers of the Outer Hebrides, a collection of high-key images that breathe with light and space. A meditation on absence, simplicity, and the quiet resonance of images that whisper instead of shout. What happens when we begin, not by filling the frame, but by leaving it open? Link to the portfolio:https://www.verseoflight.com/icm/2024/whispers-of-the-outer-hebrides ...
2025-03-2006 minContours of SilencePhotography Of Nothing - Part 1There is a moment when the horizon blurs, where the sky folds into the sea, and presence dissolves into absence. In this episode, I share the journey behind Whispers of the Outer Hebrides—a shift toward abstraction, the surrender to emptiness, and the quiet pulse of an unseen voice guiding the way. It is about letting go of what we think a photograph should be and embracing the beauty of nothingness. Link to the portfolio:https://www.verseoflight.com/icm/2024/whispers-of-the-outer-hebrides Link to the website:https://www.vers...
2025-03-1306 minContours of SilenceGetting Things Done vs Letting Life Be LivedWe live in a world that measures worth by output, by how much we accomplish. But somewhere beneath this relentless pursuit, life pulses with a rhythm of its own—waiting to be felt, waiting to be lived. In this episode, we explore the subtle shift from striving to surrender, from productivity to presence, from forcing action to allowing it to arise. Here, in this stillness, true creativity is born. Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/ Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow...
2025-03-0607 minContours of SilenceDo we own anything?Why do we take pictures? What drives us to capture fleeting moments? In this episode, we explore the subconscious feeling of ownership that arises when we take a photo—the illusion that we can possess a moment, a landscape, or an experience. But in doing so, do we actually detach from the very thing we seek to hold onto? Reflecting on our habitual ways of seeing, this episode invites us to pause, observe, and question what it truly means to be present.Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/Au...
2025-02-2705 minContours of SilenceSingle Images vs Portfolios vs ProjectsPhotography often begins as a pursuit of the perfect single image—an instant of perfection captured in time. But as artistic vision deepens, new ways of working emerge. In this episode, I reflect on my journey from focusing on individual images to working with cohesive portfolios and the idea of larger photographic projects. What are the advantages and challenges of each? How does our approach to photography change as we shift from one to the other? Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/Audio Credit:"The Temperature of...
2025-02-2013 minContours of SilenceSpace in creation of artIn a world of constant learning and endless distractions, the mind becomes too full for creativity to take root. True artistic expression requires space—an internal openness where ideas can breathe. In this episode, we explore what hinders that space, what nurtures it, and how to cultivate stillness so art can emerge naturally.Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan" by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under CC BY 4.0.Link to License: https://cr...
2025-02-1306 minContours of SilenceSensitivity and Letting Go in ArtSensitivity is at the heart of all art forms, allowing us to connect with the world in a way that a busy mind cannot. But true sensitivity requires letting go—of memory, conclusions, and even the act of creating itself. In this episode, I reflect on how awareness in photography, haiku, meditation, and daily life nurtures artistic depth. I also explore insights from The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, which highlights how sensitivity can be both a gift and a burden.Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/Audio Cr...
2025-02-0606 minContours of SilenceDifferences Between Haiku and PhotographyPhotography and haiku enrich my creative journey in distinct ways. Photography engages a subconscious flow, a dance of observation and instinct, allowing presence and responsiveness. Haiku requires conscious effort—bringing feelings into words and shaping them through reflection. In this episode, I explore how these differences influence the way I experience and interpret moments, revealing the unique essence of each art form.Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/Audio Credit:"The Temperature of the Air on the Bow of the Kaleetan" by Chris Zabriskie is licensed un...
2025-01-3005 minContours of SilenceHaiku and PhotographyIn this episode, we explore the profound connection between haiku poetry and photography, inspired by my abstract portfolio from Warsaw. Haiku, a Japanese poetic form, distills vast meaning into just 17 syllables, mirroring the precision and minimalism in photography. Each art form is a puzzle, where the unnecessary is stripped away to reveal a deeper resonance. When light, color, and form align with the artist's internal tone, a photograph, like a haiku, begins to sing. Together, they embody the beauty of simplicity and the power of harmony.Link to the website:https://www.verseoflight.com/
2025-01-2302 minContours of SilenceWelcome to Contours of SilenceThis first episode of 'Contours of Silence' explores the motivation behind creating this podcast. It's a reflection on art, photography, haiku, and the subtle yet powerful connections between them.Why add another voice to the already vast landscape of online content?For me, it's a personal journey of creative exploration, a way to articulate thoughts and observations gathered along the way.This podcast is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and join me in contemplating the deeper meanings found within artistic expression.This episode sets the stage for future explorations into...
2025-01-1604 min