Looking At Photographs

Many people glance at a photograph for just a few seconds, quickly deciding whether they like it or not. But before making that judgment, it’s worth taking a moment to truly observe the image—seeing it through the photographer’s eyes. Imagine yourself standing next to the photographer at the exact moment the shot was taken, immersed in the same scene, experiencing the same emotions. What did the photographer feel as they pressed the shutter? What story does the image tell beyond its surface? As the great photographer Edward Weston said, “Photography for me is not looking, it is feeling.”

This website has ten Galleries of photographs, illustrating their integration with Know-Your-Self. In addition, there is another Gallery that holds photographs used on the webpages but that do not appear in the other ten Galleries.

Six of the ten Galleries are devoted to the emotion of Awe. Why so many? Because awe is transformative—it breaks through the surface personality, that initial layer of who we think we are, and opens the door to deeper self-awareness.

Awe is unlike any other emotion. It is expansive, humbling, and profound. It disrupts our usual self-referential perspective and invites us to connect with something greater—be it the grandeur of a natural landscape, the intricate beauty of creation, or the artistry of a Michelangelo statue.

In these moments, the boundaries of the ego can soften, and we step into the mystery of who else we are. This shift is essential because the surface personality often acts as a barrier to deeper exploration. It keeps us tethered to habits, roles, and societal expectations. Awe demands that we pause, notice, and open ourselves to wonder. By doing so, it clears the path to the deeper psychological, moral, and spiritual levels of self-knowledge.