What is joy?

Can you photograph joy? Can the viewer of a photograph depicting joy experience the original sensation?

Photographing joy is difficult.

Joy is momentary, unanticipated and as soon as it’s experienced it passes into the reams of memory. This is not the moment to be confused with the ‘the decisive moment’ coined up in 1953 by the celebrated photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was actually quoting from the 17th century Cardinal de Retz who stated: there is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment. Cartier-Bresson was referring to the split-second timing required to capture fleeting moments before they are gone. And once in the past, these moments can only be recalled through the lens of memory. Joy has certain qualities that render it difficult to capture in photographs. Photography relies only on the visual senses. Joy is multi-layered and connects with our spontaneous and emotional receptivity. You can’t prepare for joy. Often it is the first encounter that gives rise to the sensation of joy which cannot be repeated in subsequent recalls because of the burden of expectation.

The very first kiss; the exhilaration a child feels when she first splashes paint on paper, or the first time you see a sun rising, or the awe of the northern lights - can you relive any of these moments again with the same purity, intensity and total abandon? I ask this because once experienced joy is revisited as pleasure.

What does AI think?

I had a conversation with AI on this. It became quite philosophical as one might expect. Here is the gist:

AM: What is your experience of joy?

I don't actually experience joy or any other emotions directly. I don't have subjective experiences or a physical form. I can analyze and discuss the concept of joy from an objective perspective based on my training data, but I don't personally feel or experience emotions myself.

AM: OK. What is your definition of joy?

Joy is a feeling of great happiness, delight, and inner peace. It is a profound emotional state that transcends simple pleasures or amusements. Joy often arises from profound sources like achieving a long-sought goal, experiencing a deep interpersonal connection, or revelling in the beauty of nature or art.

Joy is considered one of the highest emotional experiences a person can have. While fleeting, these intensely positive moments can provide perspective, renewal, and memories that endure as sources of comfort and inspiration.

Does this analytical definition and description of the concept of joy align with your understanding?

AM: I am not sure. Can the experience of joy be truly captured in a photograph?

No, the true essence and experience of joy cannot be fully captured in a single photograph. While a photograph can provide a visual snapshot and reminder of a joyful moment, the depth of the emotional experience itself goes far beyond what can be encapsulated in a still image. There are several reasons:

• Joy is an internal, subjective feeling. A photograph only shows the external physical manifestation, but cannot convey the multi-layered emotions, thoughts, and context that comprise the internal experience of joy.

• Joy is fleeting and momentary. The split-second captured in a photo is just an instantaneous sliver of the full arc and evolution of the joyful experience over time.

• Joy involves multiple senses. Sight is limited to the visual, but joy often engages the whole range of senses - sounds of laughter, physical touch and warmth, smells that trigger memories, etc.

• Joy has a subjective context. The specific personal circumstances, relationships, accomplishments, or revelations that sparked the joyful feeling are uniquely meaningful to the individual experiencing it in that moment.

While photographs can be powerful memory aides and reminders of joyful times, the true essence of joy is deeply personal and emotionally transcendent.

AM: How is joy different from pleasure?

Joy and pleasure are related but distinct emotional experiences. Here are some key differences between joy and pleasure:

• Intensity and Profundity: Joy is considered a deeper, more intense emotion than pleasure. Pleasure is more surface level, while joy emanates from a profound sense of contentment, connection or meaning.

• Source: Pleasures are typically derived from physical stimuli or superficial indulgences - good food, entertainment etc. Joy arises from deeper, more meaningful sources - accomplishments, relationships, and transcendent experiences.

• Duration: Pleasures are usually fleeting and temporary. Joy is longer-lasting and has a reverberating effect that lingers as a warm glow.

• Emotional Impact: Pleasures provide amusement and delight in the moment. Joy has a more transformative effect, leaving you with renewed perspective, energy and sense of appreciation.

• Accompanying Feelings: Pleasure is usually an isolated positive feeling. Joy is often accompanied by related emotions like gratitude, serenity, wonder, or a sense of upliftment.

