Photowalk: Beauty of Transience in St James's Park

Theme: Beauty of Transience.

Autumn brings bright colours, misty mornings, and shorter days. Animals collect nuts and seeds. Some birds leave, and others arrive. It is a season that reminds us of the flow of life. Over time, every situation changes, no matter how integral it is to our lives now. We all know this. Yet it is human nature to long for permanence. In photography, we often try to capture a beautiful moment, as if trying to freeze it in time. We often resist and deny impermanence. What if, instead, we found the beauty in transience? Perhaps the fleeting nature of our relationships that makes them so meaningful. Perhaps the fragility and vulnerability of life are what draw us to it. Perhaps, as Sigmund Freud claimed, "evanescence only lends a fresh charm".

What will we do?
Each month we pick a different philosophical theme to experiment with in our photowalk. The idea is to use our attention and stories to help us look differently. If we pull that off, it will bring freshness to our lives, and creativity to our photography.

Schedule:
10.15am - Tea/Coffee and Intros
10.30am - Mindfulness exercises
11.00am - Storytelling + Photowalk
12.30pm - Sharing experiences and images
1.00pm - Close (Optional: followed by social lunch)

Please bring:

• Camera / phone-camera - and don't forget to charge it.
• Inspiring quote, story, poem, haiku or your own reflection about the beauty of transience, to share with the group.
• Weather-proofing (Jumper, umbrella, walking shoes etc.)

Location: St James's Park
There is plenty to explore in the park, including the autumn colours, the lake, ducks and pelicans! We will start and end at the Café. More details (https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/st-jamess-park/food-and-drink/st-jamess-park-cafe) here.

Reading ideas:

• http://www.freuds-requiem.com/transience.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_no_aware
• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/06/end-of-history-illusion-change-future_n_2411556.html

Group size:
The group is limited to 10, so please book your place in advance.

Cost:
Everyone's £2.50 goes towards covering the cost of running this event (Meetup admin fees) making it self-sustainable. Any extra funds raised will be our donation to Young Minds (http://youngminds.org.uk/): a charity that champions the mental health of young people in the UK. You don't need to be a member of Paypal to use it.

About Just Looking:
Want to learn more about mindful photography?

• Join the mailing list for ideas (https://wearejustlooking.org/mailing-list-a6da95e2d606)
• Enjoy the photo collection on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wearejustlooking/)
• Read the Just Looking blog (http://wearejustlooking.org)