Through the Lens: Photography for Wellbeing

The Gift of Noticing It has been a long time since I wrote here.  Nearly ten years, actually.  When I started this blog, I was curious about something that had been quietly becoming important to me: the relationship between photography and wellbeing.  I wondered whether taking photographs could do more than capture a moment. Could the simple act of looking—really looking—help us slow down, become more present, notice beauty, or see something we might otherwise miss? I wrote about mindful photography, nature, anxiety, awe, and the ways that paying attention to the world around us can sometimes change how we experience the world within us. And then life got busy; family, work, a new job.   The blog became quiet.  But photography never really left me.  And lately, I've been thinking about coming back. Maybe photography isn't about the photograph. One of the things I've come to appreciate is that photography isn't always about creating a beautiful picture....

Does the change in season from summer to fall excite or depress you? Sure, the days are shorter and the air cooler, with winter just around the corner but I suggest you embrace it. That's what I did this morning when I woke up with an anxious pit it in my stomach with no explanation why, except the usual mix of what seems like a million items on my to-do list and my favourite energizing season - summer-slipping away. So I put on my jacket and headed out for a walk, but instead of my usual camera I only had my cell phone to take pictures. It doesn't matter what kind of camera you have, just get out there and get inspired. When you take this walk mindfully and meditatively, you just notice what is around you and experience it all fully. Hear the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet. See the vivid colours of the changing colours on the trees, feel the warmth of the sunlight on your face, yet a cool crispness to the air as you breathe deeply.  Once again, as with other explorati...

Self portraits have the ability to really make you think about where you've been, where you're at, and where you're heading, all which can lead to some realizations. When thinking about my life what keeps coming up for me is the constant juggling of life's demands. Home, work, family, friends, school, or whatever it is, it can feel like a juggling act trying to fit it all in. Although I thought I had gotten better at prioritizing how I spend my time, letting go of the need to be perfect and always do better, saying no and not feeling guilty, I'm still doing it. I'm still overfilling my schedule and that is when I feel stressed. I'm sure many others can relate. This assignment helped me to see more clearly how I am doing this to myself so I can make changes.

"After a storm comes calm" - Matthew Henry I love photographing the sky; clouds on sunny or stormy days, sunrises and sunsets, sun rays beaming through clouds, lightening if I am lucky enough to capture it with my camera, the shape and form of clouds, and the rainbows that appear after a storm. Photographing these heavenly scenes always brings me to a sense of wonder and awe. Sometimes clouds just float gently by and sometimes they appear to build and thus create some cold windy rainstorms. But it always clears up eventually. When we experience anxious worrisome thoughts, they can build up inside of us and create a stormy feeling within. Photographing sky scenes reminds me of this and a metaphor I once learned about worries being like clouds floating through the sky. We all experience anxiety some time in our lives; it's natural. However, anxiety can cause problems for many people. One strategy to help reduce anxiety is to use that cloud metaphor when anxious thoug...

This photo is called Circle of Life. I photographed this last spring while laying on my back in the middle of a majestic forest in BC. I was out with a group of other photographers getting eaten by mosquitos and taking photos of the area. It was very enjoyable, (well not the mosquito biting part) and of course that is therapeutic being with and enjoying other people. What I really wanted to share with you tonight is an awesome website that I stumbled across. In an article called "7 Ways to Improve Your Mental Health" by Danielle Hark  on the Beliefnet website, I read the suggestion to "try art" and even take pictures with your cell phone. "The key" Hark states, "is not what you create, it is how you create it. Its about being in the present moment and enjoying the process of creating."  Of course this caught my interest because I have also been encouraging this.  Hark provided a link to her website Broken Light Collective. I'd encourage ...

Photographer Freeman Patterson wrote, in  Photography of Natural Things  (1982), "The growth of cities has increased interest in nature photography as an antidote to the pressures of urban living, a readily available therapy, and a stimulating creative outlet". I totally agree with this statement as I have experienced this for myself. Stepping out into nature, with camera in hand, can provide uplifting and therapeutic experiences. While driving along the highway recently I noticed Trumpeter Swans flying and landing on ponds and streams in fields within the interior of British Columbia. So as soon as I had the chance took the opportunity to pull over to observe and photograph these magnificent creatures. Witnessing these beautiful birds, ones I have rarely seen before (except in photographs made by others), got my blood pumping and although I could have easily rushed over to start snapping pictures, that would have scared them away and would have been disrespectf...