Deep thoughts: Workshop, exhibition focuses on contemplative photography

In the stirring leaves and swaying branches, a moment of contemplation takes root.

David Chandler works hard to focus on the present. The Franklin College professor of philosophy and religion, emeritus, has always struggled with looking beyond, preoccupied with the future and what he needs to do.

He often thinks of Thomas Merton, the 20th-century Cistercian monk who would speak of “the sacrament of the present moment” — suggesting that the present moment is deeply spiritual and deeply meaningful.

His unique style of photography — which he sometimes calls “painting with wind” — helps him do that.

“For me, it’s so difficult to just, stay right here,” he said. “It’s surprising what comes to one’s attention when they just stop and tries to let go of the next moment.”

Chandler is sharing his contemplative painting with the local community with a unique partnership with Tabernacle Christian Church in Franklin. A series of his works will go on display at the church starting Saturday and run through Sept. 19.

On that day, Chandler will lead a free workshop reflecting on the idea of staying in the present moment. He plans to use his own work from the exhibition, as well as projections of other photographs, to emphasize the point.

“This enabled me to let go of expectations, since the wind presented something quite unanticipated, constantly ‘painting’ branches, buds, leaves, colors in endlessly different ways entirely new to me, often quite stunning,” he said in his artist statement.

Plans are also in place for participants to head outdoors around the church and, using their own smartphones, try exploring their surroundings as “sacred” in new ways, he said.

For the community and for Tabernacle Christian Church, the exhibition and workshop is an opportunity to discover the spirituality in the world around them.

“There are a lot of people who may not come to church on a Sunday morning, but connect with the divine in their own ways,” said the Rev. Diana Thompson, senior pastor at the church. “It’s important we as a church feed people in those different ways.

“We as a church are meant to bless our community, and to offer them ways to be whole and be healthy.”

Though Chandler built his career around theology and philosophy education, he also has had a longtime interest in photography. His fascination blossomed while he was in high school in Japan, and after graduating, he went on to earn a certificate in photography at the New York Institute of Photography.

Travel photography was forte as he traveled the world as a young man.

“When I graduated from high school in Tokyo, I had just bought a view camera with the bellows, which would only work if you were in the studio,” he said. “I was carrying this thing around southeast Asia and over to England, where I was going to go to school for a year. When I think about it now, yeah, I really was crazy.”

The more experience he got, the more Chandler became interested in using photography to explore deeper philosophical questions — particularly, the appreciation of the present moment.

He would capture shots of reflections in water, windows or car finishes.

“Those help me stay in the present moment, and I try to learn from that,” he said.

Another technique was photographing through irregular glass or window panes during a rainstorm. That evolved into his windblown images.

To create the photographs, Chandler sets up his camera on a tripod, puts a neutral density filter on to reduce the wavelength of visible light, set the aperture low so the image is dark enough, and then he captures the motion of the wind in the trees in a long timed exposure.

Often, the results yield a wealth of unexpected results.

“Different colors are created, depending on what colors are overlapping,” he said. “It’s a lot of surprises, and a lot of fun.”

Chandler has held a number of exhibits in Bloomington, Indianapolis and in Germany with his “wind” photos. The partnership with Tabernacle Christian Church came about as a variation of other programs and retreats he had done at churches around the Indianapolis area.

Thompson connected with Chandler through a fellow pastor who thought his program would fit well with Tabernacle, helping others learn the contemplative qualities of the art form. The church offers programs such as yoga and a monthly drumming circle to help people approach the sacred in new ways.

“Part of our faith says that the church should be people of heart, body, mind and soul. So we have lots of different activities that address different areas of people’s lives, and really felt like this would be a place that would feed people both spiritually and emotionally,” Thompson said.

The workshop is open to the public, and will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 14. Chandler will share his own experiences through his work, before letting people try exploring their surroundings as scared in their own way, he said. People can then email their photographs to Thompson, where the images will be shared on a screen.

Chandler is excited to share how the impression of a scene can change the more time spent on it.

“Maybe at first you don’t see anything special, but after a little bit, you realize it is special,” he said.

AT A GLANCE

Contemplative painting workshop and exhibition

What: A presentation by David Chandler, retired Franklin College professor, sharing his lifelong love of photography and his interest in diverse contemplative traditions.

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 14

Where: Tabernacle Christian Church, 198 N. Water St., Franklin

How to sign up: Call the church office at 317-736-5088 to register. There is no cost.

Exhibition: Several of Chandler’s own photos will be on display at the church from Sunday through Sept. 19. The church will be open from 8 a.m. until noon on weekdays and on Sunday mornings.