Letting Photos Speak: Visio Divina and Other Approaches to Contemplative Photography by Stephen J. Radley, Philip J. Richter and Andy J. Lindley 

'The simple but profound definitions and practical examples and exercises make this an accessible book – in this sense everyone can be a contemplative photographer'

Letting Photos Speak: Visio Divina and Other Approaches to Contemplative Photography
By Stephen J. Radley, Philip J. Richter and Andy J. Lindley
Darton Longman & Todd
ISBN 978-1-915412-12-6
Reviewed by Shaun Lambert

 
This is a gentle, wise and attractive book that slowly draws you into its theme of contemplative photography. There is a helpful introduction to the overlap and distinctives between mindfulness for health in culture and Christian contemplation, with both using our God-given capacities for attention and awareness. Although, contemplative photography can be seen as a natural, incarnational route into a new way of perceiving not based on formal meditations.

As a way into being rather than doing, contemplative photography can be an access point to wellbeing and spiritual formation. Mindful photography is not about achieving photos that have technical merit or garner us likes on social media, but about practising an open awareness that allows images to emerge as ‘gift’ – we do not ‘take’ them. This cultivates a spiritual receptivity that can perceive even the ordinary as beautiful.

As well as outlining ways to theologically reflect on images, another key practice is Visio Divina drawn from the monastic tradition, a sister practice related to Lectio Divina, the slow meditative reading of scripture that arrives at a place of contemplative awareness. The same steps of reading, meditating, praying and contemplating are used in an adapted way. In this way both mind and embodied heart can be drawn into allowing the photo to speak – a welcome emphasis on allowing the whole of our being to be drawn into contemplation.

The simple but profound definitions and practical examples and exercises make this an accessible book – in this sense everyone can be a contemplative photographer! They also offer helpful templates at the end of the book to facilitate the exercises and suggestions.

It is also a creative book that sparks our inner creativity, I found chapter three with its varied ways of practising letting photos speak to us particularly helpful in this regard. One example is this is a creative adaptation of Ignatian examen to be used with photos.

As a book it is theological and wide-ranging. I liked the way it encouraged me to look at the direction of the light in photographs and how this can be a spiritual metaphor. I am inspired to follow the direction of the light in my own spiritual life.

The authors understand the polyvalence of photos, how they can be parabolic with multiple meanings. This means they can be utilised in small groups, workshops and worship gatherings whether traditional or more creative.

In the final chapter they introduce the medieval Book of Hours, a personalised prayer book with spiritual reflections and images which were very popular in that earlier historical period. They show how we can create our own ‘Book of Hours,’ a personalised prayer book made up of our own images, or images that have spoken to us, around which we have written prayers and reflections.

The book is written in a generous style that invites the reader in, gently overcoming any creativity scars that might say to us, ‘I could never do this…’ Having read the book, I would want to say, with the authors, ‘yes you can!’
 
 

Shaun Lambert is a Baptist minister, psychotherapist and Honorary Mindfulness Chaplain with Scargill Movement. He is currently writing a new book on spiritual formation through mindfulness