The Benefits of Outdoor Photography No One Talks About! 

A big thank you to everyone who has commented so far. It would be great to hear how photography inspires you or how it may have changed your perspective on the world. Also a big thanks to BetterHelp for supporting this weeks video - Visit betterhelp.com/ianworth and enjoy a special discount on your first month.

It's surprising how many of us have experienced anxiety and its associated troubles. Photography has indeed provided me with the creative release you mention, here. The world is so beautiful, and to capture this, as you and others do, is a kind of appreciation; It 'buys-in'...and yet returns a deep and respectful "thank you" for what we have surrounding us.

Hi Ian, thought it was really brave of you to talk about your mental health issues. I had issues several years ago now, and found as you said to get out in the countryside with my camera really helped. Love your honesty and love your channel. Take care

A friend's wife died suddenly - less than a year after he met a lady who was on the flickr photography site. They've been an item for several years, so well suited, both lovers of photography and happier than ever!

I have been an amateur photographer for some time, I bought my first camera in 1978, a Yashica MG-1 rangefinder. I took up landscape photography after my wife passed away three years ago. It is really more about the hike and being out in nature as it is about taking photos. I enjoy the solitude and time to think. And occasionally I get some great photos.

I spend my week chasing numbers around spreadsheets dreaming about being out somewhere amazing with my camera. I don’t live near anywhere nice so I can’t just step out the door and go and great landscapes are at least a 2 hour drive. I keep my head health under control through exercise (running) and just talking when the chips are really down. It is so important to just talk and defuse the madness that can get going in your head.

Listening to you has led me to remember what happened a few years ago in my town.I have my art store on the old town of my town . Two sections of the streets adjacent to where I have my store burned to the ground. The fire spread through neighborhood yards and rooftops, between wood-frame buildings. It could have easily reached my roof, but there were firefighters there to help. avoid it. And I, I don't know if stunned by what I saw or reaching a state of "I don't give a damn...", instead of running to get my things, I started photographing, from afar of course, the action of the firefighters, and then I showed the photos on social media and talked about it with friends, and it helped me digest what could have happened. Luckily the fire only reached 4 buildings in a straight line from mine. Now writing this my stomach is still growling, but it would have been worse if I hadn't taken the camera that day. When my son finishes his studies he wants to become a police officer, I encourage him to become a firefighter.

I have also suffered from depression and photography certainly helps my mental health and well-being. Thanks for sharing

A terrific video and I wholeheartedly agree with all that you said about being in the outdoors as being not just inspiring but really important for getting regular exercise (even more so at my advanced age) as well as helping maintain good mental health. Your photos on this outings were incredible, especially those early few of the pines glowing in that soft light. Such an amazing landscape.

Man thanks for sharing your story. I agree that getting out with a camera can be so great for the mind, be it strolling around a city or out in the wilderness. I do enjoy getting up early and simply taking a walk around the local area, looking for shots and helping clearing the mind.

The image at 7:20 is very nice! It's good to discuss mental health. Sometimes, for me, photography can have a negative effect as well. Instead of just enjoying a hike, being more focused on the photographs. It can be hard to strike the right balance sometimes.

Yes. Four years ago work burned me out and walks in nature with camera in hand getting some shots were part of the cure.

Excellent advice! Some of my very best friends are people I’ve met through my photography! Plus te exercise and exposure to nature are real bonuses! Thanks for taking me along!

Some wonderful images here, Ian, especially like the large waterfall one, and the tree ‘helping’ its mate. Very brave of you to talk about your issues. I was similarly affected and like you, found photography giving me that release and solitude I needed. In fact, it’s amazing how many photographers were affected by the stress of life. Like you, I need motivation to get out and about, but then I’m in my 70s, so enjoy life and walks while you can, it gets harder later on to clamber over rocks etc.! In the meantime, I’m very happy to watch your videos! 🇦🇺

I will agree that landscape, astro-photography, and wildlife photography are good therapy. Sometimes I will take a small bible on a photo outing. I will read a chapter or two when I'm alone in the meadow.

Well done, Ian, for raising some really important issues and having the courage to share your own story. I am sure that, in itself, will have given reassurance to others.

Having my camera with me during my treatments several years ago helped keep me focused on getting better. It allowed me to express my feelings in many unique ways. I still go back into my archives and re-visit the photos I took during those times. I speak often to others going through various medical issues and take them on walkabouts with cameras. At the end of the day, the rewards are smiles, laughter, and many interpretations of the same view. Thank you Ian for sharing and love the way you see through your camera.

❤My goodness - what a terrible time you had, no wonder you were feeling anxious! Glad you and your family got out relatively safely. I suffered a brain injury 25 years ago and since then have had problems with both short-term memory damage and missing long-term memories. I struggled to learn photography after that (imagine that under those conditions!) and now, while I probably won't remember actually being in the location, I sometimes remember the image and that has to be enough for me. The anxiety because of that is still very real.

