This might seem a rather odd post for a blog about Photography, but in my professional career I have been some challenging situations, this is one of them ,not just physically and lighting wise but spiritually to. Let me explain just a little, this is a situation that is almost unique , it’s the result of one mans work and study for the last four years , and the teachings of the other priests and Abbot , even a mans dream coming true , once this ceremony is complete ,there is no going back, your life is changed in perhaps more significant ways than marriage and in that view a continuation of practices thousands of years old ( I think Marriage is only a few hundred in its present form ) and something that doesn’t happen thousands of times a week . So on that note enjoy and learn just a tiny bit.
Once in a great while you get an opportunity to be part of something very special, last Wednesday Dec 12th was the ordination of Joseph, now in my time I have shot weddings of most faiths or just the quick drive through type here in Las Vegas , and for the most part I try to be inconspicuous get great shots of the usual thing , rings, first kisses ect, these I don’t do too much these days by choice, but the ordination of a Buddhist priest was special and as I was invited I felt quite honored , and I found myself trying so hard to keep a low profile and yet getting completely caught up in the spirituality of the ceremony.
There were so many parts that just begged to be shot but I had to limit my self as this is held in a pretty small room and to get the shot you want, you can’t just go leaping around snapping away as if you’re at a press conference.
The ceremony it’s self is quite long, not a lot of audience participation if that’s the right term to use and for the ordained a lot of physical bowing . I’ve picked a few images to share here :
Presented with a begging bowl of rice another very significant moment that I thought just needed to be in monochrome , perhaps with the symbolism of a beggars bowl, it to begs for good ol’ black and white.
Seasons Greetings with Meta and Peace.
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