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Gary Spangler's avatar

Hi Gail, I like today’s topic on “seeing,” with and without a camera. I was reminded of “Buddhist photography,” or “Miksang.” From a friend’s shared experiences, Miksang teaches using very few elements for a composition. Color and texture, for example, as one might see in a textured, non-skid material used for the transition from sidewalk to crosswalk. No framing or unnecessary elements. Almost a meditation practice.

Picture day!? Pardon my missing a step, is there a method within Born Free Newsletter to attach an image as part of one’s comments? Like having a paid “Reader” SubStack membership? Slow study here...

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3musesmerge's avatar

As best I know...Substack comments does not have the capacity to include photographs. I might have made it clear the hitting reply to the newsletter would deliver your picture to my inbox.

I looked up Miksang and found it means "good eye". I LOVE the simplicity of the method. Beautiful photos.

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Gary Spangler's avatar

Bear with me Gail. I’m stuck on how tapping “Reply” can get an image from my “PHOTOS” to you?! Or from any source. I just get a blank box to begin typing words as a “Reply.”

Does this require a string of code? Muse worship?? They really are growing on me, but...

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3musesmerge's avatar

Did you ever hear that after breathing, communication is what humans to the most? It’s too bad we are often not very good at it.😂

Let me try again...

Not the little reply box in the comment section...you cannot insert a photo there.

By “reply” I meant “reply to email”.

Does that make sense?

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Gary Spangler's avatar

I do things like that often. As if what I’m pondering somehow can be transmitted to the person I’m communicating with.

Sort of, “You were there when I was thinking that, right?”

I’m glad my use of an email attachment fits you current prompt. Thanks.

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Jack Herlocker's avatar

Can I add a photo? Hmmm... not from my iPad. Okay, look here: https://flic.kr/p/2kF9FbL to see a photo of a type drawer, mounted on our living room wall, with tiny thimbles, figurines, shells, and whatnots. Usually it’s hard to photograph; the lighting is wrong for that stretch of wall. But with the snow last week, followed by bright sun, the snow banks in the backyard reflected light at just the right angle to illuminate the display with natural light.

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3musesmerge's avatar

Jack--Thank you for going the extra mile and providing a link to your photo. Substack comments does not yet make photo sharing available. You could have replied to the email, but then only I could have seen the photo. Again--thanks for going above and beyond.

Look at all those miniatures! Are many of them thimbles? Reminds me of the "I Spy" books Nathaniel liked as a young 'un. He was always a faster finder than me. Are you and Deb both collectors? So much to look at!

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Jack Herlocker's avatar

One of these days I hope to write up the collection. (Drat! My "can't get a good photo" excuse just went out the window!) Some of the things that look like miniatures are actually thimbles. "Collectors" sounds like people who have their act together; we're more, "OOOOOHH, OOOOHH, OOOOHHH, look, tiny thing, I bet that would fit into one of the cubbies!"

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3musesmerge's avatar

Haha! You foiled your own excuse!😂

You know who I’ll be thinking of when I see “little things”... like the horse charm I used in a recent photo. It would fit perfectly in one of your cubbies!

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Sean Oster's avatar

Oddly a photo free day so far.

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3musesmerge's avatar

https://www.miksang.com/learn-miksang/

Check this out for inspiration?

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Sean Oster's avatar

My photos tend to be more of a crime of opportunity though my work day.

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3musesmerge's avatar

You come across some great “steals”.

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