Can photography help with mental health during the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns?
Photography is a powerful thing. Of course we immediately think of images which have left an imprint on our group consciousness such as The Burning Monk or Afghan girl.
But photography is much more than just powerful images, selfies, dogs and cats cuddling, or a way to document something in a certain place at a certain time, photography can be a bit of a healer for those who practice it.
I have shared before my thoughts on photography and mental health, from a personal point of view, but the pandemic has only reinforced my feelings about photography benefiting my life and others.
Photography is a hobby you can practice alone
2020 has been a very lonely year for many.
In fact we are only scratching the surface on the subject of just how lonely people have felt.
Extended lockdowns were followed by a gradual lifting of restrictions and inevitably the awkwardness of not knowing quite how to meet others again: will they want to shake hand, will they themselves have been careful, who did they meet with?
And then once again new lockdowns.
This means a lot of us have felt more lonely than ever before.
Photography is the perfect hobby as it is very accessible, it only requires one observing person with a camera… any camera.
It is also possible during a lockdown or whilst on quarantine to work on old photos and incorporate them into new creative projects, for example using Photoshop. A monthly subscription doesn’t break the bank and opens a world of creative possibilities.
I offer simple Photoshop tutorials on my YouTube channel which I hope can help anyone stuck at home get a little creative with existing photos for not too much money.
Outdoor photography is a healthy activity
I have apparently… according to my wife, healthy strong legs and this is I guess from many photography walks across London.
I often used to walk from Bethnal Green to Notting Hill on Sundays to get some good shots.
That’s a good walk and my advice to budding photographers is always to get good comfy durable shoes.
If you are familiar with my London street photography you will understand. For now over a decade I’ve walked every possible street of London to capture something different, something new.
It’s addictive, you capture something good and interesting, you want more, you want to go again.
Ideally photography takes you places where the air is pure outside of cities but we don’t always have the possibility to escape and we’re pretty lucky that larger cities in the UK have plenty of parks and open spaces.
I wrote an entire article on the best locations to photograph in London.
And with a healthy body comes a healthy mind… I didn’t make that one up.
Photography is meditative
Ask a photographer, they would agree with this statement even if they may not have necessarily thought about it before.
When you are constantly aware of what is around you, when you focus on observing your surroundings and grabbing that shot in the moment, you are practising mindfulness.
You are living fully in the present with clear thoughts and not worrying about the future or regretting the past, both of which you have no control upon.
It’s very calming and beneficial for the mind.
It turns my mind from a wild river of competing thoughts into a very gentle stream.
Photography can be social if you want it
Photography can help you meet new people and interact with them.
Street portraits are a sub-genre of street photography defined by the fact strangers are asked by the photographer to pose for a photo. It’s not staged but because the subject is aware, the result is different from “stealing” a shot.
I really enjoy street portraits as they really take me out of my comfort zone and push me to be more extrovert. Of course Covid has changed things and strangers you’d like to photograph can be forgiven for not really enjoying a stranger rocking-up to them.
This is why I recommend wearing a mask and keeping distances while asking people if you can photograph them. But we all have a different approach…
Few people I want to photograph refuse in “normal times” so during a pandemic it is surely not easier, but that’s the challenge, when you can get a stranger to accept to pose for you, what can’t you do?
It’s very empowering and also somewhat reassuring as again and again I am reminded of the fact that people are a lot nicer than I may have first assumed.
These are the reason I think anyone should consider photography to help with mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.
How does photography make you feel and has it helped you personally?
Share your thoughts here in the comments and please share and like this if you enjoyed it.
Until next time,