Part of the Tao of Photography Exhibit (Photo by Pete Bender)
On Thursday, November 6, the Tao of Photography exhibit got underway at the UCBA Annex Gallery. The event was curated by Professor Michael Sanders, Chair of the UCBA eMedia Department.
Sanders went into detail, explaining the philosophy behind the Tao style of photography and how they chose the photos to include in the exhibit. He de- scribed the Tao style as a different way of thinking about the world based on per- sonal experience, not a set of beliefs.
He stressed that in order to be able to be successful with Tao photography, you must understand that the journey is what is most important, not the plan.
He described some Taoist charac- teristics as freedom of sense of self, the ability to be receptive, spontaneity, non- attachment, acceptance, resourcefulness, and “wu-wei,” a Chinese term for nonforceful action.
By putting all of these together, you can see that Taoist photographers do not pick something to photograph beforehand. They only picture what the world presents.
After Sanders finished his speech, Matt Bennett, another E-Media professor, gave a short address and his take on Taoist ideals.
“Ultimate reality can’t be encoded in language,” Bennett explained.
The exhibit runs until December 5, so be sure to go take a look and learn a little about the Tao philosophy of photography.