Vernon Chalmers Applied Existential 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

Abstract

"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’ photographic ethos is not only visual but also meditative and ethical: it reclaims the photographer’s role as a conscious participant in the unfolding of being.

Introduction

The idea of applied existential photography arises from an understanding of photography not merely as image production but as a mode of being-in-the-world. For Vernon Chalmers, photography becomes a praxis of existential reflection—a lived inquiry into perception, time, and the self. His sustained engagement with the landscapes of False Bay, the fluidity of light, and the fleeting presence of birds articulates a deep phenomenological sensitivity to the world around him. Within his oeuvre, Chalmers’ images function as meditations on presence and impermanence, echoing the existential question of what it means to be aware, embodied, and responsive to the moment.

Applied existential photography, as developed in this analysis, is both a practice and a philosophy: it uses photography as a means of existential inquiry, integrating aesthetic awareness with introspection and philosophical consciousness. It assumes that every image contains not just a subject but a state of being. Following thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre (1943/1992), Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1945/2012), and Rollo May (1983), Chalmers’ practice situates the photographer at the intersection of perception, meaning, and existence.

Existential and Phenomenological Foundations

Existentialism, as a philosophical movement, emphasizes the individual’s confrontation with meaning, freedom, and authenticity. Photography, in Chalmers’ practice, embodies these concerns through the tension between what is seen and how it is seen. According to Sartre (1943/1992), consciousness is always directed toward something—it is intentional. Similarly, the photographic gaze is intentional: it frames, isolates, and invests meaning into the visible. In Chalmers’ work, this directedness becomes a form of existential intentionality—a way of acknowledging the world through active seeing.

The phenomenological grounding of Chalmers’ photography is equally significant. Merleau-Ponty’s (1945/2012) concept of embodied perception suggests that vision is not a detached act of cognition but a lived, bodily engagement with the world. Chalmers’ slow, attentive process—often characterized by waiting for light transitions or bird movements—reveals an embodied patience akin to phenomenological reduction. Through stillness and receptivity, he allows perception to disclose the world’s intrinsic presence.

Photography, then, becomes a dialogue between self and world. The image is not a product of separation but of communion. As Heidegger (1927/1962) reminds us, being is always being-in-the-world—a state of entanglement rather than detachment. In this sense, Chalmers’ photography can be read as an applied Heideggerian meditation on dwelling, revealing a harmony between technology (the camera), environment, and consciousness.

Arum Lily : Kirstenbosch Garden

"The Arum lily does not ask to be seen - it simply is. In its curve, I glimpse the quiet nature of becoming. No striving. Just presence." - Vernon Chalmers

The Concept of Applied Existential Photography

Applied existential photography is not a formalized school but a conceptual synthesis—a way of translating existential awareness into photographic method. For Chalmers, the term “applied” suggests that existential thought is not confined to abstract philosophy but can be practiced through creative experience. His photographic sessions become spaces of contemplation and psychological presence, where the act of photographing transforms perception itself.

Applied existential photography thus operates through three primary dimensions:

• Existential Awareness: The photographer recognizes the contingency of being—the fact that each moment, subject, and light condition is unrepeatable. Photography becomes a means to acknowledge and affirm impermanence.

• Phenomenological Embodiment: The act of seeing is grounded in the body’s sensory awareness. The camera becomes an extension of perceptual consciousness rather than a barrier

• Reflective Integration: Each photograph functions as a mirror for self-reflection, allowing the photographer to examine inner states, emotions, and awareness.

In this framework, the photograph ceases to be a static artifact. It becomes an existential record—a trace of consciousness engaging the world. As May (1983) noted, creativity itself is an existential act, a “meeting of the inner and outer worlds.” Chalmers’ applied approach manifests this meeting in every frame.

Photography as Existential Encounter

For Chalmers, photography is not simply about representation; it is an encounter with being. Standing at the shore of False Bay, camera in hand, he inhabits what Simone de Beauvoir (1947/1996) might call a situation—a convergence of self, freedom, and the other (in this case, the natural world). The bird, the tide, and the horizon become participants in a shared phenomenological event.

Such encounters can be understood through Buber’s (1923/1970) I–Thou relation, where the world is not objectified but addressed as a living presence. Chalmers’ photographs of seascapes and birds in flight exemplify this dialogical stance. The lens mediates, but does not dominate; it facilitates communion.

This existential encounter also entails acceptance of temporality. Every photograph is a record of time’s passage—a fleeting instant fixed into memory. Yet, paradoxically, the image also reminds the photographer of impermanence. In this sense, Chalmers’ practice mirrors Camus’ (1942/1991) absurdism: the recognition that beauty and transience coexist, and that meaning must be created through presence, not permanence.

Applied existential photography thus carries both aesthetic and ethical dimensions. The photographer assumes responsibility for how the world is seen, interpreted, and shared. The image becomes a statement of existential honesty—a reflection of one’s encounter with truth, light, and vulnerability.

Citrus Swallowtail Butterfly : Kirstenbosch Garden

Perception, Consciousness, and the Camera

Photography operates at the intersection of perception and consciousness. Chalmers’ interest in cognition and psychology informs his view of the camera as a mediating instrument of awareness rather than mere documentation. In psychological terms, his process resonates with Csikszentmihalyi’s (1990) concept of flow, wherein attention and action merge in a state of deep absorption.

This alignment of consciousness and perception creates what could be termed existential flow—a condition in which the photographer transcends self-consciousness and becomes one with the act of seeing. In such moments, the distinction between subject and object dissolves; perception becomes a holistic awareness.

