Universal Nature, at work
Bo Seong Sunim, whose name means “Universal Nature,” during last fall’s pepper-leaf-picking bonanza.
31, the photographic confessional
Me, spring 2011. Shortly after my 31st birthday.
Despite my best efforts to make brightness and contrast adjustments in Ps. look natural, nothing short of kind-of-scary brightness levels will bring my face out of shadow, which also blows the sky into an apocalyptic ashen white. This is what I get for leaning into the shadows while simultaneously trying to coach a camera rookie around the D700′s labrynthine modes and options. Still, to quote my older sister (사형님): “Wow, you came out well in this picture!” Well, you know…I try.
Ji Mun Sunim
The day before last was Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, traditionally celebrated in Korean temples by staying up all night–here at school, we sit in meditation, although at my home temple we bow all night instead.
I skipped the all-night meditation sessions. Cluster headaches have been plaguing me for the past couple of weeks–also known as alarm headaches and suicide headaches, when they start coming I start laying low. Staying up all night seemed to be asking for another headache, and so I went to bed after the first sitting session.
This is a portrait of Ji Mun Sunim, one of the younger nuns in my class. We received novice ordination together in the spring of 2006 and met again at school, to our mutual surprise.
