Vernon Chalmers Photography

Vernon Chalmers’ Applied Existential Photography represents a synthesis of art, philosophy, and psychology. Kalk Bay with Simon's Town in the Background : False Bay "Vernon Chalmers’ photographic practice can be understood as a philosophical and psychological inquiry into being, perception, and meaning. His work—rooted in the lived experience of the Cape Peninsula—extends photography beyond aesthetic or technical representation toward an applied existential philosophy . Through reflective engagement with the self, the environment, and the camera, Chalmers constructs a phenomenology of seeing that integrates the existential dimensions of human consciousness. This essay examines Chalmers’ Applied Existential Photography as an intersubjective framework that merges the act of photographing with self-reflection, philosophical awareness, and ontological presence. Drawing from existential philosophy, phenomenology, and cognitive psychology, this paper argues that Chalmers’ photograph...

Kirstenbosch Garden with Canon EOS 6D Mark II / EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens  Double-Collard Sunbird : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town There are days when the world slows just enough to hear the calling of birds, the hush between flowers, the hush between thoughts. Today at Kirstenbosch Garden became that space - a sanctuary of light and leaf where gratitude took root. I walked not to capture, but to feel. Each image below is less a photograph, more a pause - an invitation to presence, to the quiet unfolding of self beneath the canopy of ancient green. Once again the Canon EOS 6D Mark II did not disappoint. This combination is my go-to pairing for Kirstenbosch Garden. With a beautiful blue sky, over-exposure was about the only risk - the rest were special moments in the making. Arum Lily Photography, Cape Town Birds, Flowers and Butterfly List Double-Collard Sunbird (Top) Helmeted Guinea Fowl Arum Lily Flower Coral Wildflower Gazania Wildflower Close-Up Citrus Swallowtail But...

An observational essay exploring the Peregrine Falcon’s geometry of arrival through timing, flight precision, spatial awareness, and photographic perception in the natural environment. This morning, the Peregrine Falcon returned.   Adult Peregrine Falcon in fast low-level flight with extended wings and open  beak photographed against a blue sky in Cape Town Not once. Not twice. But many times. From the front, the left, the right. A geometry of arrival. A choreography of presence. I’ve seen this behaviour before. My neighbour. But today, it wasn’t just a sighting. It was a visitation. A ritual. A reminder. The Peregrine does not linger. It arrives with velocity, with precision, with no need for permission. It does not ask to be seen. It simply is. And I stood still. I did not reach for the lens. Not at first. I received the moment before I captured it. I let the presence arrive before I named it. This is the shift. From striving to stillness. From performance to presence. From...

Vernon Chalmers’ photography reveals the profound interconnection between time, perception, and consciousness. "Time in photography is not merely a measurement; it is the very fabric of perception, memory, and presence. Vernon Chalmers’ work engages with time as both medium and subject, revealing its poetics through the deliberate act of seeing. This essay explores how photographic practice can embody temporality, mediate between past and present, and evoke the fleeting, transformative nature of experience. Through the lens of coastal landscapes, changing light, and subtle motion, Chalmers’ photography becomes an inquiry into the phenomenology of duration, the ethics of attention, and the reflective consciousness that inhabits the act of image-making. The essay meditates on photography as a philosophical practice that captures not only what appears but how it appears in time. Introduction Photography, in its essence, is an encounter with time. Each image bears witness to a momen...

Vernon Chalmers’ phenomenology of photography thus bridges philosophy, aesthetics, and practice. His photographic pedagogy encourages students to cultivate awareness rather than technique alone. Reed Cormorant in Flight : Diep River, Woodbridge Island Introduction "Vernon Chalmers, a South African photographer and photography educator, approaches photography not merely as a technical craft but as an existential and phenomenological engagement with perception, consciousness, and being. His photographic practice and writing explore how the act of seeing, experiencing, and capturing images reflects a deeper philosophical inquiry into human consciousness and the lived world. Through this lens, Chalmers’ work can be situated within the broader philosophical tradition of phenomenology, as initiated by Edmund Husserl and developed by Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The phenomenology of photography, as articulated through Chalmers’ philosophy and practice, e...

My neighbour, the Fast Peregrine Falcon Across From Arnhem, Milnerton Cape Town Peregrine Falcon with Catch : Across Arnhem, Milnerton, Cape Town I heard his morning call. Even before opening the curtains I rushed to grab a camera - and then, there he was. Staring at me, proudly showing off his catch.  I took a few frames whereafter he tucked into his brunch. My lens left him to enjoy a morning's endeavour. Peregrine Falcon - Fastest Animal on Earth Location : Across from Arnhem, Milnerton, Cape Town Peregrine Falcon High-Up From Arnhem, Milnerton The Peregrine Falcon as Fastest Bird Speed Report Canon Camera / Lens for Bird Photography Canon EOS 7D Mark II (APS-C) Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB 200 MB/s Exposure / Focus Settings for Bird Photography Autofocus On Manual Mode Aperture f/5.6 Auto ISO 125 Shutter Speed 1/1250s No Image Stabilisation Handheld Image Post-Processing: Lightroom Classic (Ver 14.5) Minor Adjustments (Crop / Exposure / Contrast) Nois...

A Philosophical Inquiry into Birds in Flight Photography, Perception, and Presence Grey Heron in Flight : Above the Diep River, Woodbridge Island “... the real is coherent and probable because it is real, not real because it is coherent ...” ― Maurice Merleau-Ponty  Abstract "This monograph explores Phenomenology in Flight as both a conceptual and practical framework in the photography of South African photographer Vernon Chalmers. Known primarily for his birds-in-flight imagery, Chalmers has articulated through his practice and reflections a profound engagement with perception, temporality, embodiment, and relational being. This work positions Chalmers within the broader philosophical lineage of phenomenology - from Husserl’s intentionality to Merleau-Ponty’s embodiment and Heidegger’s disclosure - while examining how his photographic approach renders these ideas visible. Through an analysis of his texts ( Existential Birds in Flight Photography , Colour, Presence, and the Photo...