Balance and Harmony

I had a list of tasks to do today.

You know, the typical - clean the home, but with specific details about what and how. Then print out music scores, try to organize the clothes and things my son will have to take to his trip to Germany, sort through old notebooks and books and make a selection of those that will serve me ever again, see if my plants need me with some intervention etc.

A nice, long list for one Saturday afternoon. No doubt, all these elements from the list are useful and have to be done, but no word about leisure activities and little joys that would bring back a balance after a week that was full of work.

Although it would be a bit funny to write down as a "task" and try to fulfil something like - read a book, have a nice talk & walk, meet acquaintances, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, have a nap, chat with some friends... Wouldn't it be weird?

Anyway, I did all of this and much more, but nothing from the list. The balance had to be back, and as a coincidence, the book I was occupied with today also talked about balance and harmony on one page.

It is a book, actually a written workshop on Landscape Photography. The authors are Ross Hoddinott and Mark Bauer, two photographers from the UK who brought their knowledge and experience to those who would like to know a bit more about landscape photography. Also for complete dummies like me.

You have to have at least some basic equipment or if you can afford a better camera, even better. The talent and eye for photography are essential, but I think, like in music, it is just the starting point. A lot of work, practice and knowledge is needed, to develop your style, technique and give your own touch. There are some many "rules" also, those that I was reading today seemed so natural and logical to me. (it doesn't mean I remember them when I try to take a photo).

On the other hand, reading this workshop can seem like reading the scores of Rachmaninoff or Liszt at the moment one is just starting to learn to play the piano. An impossible thing. You don't understand one percent of the notes you see but still, you like what you hear. My today's reading activity can even feel a bit ridiculous for all those who master photography, though this is also a non-judgement exercise. And a non-self-judgement exercise too.

What I have learned from this page (but probably knew from before from intuition) is that a composition that is balanced and brings harmony is not the same as symmetry.

When I saw this scene some weeks ago in a lake where we like to go I thought it was balance. But it is more like just a kind of symmetry. The forest and the mountain in the background are reflected in the water, but now they come in a different colour. And it is difficult to breathe in the part of the photo where the water dominates. It is a bit suffocating.

Just see the forest and the sky (even if it is hidden by a thin layer of clouds) and you can breathe freely.

Well, my balance is back, there, with that fresh air together with all the pleasant things that happened during this afternoon (no work happened and nothing from the list was done) after a hard week. I was proud of myself for not thinking about the things I avoided doing. The home still has to be cleaned, and the same mess is around but I don't see them in the same way right now. They don't bother me.

And how was your day? Was it balanced, did you do anything that brought you pleasure or did you find purpose in different things? Feel free to share your experience of this Saturday.