Mindfulness & Photography
I'm finally taking the plunge and talking about it...
It's taken me a fair few years to talk about my story of discovering mindfulness, and in all honesty was never my intention to write about it. But after four years of researching, studying and practicing, I find myself here, on Substack typing away. I am by no means an expert, guru or an expert in writing for that matter. I’m just an average person talking about my own human experience with mindfulness; how it has helped me, hoping that maybe it will also help you.
This is my story.
I discovered mindful photography back when the Covid pandemic first hit. It feels like such a long ago now when I think back to that first walk with my camera. It was when we were allowed to go out for just one walk a day. I remember feeling so trapped at the time because I wasn't able to do all the things I loved. As well as not being able to visit family and friends, the nearest beach was at least an hour away. How I missed listening to the crashing waves and to walk on the soft sand. I missed walking through lush green forests, catching glimpses of wildlife, I'm sure you remember it well.
When I think back to the start of the pandemic, wearing masks, wiping down shopping, washing hands, gelling hands, the slightest cough or sneeze was an instant terror that consumed me. Adding to that was the anxious thoughts about my own well-being and how my business was going to be affected by the pandemic, I also was consumed with worry about my daughter and her education. No wonder I, along with thousands of other people felt scared and trapped.
At that time, most of my walks consisted of a couple of miles around the block near to my home. The first lockdown was in spring/summer, so walks through the town past houses and parks didn't seem so bad. Yet there was still a part of me that yearned for more. One day, and I can’t remember which as they all seemed to roll into one, I suddenly remembered a place called King George Pool. A little lake hidden away in Altrincham surrounded by trees, flowers and wildlife that was very near to my home.
Within five minutes our shoes were on and we were ready for what felt like (at the time) like the biggest adventure of our lives.
When I arrived with my daughter for our afternoon stroll, I had no expectations of how I would feel. We were both excited to be outside on a warm sunny day, like we were visiting somewhere new, even though we had been there countless times before.
As soon as we took those first few steps along the little footpath surrounding the lake I suddenly felt like I could breathe again. I felt so happy to be surrounded by nature, encapsulated by the trees; almost like we both entered a secret, magical land. In that moment, covid felt like a distant memory.
King George Pool, Altrincham 2020
As we continued to walk around the pretty lake, all of my senses were suddenly on high alert taking in everything around me. The sights, the sounds, the smells. How it felt in that moment to be near water again. Sounds silly when I write about it, maybe even a little bit dramatic. But when I think back to those days of feeling so trapped indoors, terrified of the unknown and worrying about how much worse pandemic was actually going to get. The sense of feeling free walking around this little lake was euphoric. A reminder that the world was still turning and the realisation that maybe I had taken our green spaces for granted a little, as I was so used to them being a part of every day life.
I’ve been on hundreds of walks, but none of them felt like what I was experiencing on this day. Watching the swans, ducks and birds casually floating on the surface of the water. Bluebells hidden in a little patch away from the path with soft light illuminating their beautiful colours. The spring flowers proudly blooming on the trees. The size of the leaves by the waters edge. Squirrels rummaging, the local cat coming to say hello. The ducks watching nervously as you walk past them.
The sounds, the smells. The gentle breeze swirling around me. Green became my new favourite colour that day.
It’s probably good to mention here that I’m a portrait photographer by trade. Landscape/nature photography was something that I had never taken an interest in during my career, not even for personal work.
But on that day something inside me told me I needed to return to capture all the magic I was experiencing around me.
I went back to the lake a day or so later with my camera, and unknowingly used all my senses again to see, feel, hear what was around me. I'd brought my awareness into the present moment without even realising I was practicing mindfulness.
When it comes to every day life, we tend to worry about several things at once and this can interfere with our ability to focus on the present moment. We function on autopilot and can become consumed by our thoughts, especially in stressful times. The time I spent that morning walking around the lake taking photographs, I was distracted from all my anxious thoughts, simply because I was present. My mind and body working together in harmony.
