Through the Lens: Photography for Wellbeing

Let us leave behind sadness, regrets and painful moments and have a new start full of joy this year. - Unknown author Happy New Years Eve This past year has been a busy yet exciting one for me. The best part was having more time to practice using my camera in many creative ways. Tonight many people will be attending parties with others and ringing the new year with a glass of champagne and perhaps a kiss.  If you have no plans for partying, there is no need to feel blue. This is the perfect time to go try some night photography. Here is my first attempt at creating a sphere of light with a long exposure on my camera. It isn't perfect but it sure was a lot of fun trying. If you do a google search for night photography or light painting photography you will find so many tips and youtube videos. Check out the tutorial for light orbs at this link for PhotoExtremist at   http://photoextremist.com/orb-light-painting-tutorial .  This fellow can do amazin...

Photography, as a powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution. Ansel Adams A photograph, through the visual symbols embedded in it, can reveal so much about the artists inner life; emotions, values, and a whole host of unconscious messages. I chose this photograph to post because when I look at it I am reminded about some of the Christmas traditions I was brought up with. The decorated tree, Santa Claus, and gifts, were some of those traditions, and of course pets are always in the picture.  Family members are part of Christmas for me too of course, and so much more.  Pets bring so much joy in life and these 2 little guys are so cute, looking in their stockings for stuffed toys to play with. It's hilarious and including them in a photograph just captures memories of joyful times. Today, and over the rest of the holidays, I hope you take lots of pictures of the events and all the little details that ...

Today is winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year; the time when the earths axis tilts farthest from the sun. For anyone who experiences the "winter blues", or some degree of seasonal affective disorder (SAD),  spending more time outdoors and getting light is one option (among others) to help treat the winter blues and photography is the perfect excuse to get out into the light. If you live where there is snow and it is cold, just bundle up and get out there making photographs. Not only will you get more light, but it is a great opportunity to photograph the beauty of the season. And remember, starting tomorrow the days are getting longer and spring is on it's way.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. - Kahlil Gibram I've been thinking a lot about joy lately and I concluded that we experience millions of joyful moments in various forms and degrees of emotion, and that it is subjective. We are all different and find joy in different things, yet there are some similar themes. Also, it doesn't have to be the really big things that make you jump and scream with excitement, like winning the lottery - it can be little, everyday things that happen that bring the feeling of happiness. Joy can also feel like comfort, satisfaction, gratitude and feeling blessed, or feeling at peace and connected to a higher power or faith. I reviewed a lot of information in books, magazines, and the internet to see what others said about joy and I found several themes - people, spirituality, pets, nature, helping, gratitude, success, seeing joy in others, activities & events, being creative, and other (i.e. chocolate).  The people ...

Joy is not in things, it is in us. - Richard Wagner What is joy? It could be described as a feeling of intense happiness or satisfaction. Many people, who celebrate Christmas, might say that this is a season of joy but not everyone is feeling it. The Christmas season can be quite stressful for some, with shopping, extra expenses, and all of the expectations that people have us, or that we expect of ourselves. Others may be struggling with poverty, illness, relationship difficulties, or other challenges that have zapped the joy from their lives. It makes me want to know more about joy; what it is, how to find it, and how photography fits in. Since this is the season for joy, this month I plan to learn more about joy and I'm taking my camera with me. What brings you joy? What has brought about that intense emotion of happiness within you? Is it something that happened to you, or something you did, something small or big? Where have you found joy and how do you find joy in your l...

"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it." - Thich Nhat Hanh When we pick up a camera it is done with a purpose in mind, which in most cases is a thought about the future and the purpose of capturing an image in a photograph. What if we instead thought of the camera as a tool for mindfulness meditation like some people use a candle, music, or the vibrating tone that lingers when a wooden mallet rubs along the rim of a Tibetan singing bowl or it strikes a bell? Perhaps the camera can be that tool that allows us to practice mindfulness meditation and experience the present moment. So many people say that they struggle with mediation because their mind wanders off in all sorts of directions. Now I don't pretend to be an expert on mindfulness or meditation and I  sometimes struggle to let go of competing thoughts and just be in the now.  I just know that, from what I have read about mindfulness meditation, I have experienc...

