Walking Through The Fog

I have been walking with my camera in local parks, wooded areas and beside the rivers and waterfalls in the past few years as a way to alleviate my tendency to periods of low mood and depression.

Daylight and the sights, sounds and smells among the trees, alongside the river and by the waterfalls are the stimuli that help offset that low mood, especially in the dark winter months.

The process of making long exposure images with my camera, tripod and filters when Iʼm out walking is a form photo-therapy or art therapy that I find very helpful. Making these photographs requires pre visualisation, careful camera placement, framing and composition.

Each exposure can be anything from a few seconds to several minutes long. This requires concentration and for me to be present in the moment: a flow state that pushes everything else away from my thoughts.

My thoughts become entirely consumed in what I am doing and where I am. Everything else gets pushed to the background, even if it is only for the few minutes when my cameraʼs shutter is open.

Making a good or even satisfactory photograph is a welcome bonus but not essential: The process itself is what matters.