Vernon Chalmers CI Photography Application

Vernon Chalmers’ Conscious Intelligence (CI) Photography Application offers a transformative perspective on photographic practice.

Introduction

"Conscious Intelligence (CI) Theory, as developed by Vernon Chalmers, offers a new conceptual lens for understanding photography as a living, cognitive, and phenomenological activity. Rather than treating photography as a purely technical or mechanical skill, CI frames photographic practice as an intentional, perceptual, and experiential process shaped by consciousness. This perspective positions the photographer not simply as a camera operator but as an embodied intelligence - a perceiving, feeling, and interpreting agent who is deeply involved in the situated moment of image creation.

In this sense, CI Theory provides both a philosophical orientation and a practical methodology for enhancing photographic awareness, decision-making, creativity, and skill fluency. The application of CI in photography integrates elements of embodied cognition (Varela et al., 1991), phenomenology (Merleau-Ponty, 1962), experiential learning (Kolb, 1984), subject–world relationality (Gibson, 1979), and reflective practice (Schön, 1983).

This essay explores how CI Theory applies in real photography contexts - especially in Birds-in-Flight (BIF), nature and landscape photography, and Chalmers’ experiential training environments. The discussion combines theoretical grounding with practical implications, highlighting how Conscious Intelligence becomes a lived method for perceiving, engaging with, and representing the world through the photographic medium.

1. Conscious Intelligence as a Foundation for Photographic Awareness

CI as perceptual intentionality

At its foundation, CI Theory asserts that perception is not passive; it is intentional, meaning-directed, and structured by both awareness and embodied experience. Photographers do not merely “see” scenes - rather, they interpret, discriminate, anticipate, and prioritise elements within the visual field. This idea closely aligns with phenomenology’s claim that consciousness is always consciousness of something (Husserl, 1931).

In photography, intentionality manifests through the photographer’s decisions regarding:

• direction of attention

• reading of light

• interpretation of subject movement

• sensing of spatial depth

• timing and responsiveness

• emotional attunement to the scene

CI frames these processes as conscious, embodied, and context-dependent. Through repeated experience, the photographer gradually develops perceptual intelligence - an integrated form of awareness that allows intuitive, rapid, and accurate decision-making.

Awareness as an embodied phenomenon

Merleau-Ponty (1962) argued that perception is inherently embodied; we do not view the world from a “mental distance,” but through the lived bodily experience. Vernon Chalmers’ CI Theory applies this insight directly to photography by emphasizing how:

• stance and posture influence stability

• breathing affects timing

• hand–eye coordination shapes focus

• bodily alignment influences tracking

• emotional state shapes clarity of perception

This embodied dimension is especially significant in BIF photography, where small physical misalignments or delays can affect sharpness, tracking, or exposure accuracy. CI strengthens the photographer’s ability to integrate body and mind, resulting in greater stability, fluidity, and presence.

CI as the integration of emotion, cognition, and perception

CI Theory holds that intelligence is not purely cognitive; emotional regulation, awareness, and motivation also play fundamental roles. Research in affective neuroscience confirms that emotional states influence attention, decision-making, and perceptual processing (Damasio, 1999). Chalmers’ CI model incorporates these emotional dimensions into photographic practice.

A calm, focused, and aware emotional state increases perceptual clarity and facilitates what the literature calls optimal experience or “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). As photographers refine CI skills, they cultivate the inner steadiness required to manage rapidly changing conditions, fleeting lighting, or unpredictable wildlife behaviour.

2. The Experiential Learning Basis of CI Photography

Kolb’s learning cycle as a photographic process

Chalmers’ application of CI is grounded strongly in experiential learning theory. Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle - Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualisation, and Active Experimentation - maps directly onto the learning trajectory of photographers.

In applied CI photography:

• Concrete Experience: field sessions, capturing images, handling the camera

• Reflective Observation: reviewing images, analysing mistakes, evaluating conditions

• Abstract Conceptualisation: forming insights, adjusting conceptual understanding

• Active Experimentation: applying adjustments in the next session

The cycle repeats, deepens, and becomes more fluid over time. CI enhances each phase by adding layers of awareness, intention, and perceptual refinement.

The Living Curriculum as an expression of experiential intelligence

Vernon Chalmers’ “Living Curriculum” emerged as a pedagogical extension of CI, emphasizing adaptive and contextual learning rather than rigid instructional structures. Constructivist and heutagogical learning frameworks (Hase & Kenyon, 2000) support this approach, noting that learners internalize skills more deeply when they engage with real-world problems and have autonomy in determining their learning pathways.

Within this Living Curriculum:

• Learners participate actively rather than passively.

• The training evolves to meet the needs of each individual.

• Awareness and adaptability are prioritized alongside technical skill.

• The curriculum changes dynamically with each learner’s progress.

This makes CI photography training a co-created, reciprocal learning experience rather than a static set of instructions.

3. Conscious Intelligence in Birds-in-Flight (BIF) Photography

Why BIF photography exemplifies CI

Birds-in-Flight photography is one of the most cognitively demanding photographic genres due to:

• subject unpredictability

• rapid movement

• constantly shifting light

• narrow exposure tolerances

• complex tracking and panning patterns

• environmental variability

These challenges require an integration of perception, cognition, emotion, strategy, and technical skill - precisely the dimensions CI Theory unifies. BIF photography is therefore a real-time laboratory for developing conscious intelligence.