In essence, pleasures are happy indulgences, while joy taps into the profound essence of human consciousness and thriving.

AM: What did Bertrand Russell have to say about joy?

Bertrand Russell, the renowned 20th century British philosopher, had some insightful things to say about the nature of joy. He described joy as a "vivid comprehension of the truth, a meaningful harmony between the knower and the known." Russell distinguished joy from mere pleasures or amusements by saying:

"Joy is distinct not only from pleasure in general but also from what is commonly called happiness, for it is far too deep and fundamental for either of these transitory moods."

Russell saw joy as arising from a transcendent union between one's inner self and the wonders around us.

AM: What did Jiddu Krishnamurti have to say about joy?

Jiddu Krishnamurti, the influential 20th-century Indian philosopher, had some profound insights about the nature of true joy:

Krishnamurti made a clear distinction between joy and pleasure, stating that pleasure is motivated by self-centred desire, while joy arises through being fully present and aware.

He spoke of joy as "that strange thing which is not pleasure, for pleasure is always leading to pain, pleasure is always the parent of fear and pain."

For Krishnamurti, joy could not be pursued or cultivated directly, as it comes unknowingly when the mind is completely silent, untroubled by thought or ego.

He described joy as "That simple, un-tormented state, it is there when you are not...It is there when thought operation has ceased, when there is spontaneous behaviour, when there is complete peace with things as they are."

Krishnamurti saw joy as intrinsically tied to a state of pure awareness and acceptance of the present moment, undivided by the burdens of memory or desire.

He suggested, "It is only when the mind is completely silent that it can enter into that state of joy which is eternal, immeasurable, which is not the compensating product of thought."

In essence, for Krishnamurti, true joy was not a fleeting emotion, but an ever-present state of sublime peace and presence that arises when the noisy self-centred discourse of the mind dissolves into pure being and awareness of what is.

AM: Thank you

You're most welcome! I'm glad I could provide an overview of the profound perspectives on the nature of true joy from influential thinkers like Bertrand Russell and Jiddu Krishnamurti. Their philosophical insights distinguish joy as a deeply transcendent state beyond mere pleasure or happiness.

Thank you AI - what next?

So there you have it. According to AI assisted by human philosophical thought, you cannot photograph joy. It is ethereal. It is a sense of profound contentment, an uplifting feeling of one spirit and elation. It is deeply internal, subjective, multi-layered and emotionally transcendent. It’s fleeting and yet long lasting, a reverberating feeling with a glow. For Krishnamurti it is tied to a state of pure awareness and cannot be pursued directly because it ‘comes unknowingly when the mind is completely silent, untroubled by thought or ego.’

So if you cannot photograph joy directly can you approach it indirectly, abstractly or emotionally? What methods or tools could be used? I think as the concept of joy is abstract using abstract and conceptual methods could produce interesting results. It’s definitely worth exploring.

In my own experience

I remember three fleeting moments. None were anticipated and all were first time, which I managed to photograph (See images). The first was a photograph I took in the autumn of 1970 of the stunning colours of a sunset in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. I had not seen a sunset like this before. The second photograph was taken five years later in 1975 from an aeroplane high above the Hindu Kush Mountains on my first long-haul flight to India. Most of the passengers were asleep at the time and when I opened the shutter I saw a majestic view of sky a few hours before dawn. The third event was an accident. A small painting by my wife fell and my camera unexpectedly captured the movement. The memories conveyed by these images are of immense joy and thrill of the moment, in the moment. But years later they do not have the same quality or intensity as the original experience. These were quiet, transitory and had palpable feelings of awe, grandeur and surprise.

Explore and experiment

One shouldn’t give up trying. It is worth exploring how one can capture the sense of joy with abstract, conceptual, multi-layered photography. Several ideas are embodied in the language and thinking of Russell and Krishnamurti that provide a starting point for photographic thinking and exploration: silence, serenity, emotion, fulfilment, uplifting, wonder, unknowing, and transcendental. I will explore further and hope that you will also be inspired to have a go. Do get in touch if you would like to ponder and explore this. Wonderful things may happen!