It was shortly after noon, I was chopping onions for lunch. Mozart played gently in the background. I turned and noticed the sunlight falling perfectly on five Chinese Lanterns – also known as Japanese Lanterns or Winter Cherries – I'd left sitting in an old juice glass.

I dropped everything and grabbed my camera.

About thirty minutes later I was blissed out and had over 100 photos of Chinese Lanterns on my memory card.

It works every time: camera play as a way to mindfulness.

For those thirty minutes I was oblivious to anything except my point & shoot, the scene in front of me and the spikes of creative inspiration that came as I sank into the experience.

There was acute awareness of the contrast between the saturated colour of lanterns and the soft colour of the walls behind them, of how the sunlight traced the contour of the pods when I shot from a specific angle, or how the lines and shapes filled the frame when the distance was “just so.”

During, I felt giddy, energized, and completely in the moment. Afterward I felt happy, still energized, and at peace.

Camera play as a way to mindfulness. It works.

Try it, and reap the benefits.