"Mindfulness or being mindful is being aware of your present moment. You are not judging, reflecting or thinking. You are simply observing the moment in which you find yourself." --- Ozzie Gontag Do you find yourself juggling multiple demands on your time or multi-tasking several activities at once? You aren't alone. In this fast-paced world so many people are just trying to keep up. You may find yourself  doing homework while listening to music and texting friends, or at work taking phone calls while answering and sending emails and also jotting down notes about what else you have to do that day. Or you may be engaged in a conversation with someone but your mind is off thinking about the problems from the other day or future tasks you need to complete. It's hard to concentrate on so many things at once and do a stellar job with any of it. A good example is driving while talking on the cell phone or sending text messages. We all know the dangers of that combination....

Buddha told a parable in a sutra: "A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted! "(Reps & Sensaki, 1994, pp. 39-40). I found this parable within an article on the internet called Zen and the Art of Photography by Wayne Rowe. Here is the link if you want to check it out http://www.csupomona.edu/~jis/2001/Rowe.pdf.  This is just what happened for me when I was making this image of this rock sculpture that I found at Kalamalka Lake, BC recently, (well minus...

     Have you ever been so focused on something that you are doing that you forget about everything else? Many people are talking about or writing about the concept of mindfulness and mindfulness is about being fully present in the moment. Our thoughts often take us back to the past or we may worry about the future, all of which take us out of the present moment. In The Power of Now; A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Eckhart Tolle encourages the reader to "withdraw attention from the past and future whenever they are not needed" (2004, p54-55).  Thoughts about the past or future can often feel good when thinking about positive memories or when looking forward to a fun activity, but if those thoughts are negative it can cause us to feel anxious. A little anxiety is natural. It happens to everyone and can sometimes even be helpful, like being anxious about an upcoming test prompting us to study. But if we are living in the past or future too often, we are not seeing ...

http://community.help-portrait.com/profile/SkyePerry By now you are probably starting to get a sense of how photography can be therapeutic. There are photographers, psychiatrists, therapists, researchers, teachers, journalists, and probably many other disciplines using cameras and photos either as a therapeutic tool or do help others. Photos can tell us a lot. Like the old saying goes,  "A picture is worth a thousand words" (author unknown). Anyway, I'm just heading out to work but I wanted to share a few websites that you can check out to see how some people are using photography to help others. Psychiatrist Joel Walker uses photography in Toronto, Canada to help patients look at themselves and realize their potential. His website is at http://www.portraitsofthehumanspirit.com/. Psychologist Judy Weiser founded the PhotoTherapy Centre in Vancouver, Canada.  In phototherapy sessions with a trained therapist the focus is on snapshots brought in by the client. Ms Weiser tr...

Photography can help you to start seeing things in a new light, which can then open your eyes to new possibilities and perspectives. This happens for me all the time. When my photography instructor assigned a scavenger hunt I was surprised at what I actually discovered and it left me with warm feelings about the community I live in and the goodness of humankind. The assignment was to find 5 items and they had to represent these 5 words; alive, hidden, soft, red, and old. So I went for an early morning drive around town.  I found a lot of beautiful images, especially with that early morning light, but I discovered something deeper; human kindness and generosity. While at an antique machinery park a nice young man showed me around and, not only did I find all sorts of old, unusual and beautiful items to photograph, but the sun shone on spider webs that were hidden in the grass covered in dew. As I was about to step into an old shop the young man stopped me so he could catch a huge ...

I got my first camera when I was a teenager and I took pictures of my friends back then. As a mother I took as many photos of my kids as I could afford to get developed. I had few technical skills, but I loved capturing special moments of my children. I got my first digital camera 10 or 11 years ago, which I've mentioned before, and at that time the sky was the limit. I let go of worry about getting each photograph perfect so as not to waste film or worry about what I took pictures of, and I took thousands of photos. From that time on I continue to photograph family events and places I visit. I met some wonderful people along the way that have become life long friends. I've taken photography lessons through local photographers to help develop my skills and the homework assignments were thought provoking and therapeutic.  Photography has also allowed for creative artistic expression and this has a lot of therapeutic value as well. I highly recommend photography to everyone....

Welcome to my phototherapy blog, where I explore the therapeutic benefits of photography and how it enhances overall wellness. My name is Skye Perry. I am a therapist and an amatuer photographer and, besides my family, these are my passions. I love photography and find it very therapeutic in so many ways. Please note that any strategies discussed here are not meant to replace the therapy provided by a trained therapist for significant mental illnesses, and you should always contact a mental health centre or speak with your doctor if you are struggling with mental health problems.