"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."
— Dorothea Lange
Mindful photography is a form of art therapy giving you the opportunity to conenct with the world visually. Mindfulness and art have a symbiotic relationship that has long been recognised as therapeutic.
Mindful photography offers a chance to be truely aware of the moment, seeking out what you are drawn to and expressing emotions through the image. It's not so much about a perfect image. In fact the perfectly imperfect can sometimes be the very thing that you need to see.
In times of high anxiety the camera can become a shield to the outside while still holding the visual connection. Capturing a story in a single shot, focusing on shape, colour, texture, light, shadow. Paying attention to what you are drawn to. Finding a theme and let the visual cues guide you into the present moment. Sometimes you can find the most wonderful, ridiculous, precious things to photogaph, sometimes you may be drawn to dark, grim and spikey. The acceptance of what you are drawn to can lead to an understanding and appreciation of the present moment, and compassion for whatever it may be.
Can photography be helpful for mental health?
Mental health professionals say yes. They define something as “therapeutic if it enhances insight into yourself, promotes the awareness and expression of underlying feelings, and moves your identity into new, more helpful directions."
Photography is a powerful tool for expression enabling you to communicate experiences that may be difficult to communicate through language.
Because a picture is worth a thousand words, many ideas can be captured and conveyed in one image. An image is representation of what you may feel in the moment.
Psychotherapy has used pictures, drawings, paintings, images of all kinds as a method to decipher emotions for decades.
What if you could use your camera to help express your thought, stories and be more mindful? Whether it is a DSLR or the phone in your pocket, there is great potential to use a camera as a form of expression.
Capturing what you see becomes the symbolism of what you are paying attention to. Shape, colour, light, shadow can help you to be more aware of internal thoughts and express emotion.