Thanks Ian for another great video. I love landscape Photographer. Getting out in the great outdoors and meeting new people on the journey to capture a great image

What an amazing message. I am a hobby photographer. My original focus was sports when I was younger. When it came time to start a family, my photography went way down on the list of priorities. I still took pictures, but always seemed rushed as the family needed my attention more than I needed the photography, or so I thought. As our children started leaving the nest, I started doing more photography. Starting with cityscapes and moving on to landscape. Like you noted in your message, I discovered a new inner peace. It was a complete release of the day to day tension that we all have. I am by no means a good photographer, but the adventure means so much to me now. I really enjoy your channel. Keep up the great work. Cheers.

Mental health issues can be tricky. Thanks for being brave and open about what you went through. Something often forgotten is how much your mental health can affect those around you. When I went through anxiety and depression, it included a huge amount of social anxiety. I would begin to feel panicky just going to the front door of my home. I already loved photography, but I couldn't just pick up my gear and go out somewhere. It was a long road of recovery, and involved the ins and outs of CBT - and that involved increasing exposure to the triggers of anxiety and proper assessment of how I felt each time and why. The bogie was. cracked over time, but it took years. Meanwhile there's a secondary problem. Oh man, beware the stuff psychologists will prescribe to you in terms of medication. These may block receptors in your brain or interfere with your hormones. Think about that - the drugs can literally change your personality! (But, on the other hand, so does trauma.) In addition to that, some of the common drugs interfere with your metabolism and you find yourself growing fat. So... There I was, getting fat and not enough exercise because I struggled to get out of the house. This could have literally killed me. And strange how the psychologist was more concerned about medicating my condition than he was about my physical condition... Anyway, I reached the point where leaving my home was OK, and I could even go to market or to church and rub shoulders with people and not have a panic attack. I have to say that owning a dog was a huge help to me in this. He was a reason to go out every day, or twice a day. Yes, at first it was in the local fields where there was nobody else, but it got me out and became a part of my routine CBT therapy. But having reached that point, I wanted off the meds. My circulation had badly deteriorated and I was still way overweight despite the exercise I was having with my dog. That's when my psychologist told me he expected me to stay on those meds for life. I felt like exploding at him, to say my life would be very short if I stayed on them. Instead, I signed forms and discharged myself from his care. I took advice. You don't just stop taking such meds, and sometimes people who do so end up committing suicide. It's that serious. So I took a few months to gradually wean myself off them. And then I had my next shock. I found that these drugs had affected my ability to take in and asses what was going on around me. During the years on the meds (and maybe because of the way they can change your personality, but who knows) my wife's respect for me had obviously declined greatly and I began to recognise abuse in some of the things she was doing and saying. Who knows, maybe this was why my recovery was so slow - that on a subconscious level I was taking it in but unable to process it properly. Needless to say, that was the beginning of the end of my marriage. Mental health is every bit as serious as heart and circulation health. It can be just as deadly if not taken seriously. I'm glad I had help, but am not glad about the drugs they used. I had to work hard for a few years to counter the bad effects on my weight and circulation. I am now quite fit, but still slightly overweight - but people meeting me would not consider me to have a weight problem. I am remarried, and moved to the tropics. Different problems for photography here, and the golden hour is just a golden ten to fifteen minutes. You need to find techniques for photography in harsh bright light or overcast conditions - there's not much in between. Exercise is harder, and you do need to create some kind of routine in the home. Often, it's simply too hot to go and walk out like you would do in Scotland, Wales, or Cornwall. Too tiring in the heat and you would probably need to carry a greater weight of water with you than all your camera gear and tripod combined. So you look for the colder days for walking. Or you go to town and walk through the malls and markets in the shade. So street photography, which I was not interested in before, has become a thing now. But the beaches here.... wow!

Great video Ian. Landscape photography is a tremendous activity to improve mental and physical health. Thank you for sharing your story and posting great photos.

Seems like Scotland is beautiful in any weather condition.

Well done, Ian. I appreciated your perspective on the world in your comment about the tree reaching out to help the fallen one.

Great video and interesting insights into your photography motivation and how it has helped you. I also use photography as part of my weekly exercise routine, mixing countryside walks with photo opportunities. One lesson I have learnt from your videos is that I need to slow down and take my time with composing landscape scenes, for me this is work in progress.

Igree with everything you said in this video. Its surprising how much photography annd being outdoors can help with whatever goes on in your head, I'm speaking from experience. Great video Ian, thank you so much

While I completely agree on the benefits of outdoor activities I find that in the end it's more theoretical than real for me. I would dearly love to get out and into a beautiful, inspiring area but unfortunately that really doesn't exist where I live. As a result it happens only a handful of times each year when I travel elsewhere. And of course, "hitting the photographic jackpot" while on a trip is unlikely in reality. But I continue to head out to the same places. Just today I drove an hour, walked around a couple more and drove home -- All without ever opening the camera bag... totally wasted trip. As to meeting other photogs, I'd love it but I'm the only (even hobbyist) landscape photographer I'm aware of in my area. This was a very good video on both topics: the benefits and the actual imagery.

