As many of you will know, I suffer from anxiety and 4 years ago, I developed a severe panic disorder. Thankfully I am much better now and living my life to the full once again. It was during these battles with anxiety that I rediscovered my love of photography which gave me a purpose to get out into the outdoors once again.
We are living in unprecedented times with the Coronavirus affecting everyone’s lives. You can’t turn the tv on at the moment without hearing about it. Social media is awash with updates and it is so easy to become totally consumed by what is happening. Whilst it is incredibly important that we heed the warnings and take steps to protect ourselves and others by following government guidelines, photography, especially landscape photography, does give us the opportunity get away from the connected world in which we live.
The very nature of our passion, gets us into the great outdoors, we make a conscious decision to almost self isolate in pursuit of a great sunrise, sunset over an amazing land or seascape. We also probably want to have the moment to ourselves rather than sharing it with anyone else. That is why we are prepared to walk for miles or get up at ridiculous hours of the morning.
Not for one minute am I suggesting that we should ignore advice and if we are showing any symptoms then of course we should stay indoors and self isolate to protect others. However, if you are fit and well, they do take the time to grab your camera and tripod. Go for a walk and see what you can find. Even if the light doesn’t happen or the composition fails don’t worry, I guarantee that having a few hours in the fresh air away from the media, taking you mind of world events will be incredibly beneficial to your mental wellbeing.