Furthermore, Chalmers’ approach incorporates metacognition, or reflection upon one’s own thought process. Each image emerges not only from sensory experience but also from introspection—a layered awareness of being both observer and participant. Kabat-Zinn (1994) defines mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. Chalmers’ photography embodies this mindfulness, transforming the camera into an instrument of awareness.

Thus, applied existential photography situates the photographer within a continuum of perception—bridging consciousness, environment, and aesthetic experience. It becomes an applied psychology of being, using visual art as both method and metaphor for existential reflection.

Existential Aesthetics: Light, Time, and Solitude

Light functions as a central metaphor in Chalmers’ visual philosophy. It is both literal and symbolic: illuminating not only the landscape but also the inner dimensions of awareness. In the existential sense, light corresponds to clarity of being—the unveiling of what is. Heidegger (1935/2001) uses the term aletheia to denote truth as unconcealment, the process through which being reveals itself. Chalmers’ photographs enact this unconcealment through the patience of observation and the discipline of waiting for the right light.

Time, likewise, plays a fundamental role. Every exposure captures a fragment of temporality, an instant that will never recur. Henri Bergson’s (1911/2001) notion of duration—time as continuous flow rather than discrete units—helps articulate Chalmers’ temporal sensibility. His long hours by the sea or in natural habitats reveal an intuitive grasp of duration: time experienced as lived consciousness rather than chronological measurement.

Solitude, too, is integral. Existential reflection requires distance from distraction. Chalmers’ solitary practice echoes Kierkegaard’s (1849/2013) assertion that truth is found in inwardness. The camera, in his hands, becomes a companion in solitude, guiding him toward self-awareness rather than isolation.

Through light, time, and solitude, Chalmers translates existential awareness into aesthetic form—making the invisible visible, and the transient eternal.

Photography as Self-Reflection and Ethical Awareness

Applied existential photography is not merely descriptive; it is also reflective and ethical. Each image becomes a mirror in which the self is examined, not for vanity but for understanding. In Sartrean terms, the photograph can evoke bad faith—a false self constructed through appearance—or it can serve authenticity by acknowledging vulnerability and freedom.

Chalmers’ reflective writing on photography often emphasizes the why behind image-making. This self-questioning reveals an ethical dimension to his practice: the awareness that every act of seeing involves choice, responsibility, and relation. The ethical imperative lies in respecting the subject’s autonomy—whether human, animal, or landscape—and in avoiding objectification.

This reflective ethic aligns with Levinas’ (1961/1969) notion of responsibility to the Other. To photograph ethically, one must first see the Other not as object but as presence. Chalmers’ empathetic approach to nature—especially his sensitivity to the fragility of ecosystems and the grace of birds—manifests this ethical seeing.

Applied existential photography, therefore, becomes a form of moral phenomenology: it integrates seeing with care, presence with respect, and artistry with humility.

Existential Psychology and the Sense of Self

Chalmers’ photographic philosophy intersects deeply with existential psychology, particularly in exploring the sense of self. Existential psychology views the self as dynamic, emergent, and relational. May (1983) and Yalom (1980) emphasize that the authentic self arises from confronting anxiety, choice, and mortality. Photography, as practiced by Chalmers, provides a contemplative arena for this confrontation.

The act of photographing becomes a dialogue between the conscious and unconscious self. Through visual engagement, inner states are externalized—translated into image. This externalization fosters self-reflexivity: the awareness of one’s position within experience. Over time, the photographic archive functions as a visual autobiography of being, chronicling shifts in perception, emotion, and philosophical understanding.

From a psychological standpoint, such a practice supports self-coherence. It integrates cognitive, emotional, and existential dimensions of identity. The result is what might be termed a photographic phenomenology of selfhood: an ongoing process through which the photographer not only records but also becomes through the act of photographing.

Table Mountain After Sunset : Milnerton Lagoon, Woodbridge Island

Applied Existential Photography as Contemporary Practice

In the context of contemporary photographic discourse, Chalmers’ approach diverges from the dominant currents of digital immediacy and aesthetic spectacle. Instead, it calls for slow seeing—a return to contemplative practice. This echoes the principles of the slow photography movement (Shaw, 2015), which advocates mindfulness and intentionality in image-making.

Applied existential photography, in this sense, is a countercultural response to visual saturation. It reasserts photography’s philosophical and experiential roots, inviting practitioners to engage the world with presence rather than consumption.

Moreover, Chalmers’ integration of existential thought with applied practice extends beyond personal art—it functions as an educational model. Through his mentoring and workshops, he encourages photographers to develop awareness of the psychological and philosophical dimensions of their work. This pedagogical stance transforms photography into an avenue for existential education—a means of cultivating presence, empathy, and authenticity.

Conclusion

Vernon Chalmers’ Applied Existential Photography represents a synthesis of art, philosophy, and psychology. It demonstrates that photography can be more than visual representation—it can be an applied form of existential inquiry. Through the integration of perception, reflection, and ethical awareness, Chalmers transforms the camera into a medium of consciousness.

His practice exemplifies the phenomenological encounter between self and world: seeing as being, photographing as understanding. Each image becomes a manifestation of existential truth—a moment where awareness meets impermanence.

Applied existential photography thus serves as both methodology and meditation: it invites individuals to see more deeply, reflect more honestly, and dwell more authentically within the world’s fleeting beauty. In Chalmers’ vision, the camera does not capture life; it participates in it." (Source: ChatGPT 2025)

References

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