Later that day when I returned home and looked at the photographs I felt like I had taken a little bit of happiness back with me. Each photograph I looked at brought back that feeling of calm and a sense of freedom.
It wasn't until a few weeks after my walk around the lake it dawned on me that I had been practicing a form of mindfulness. I'd never heard of mindful photography before so decided to research more into the subject. To my surprise I found out it was actually a thing. Lots of other photographers talk about it, there are even mindful photography groups out there that people can take part in.
After the pandemic ended I wasn't thinking of taking mindful photography any further, it was all about getting back to work, school and making up for lost time. I still practiced when I could as I was aware of how beneficial it was to my mental and physical health.
Then, the second lockdown hit. This time was winter. This lockdown was hard. I mean, really hard. The short days and long nights. It was cold, no leaves on the trees, no summer flowers swaying in the soft breeze. More overwhelming worry about my daughter missing out on so much of her education. This one was going to be tough.
It was at that point I realised I had to do something productive with my time, so I decided to research more into mindfulness and meditation. When I look back now I'm so glad I did. It's lead me to so many new things. Even starting new hobbies that I never thought I would see myself doing. All stemming from one day of walking around a little lake in Altrincham.
I've always been aware of meditation practices, yoga, pilates etc. I had only ever tried a pilates class once in my 20's with my mum, but spent most of it trying not to laugh at the poses mum was trying to get herself into. I also attended a meditation class in my 20's and in all honesty remember finding it really hard. I'd get about 10 different itches on my body, I wasn't comfortable the way I was sat, I couldn't relax and my mind felt like it was going at 100mph. I felt like it really wasn't for me. I suppose I wasn't fully educated on the practice so couldn't appreciate the benefits or understand them fully to take them forward and use them regularly.
I'm now in my 40's and still find it difficult to practice many of the traditional methods of meditation, it's hard to control my thoughts and physical feelings. I went to a sound bath session recently. You lie down in a room under a warm blanket whilst listening to a lovely guided meditation and singing sound bowls. It took every part of my will power to concentrate on her voice, but would become easily distracted, especially when I heard other people snoring. Why am I not so relaxed that I fall asleep?! My back hurts. Did someone just fart??
I find practices that involve me physically doing something much easier.
No matter what works for you, mindfulness and mediation have so many benefits.
Mindfulness teaches us to slow down. It's a gentle way to focus our attention to the present, to observe, explore and experience the moment we find ourselves in. Did you know that practicing mindfulness helps to boost our immune system as well as our mental wellbeing? As well as the physical aspect of walking which has many health benefits.
Mindfulness is having the ability to pay attention without judging the experience, and staying aware of the current moment. It also means compassion and kindness towards yourself. It’s paying attention with purpose.
We moved in 2021 from Altrincham to a rural part of Cheshire. And this is when I fell in love. I fell in love with the landscape, the fields, the farms. A trip to Scotland in 2021 sealed the deal. I had never felt so aware, so present when admiring the stunning landscapes Scotland has to offer. Mindfulness was in full flow.
Yoga classes, gardening, journalling and walking up hills that I never thought I'd see the top of are just some of the new things I have discovered and still love doing since being introduced to mindful photography. I also spend less time on social media and more time reading books.
Most importantly I have become much more aware of my thoughts and feelings, I consciously take time out to rest. I try not to allow myself to become overwhelmed when life gets tough. I listen to my body a lot more and not just what's in my head.
Has this experience turned me into a magical being that can cope with everything life throws at me? No, not at all.
Do I have a lot more to learn? Yes.
Does it help me in every day life and will I carry on learning? Absolutely.
I really hope that you will join me on this new writing journey that I am embarking on. I hope you’ll enjoy reading my little stories, mindfulness tips and feel inspired by my words. For many, many months I’ve talked myself out of writing, given myself every excuse under the sun why its a terrible idea. Yet theres still a tiny voice inside of me telling me to do it…
I have an Instagram page called mylittlephoto_diary and a private Facebook group (My Little Photo Diary) that I would love you to join and share your experiences with mindfulness and photography.
Until next time…
Thanks for stopping by,
Nic x