Perceptual intelligence in BIF photography

CI enhances the photographer’s ability to read environmental cues and anticipate movement. This involves:

• recognising the direction of flight patterns

• predicting acceleration and wing behaviour

• interpreting the bird’s interaction with wind or thermals

• sensing when light will change

• intuitively adjusting settings before the shot

Gibson’s (1979) ecological psychology offers strong alignment here, as perception is treated as the detection of meaningful environmental information - affordances. CI interprets these affordances through a conscious, training-guided awareness.

Cognitive intelligence: rapid decision-making

Fast, accurate decisions lie at the heart of BIF photography. CI supports cognitive fluency through:

• working memory optimisation

• setting recall

• predictive modelling

• rapid calculation of exposure variables

• intuitive ISO–shutter–aperture balancing

With experience, CI allows these processes to operate with minimal conscious effort - a reflection of procedural learning (Anderson, 1982).

Emotional intelligence: calmness in motion

Emotional stability is crucial for maintaining clarity during fast-paced shooting. CI promotes emotional regulation by:

• keeping the photographer relaxed under pressure

• reducing frustration when subjects move unpredictably

• encouraging patience in waiting for the right moment

• stabilizing attention during long tracking sequences

Affective steadiness reduces cognitive load and increases perceptual precision.

Embodied intelligence: the physical mechanics of BIF

CI integrates bodily awareness as part of photographic fluency:

• smooth panning motions

• controlled breathing

• balanced stance

• coordinated grip

• muscle memory in camera movement

These embodied elements are inseparable from image success; CI frames them as core to intelligence rather than secondary physical skills.

4. CI Photography Beyond BIF: Landscapes, Nature, and Creative Practice

While BIF photography magnifies the demands placed on conscious intelligence, CI applies equally well to other genres.

Landscape photography

Landscape photography requires heightened sensitivity to:

• temporality (changes in light)

• atmospheric conditions

• environmental stillness

• compositional balance

• emotional resonance

CI sharpens awareness of the subtleties that define a compelling landscape image. The photographer begins to feel the light, anticipate atmospheric shifts, and intuitively position themselves for optimal composition.

Nature and environmental photography

CI supports patient, observational presence - qualities essential when:

• waiting for wildlife behaviour

• reading ecosystems

• interpreting natural rhythms

Merleau-Ponty (1962) noted that the world is perceived as lived space, not abstract geometry; CI encourages photographers to enter that space mentally and emotionally.

Creative and conceptual photography

CI also contributes to conceptual and aesthetic creativity. The photographer becomes more attuned to:

• symbolic meaning

• emotional tone

• aesthetic coherence

• phenomenological presence

This aligns with theories of creative cognition (Ward et al., 1997), which emphasize the interplay between perception, memory, and imagination.

5. CI in Training Methodology and Photographic Development

CI-based mentorship

Vernon Chalmers’ training approach emphasizes long-term support grounded in CI principles. Mentorship includes:

• reflective dialogue

• iterative practice

• emotional encouragement

• personalised feedback

• awareness-building exercises

This relational method is aligned with situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991), where learners gain expertise through guided participation.

CI as a framework for skill internalisation

Skill acquisition research (Fitts & Posner, 1967) describes a transition from cognitive → associative → autonomous stages. CI helps photographers progress through these stages by:

• strengthening self-awareness

• improving error recognition

• encouraging reflective refinement

• building perceptual and emotional fluency

Instead of memorizing settings, the learner internalizes relationships between subject, light, movement, and exposure.

Practical exercises influenced by CI

Typical CI-driven exercises may include:

• slow, mindful panning

• breath-regulated tracking

• timed anticipation drills

• reflective journaling of field sessions

• light-reading exercises

• perceptual training without a camera

These practices strengthen consciousness and perceptual intelligence beyond technical settings.

6. The Philosophical Dimension: CI and the Photographer’s Way of Being

Consciousness as a creative force

CI asserts that consciousness is not merely an observer but an active co-creator of the photographic encounter. This echoes phenomenological insights that perception shapes world-disclosure - how the world appears to us (Heidegger, 1962). In photography, this means:

• images are products of the photographer’s awareness

• creativity emerges from embodied presence

• intention shapes composition and timing

• emotional resonance influences aesthetic decisions

Photography as lived experience

CI interprets photography as an experiential event. The photographer becomes part of the dynamic interplay between:

• self

• subject

• environment

• technology

• intention

This holistic perspective expands photography beyond technical mastery into a meaningful human practice.

Conclusion

Vernon Chalmers’ Conscious Intelligence (CI) Photography Application offers a transformative perspective on photographic practice. By integrating phenomenology, embodied cognition, experiential learning, emotional intelligence, and ecological awareness, CI reframes photography as a deeply conscious and intentional activity.

In Birds-in-Flight (BIF) photography, CI becomes especially powerful, enhancing perceptual acuity, emotional steadiness, cognitive speed, and embodied fluency. Yet its value extends to all photographic genres, enriching creativity, presence, and personal expression.

As a training methodology, CI forms the backbone of Chalmers’ Living Curriculum, shaping a learner-centered, adaptive, and experiential approach to skill development. Together, these dimensions position CI Photography as both a practical method and a philosophical framework - one that deepens the photographer’s connection with the world, the subject, and the self." (Source: ChatCPT 2025)

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