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| Grey Heron in Flight : Over The Diep River, Woodbridge Island |
Abstract
"Vernon Chalmers’ photographic philosophy and practice are deeply rooted in existential and phenomenological traditions that focus on human perception, being, and the lived experience of presence within the world. This essay explores how existential philosophy - particularly through thinkers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty - has influenced Chalmers’ approach to photography. Through an interpretive framework, this discussion examines how Chalmers integrates phenomenological awareness, authenticity, and the notion of becoming into his visual representations of nature and birds in flight. His work serves as a visual meditation on existential themes, rendering the act of photography not merely as documentation but as a mode of being and understanding.
Existential philosophy, as developed by Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, emphasizes the individual’s direct engagement with existence. Chalmers’ photography echoes this through his commitment to capturing fleeting moments that reveal a deep presence in the natural world. His practice aligns with Heidegger’s concept of Dasein - being-in-the-world - where existence is not an abstraction but an immersion in the everyday reality of life (Heidegger, 1962). For Chalmers, photographing birds in flight becomes an existential act that embodies awareness, temporality, and attunement to the world’s unfolding.
In this context, Chalmers’ imagery is not about aesthetic perfection but about the encounter itself. His subjects - birds gliding through the air, coastal light reflecting on water - become metaphors for transience and freedom. These photographs evoke Sartre’s (1943) assertion that existence precedes essence: meaning is not given but created through the individual’s active participation in the world. Chalmers’ lens, therefore, is not a tool of observation but of engagement, making his art both existential and phenomenological in nature.
Phenomenology and the Act of SeeingMerleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception (1962) offers a profound resonance with Chalmers’ photographic vision. Merleau-Ponty argued that perception is not a detached cognitive act but an embodied experience, one that situates the perceiver within the visible world. Chalmers’ work mirrors this by emphasizing the sensory and embodied nature of seeing. His photographic process often involves extended immersion in the environment - waiting, observing, and responding to subtle shifts in light and motion. This approach transforms photography into a form of eidetic reduction, where Chalmers seeks the essence of phenomena through mindful observation.
Moreover, Chalmers’ reflective writings on photography often invoke the idea of being present with one’s subject. This aligns with Merleau-Ponty’s notion of the “flesh of the world,” where the photographer and the environment are intertwined in a reciprocal relationship. The camera becomes an extension of perception - a bridge between self and world - allowing the photographer to participate in, rather than dominate, the unfolding scene.
Authenticity, Freedom, and the SelfChalmers’ existential photography also explores the concept of authenticity, a central concern in existential philosophy. Kierkegaard (1849) described authenticity as living in accordance with one’s true self, while Heidegger (1962) expanded this idea through the notion of “authentic being-toward-death,” where awareness of mortality deepens one’s engagement with life. In photographing transient natural moments - such as the brief arc of a bird’s flight - Chalmers embraces the impermanence and fragility of existence.
Sartre’s (1943) concept of radical freedom also finds expression in Chalmers’ work. Photography, for Chalmers, becomes an act of choice - an existential assertion of meaning-making through each composition. Every photograph represents a moment where the photographer assumes responsibility for interpretation and expression, thus transforming the ordinary into a site of existential reflection.
Nature, Temporality, and Existential AwarenessChalmers’ recurring engagement with nature - especially coastal landscapes and avian subjects - illustrates an existential meditation on time and impermanence. Drawing on Heidegger’s (1971) reflections on art and dwelling, Chalmers’ work evokes a sense of “being at home in the world,” a reconciliation between human consciousness and natural temporality. The birds in flight, often suspended against vast horizons, symbolize the intersection between freedom and finitude. Each image becomes a momentary suspension of time, a visual articulation of what Kierkegaard called “the instant,” the point where eternity touches temporality.
In this light, Chalmers’ photography resonates with the existential imperative to live authentically in the face of transience. His images function as existential artefacts - reminders of the beauty and fragility of being. By integrating patience, attentiveness, and empathy into his practice, Chalmers redefines photographic mastery as an ethical and existential discipline.
Photography as a Mode of BeingFor Chalmers, photography transcends representation. It is a way of being-in-the-world that synthesizes perception, emotion, and thought. The process of capturing an image becomes a philosophical act - a dialogue between consciousness and the world. This idea parallels Merleau-Ponty’s (1964) vision of art as a “revelation of being,” where the artist discloses the invisible dimensions of experience through visible forms.
Chalmers’ methodology integrates technical precision with meditative awareness. He emphasizes understanding camera mechanics and optical systems not merely as technical exercises but as pathways to deeper perceptual insight. In doing so, his work bridges the gap between phenomenological reflection and empirical observation, demonstrating that existential awareness can coexist with technological mastery.
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| After Sunset : Milnerton From Woodbridge Island, Cape Town |
In his writings and teaching, Chalmers often encourages photographers to engage reflectively with their craft - to move beyond superficial aesthetics and explore photography as a means of self-understanding. This pedagogical stance echoes existential philosophers’ insistence on self-examination and authenticity. Chalmers’ photographic philosophy invites individuals to confront their own perceptual and emotional responses to the world, thereby turning photography into an existential practice of reflection and growth.
Moreover, his approach can be interpreted as an extension of phenomenological reduction: stripping away preconceptions to encounter phenomena directly. By fostering this disciplined attentiveness, Chalmers aligns with Husserl’s (1931) call to return “to the things themselves.” Each photograph becomes an invitation to rediscover the world’s immediacy - to perceive without judgment, to see without imposing, and to be present without possession.
Existential Aesthetics and the Search for MeaningAt the heart of Chalmers’ existential aesthetic lies the question of meaning. For existential philosophers, meaning is not discovered but created through engagement and interpretation. Chalmers’ visual narratives mirror this process, inviting the viewer into a dialogue with uncertainty and wonder. His photographs often resist closure, leaving space for contemplation and ambiguity. This open-endedness reflects the existential condition itself - an ongoing process of becoming rather than a final state of being.
Through his photography, Chalmers illustrates how art can serve as a bridge between individual consciousness and universal existence. By transforming perception into presence, and observation into insight, his images challenge viewers to reconsider their relationship with the world and with themselves. In this way, Chalmers’ art becomes both a personal meditation and a philosophical offering - a testament to the transformative potential of existential awareness.
Conclusion
Vernon Chalmers’ photography exemplifies the deep interplay between existential philosophy and artistic practice. Grounded in the phenomenological tradition, his work embodies principles of authenticity, awareness, and freedom. Through his sustained engagement with nature and the act of perception, Chalmers transforms photography into a form of existential reflection - a means of exploring what it means to be, to see, and to dwell within the world.
Ultimately, Chalmers’ photographic vision affirms that art, like philosophy, is a quest for meaning. By aligning his creative process with the existential imperative to live deliberately and perceive authentically, Chalmers invites both photographer and viewer into a shared journey of awareness. His images become portals into the existential landscape of being - illuminating not only what is seen but what it means to see." (Source: ChatGPT 2025)
ReferencesHeidegger, M. (1962). Being and Time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Harper & Row.
Heidegger, M. (1971). Poetry, Language, Thought (A. Hofstadter, Trans.). Harper & Row.
Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (W. R. Boyce Gibson, Trans.). George Allen & Unwin.
Kierkegaard, S. (1849). The Sickness Unto Death. C.A. Reitzel.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of Perception (C. Smith, Trans.). Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (1964). The Primacy of Perception. Northwestern University Press.
Sartre, J.-P. (1943). Being and Nothingness (H. E. Barnes, Trans.). Philosophical Library
Image Copyright: Vernon Chalmers Photography