A recent article in Natural History Magazine, written by Kathy Willis, talks about how human stress and anxiety are lowered when we get out into natural settings and even merely look at pictures of scenes in nature. I can personally attest to this. A considerable amount of my enjoyment photographing subjects in nature comes from the joy in being in nature. Stress and worry get shoved to a corner of my brain somewhere while I focus on composing a photograph that includes what I want in my frame. Later, at my desk while editing my photographs, I get lost in the scene again by looking at it. I get that same tranquilizing effect when I look at other photographer’s or painter’s work depicting scenes found in the natural world. The run up to the election last week, observed in a completely nonpartisan way here, generated a lot of stress for many people. I post this scene with the thought in mind of what Ms Willis wrote in the Natural Science Magazine, “…taking a short microbreak to gaze at a varied natural landscape, or even look at pictures or photos of natural scenes, is a good thing to do. It triggers physiological pathways in our bodies that lead to reduced levels of anxiety, faster recovery rates from stressful events, and improved cognitive functioning.” Enjoy this photograph I took a few years ago in Vermont and feel the calm it is intended to create.