I've had all my photography gear stolen by burglars twice, fifteen car crashes, two emergency flight landings, a near death experience created by a Vietnam pilot and untold relationship failures, experiences of being harrassed/bullied and family deaths - but luckily I'm as tough as a nut. Good to discuss the matter of mental health though, especially on a photography blog - Keep well, Ian

Bravo Ian! So often we're reluctant to speak of the issues we may be having, be that because we fear burdening others with our problems, being a downer, or we're anxious about acknowledging something that still carries some level of negative stigma. It's a brave AND liberating thing, your sharing this. The focus when out photographing is often quite meditative and for myself mostly when alone, I find my mind explores a myriad of ideas and I mull over things, laugh, contemplate, get quite serious about what I'm doing and that's a very healthy thing I believe. Exercising the mind even with useless musings while being very serious about the work we're doing. Cheers to you and Henry, been keeping with both of you on this Highland adventure. I'm envious and you both are making me want to rent that cottage and get across the pond again!

Beautiful area. Loved your images. With the light you had maybe try a B&W picture and play with the contrast a bit. I don’t shoot much B&W but it’s something to play with once in a while. Really liked your video. Thanks.

Great video. Love the images

When I’m out with my camera, I often wonder whether the other photographers I see out there are also like me - finding peace in the outdoors - a bit of escapism from everyday stuff. Great message Ian.

Thanks for sharing.

Really good to talk about depression and anxiety issues so you can navigate your way through it and find the joy, hope and wonder of life! Photography keeps me finding those moments for sure. I always love bark images so glad you included those as well!

Thank you Ian for sharing your personal story!! I was out shooting Birds today and I was so immersed in capturing them in flight that I was not thinking about anything else. Here at Starbucks watching your video and realized how much I enjoyed the morning and clearing my mind. Photography has really helped me to find a purpose and your videos are always a pleasure to watch!

Really good that people are open about mental problems - and also: Photography is a really good way of meditating.

Thanks for sharing your story Ian! Creating your own images outdoors is a great way to improve your mental health 👍

Such a beautiful country!

A moving video, Ian. Thank ou. Colin

I really like your videos, and this one was absolutely motivational, keep it up🙂

Absolutely true about landscape and woodland photography. So good for general well-being - and getting some steps in!

Well done, Ian... always enjoy your videos... please continue to enjoy photography!

The tagline on my portfolio reads: It is great capturing the image, but the best part is being out there to capture the image.

Thanks for this video Ian and for raising important issues and relating your own experience. Personally there are many benefits of photography to mental health and i find that just being out with a camera and looking at the world removes all the stresses of day to day life. I may not always get great pictures every time but that’s not always the most beneficial reason for being out with the camera.

Great video Ian, love these collabs with Henry too. That waterfall shot at the end is very nice.

Brilliant video Nigel. Ive been printing with a Canon Pro1000 for a while now and love it just viewing the images on paper makes such a huge difference.

It is definitely my therapy above everything else. Great vid

Another belter Ian thanks for sharing your personal insight too ❤ landscape photography is natures way of giving something back to us photographers ❤

I enjoyed the video as usual. It takes a lot to open up to your personal struggles and i admire you for that. Great to see you out and about again with Henry. I hope to get to Loch Maree in July to photograph the area. Great image's as usual Ian. Look forward to the next one.

Thanks Ian grateful for your words and inspiring photos!

Another awesome video. Thanks for sharing some of your personal life and how photography has helped you. Keep up the great work!

Great video, as always, Ian. Thanks for sharing a bit of your personal struggles and journey. This is extremely inspirational.

Hi Ian, really enjoy your videos. Thank you for the way you balanced your photos 👍 your at loch maree can you please share the coordinates and locations…. Spending 2 weeks in Scotland Oct Nov time hope to visit the area….Anxiety changes your perspective on life… spike 👍

There's your photo @ 10:21 bottom center/right: beautiful undulating line of the rock, just a small bit of the still water behind, and the fingers of that pretty little over flow and that dark little oval to the right and the knuckle of rock in the foreground. BW square crop? Now I'll hit play and find out what you shot. That's a rich little piece of landscape and I'd be there for hours and VERY wet! 🤣

Nice one, thank you.🍷

Good of you to share you mental health issues after the fire. I include landscape photography as a contribution to mental health along with swimming a mile 5 days a week. i photograph for my own pleasure & mental & physical exercise. i make an occasional instructional yt but do not try to monetise it as that would introduce mental pressure and stress and possibly kill the enjoyment. However, thanks for sharing your photo adventures. if you do a lake district workshop, i would like to join you.

I'm curious as to what type of tripod you are using?. I like the why you're using it!

Loads bang on about depression but suicide rates are at an all time high