Head outdoors with your camera this Mental Health Awareness Week
The simplest solutions are often the best, so let nature and photography lift your spirit as you spend time outdoors. Photo printing company CEWE, in partnership with the National Trust, encourages people to spend time outside and capture their surroundings this Mental Health Awareness Week (12-18 May). Find time to slow down and enjoy a mindful photo walk in one of the picturesque National Trust locations.
Taking photos in nature is a simple and effective way to empower yourself through creativity. According to research commissioned by CEWE, “91% of Brits feel that spending time outdoors has a positive impact on their wellbeing, and almost a third feel taking photos helps them manage stress and anxiety”.
Dr Graham Wilson, therapeutic photography tutor at the University of Oxford, comments: “The research clearly demonstrates how combining outdoor activities with photography can have a lasting, restorative impact on our mental wellbeing.” During photo walks, simply paying attention to your surroundings and choosing what to capture allows you to slow down and find moments of calm. When revisited, these images serve as a gentle reminder of finding stillness and peace in an otherwise frantic world.
There’s no need for expensive equipment, just your phone and the willingness to take in the scenery. There’s something for everyone, whether you focus on small details and take close-ups and macro photos, look for insects, birds or other animals, capture portraits of your loved ones or the surrounding landscape or architecture.
You can also take part in organised photo walks and get pro tips on how to capture the great outdoors at events like The Festival of Outdoor Photography, AP’s new three-day celebration of nature and outdoor photography taking place 30th May – 1st June at The Royal Geographical Society. Featuring photo walks by Damien Demolder, who focuses on street photography and Peter Dench, who takes a documentary and travel approach to taking images. Spaces are filling quickly so don’t miss your chance, book below.
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