Capture and explore your surroundings inside and out with the help of this handy ‘how to’ guide.
Lockdown itself is such a horrible word, seems to be hell for some, heaven for others and something in-between for everyone else, but one thing for sure is that the wildlife is flourishing.
Whether it is seeing goslings with their parents swimming without a care in the world on the pond in your local park whilst going for a daily run, or seeing fox cubs playing in a disused underground carpark, these events are pleasing and heartening to witness and also great to snap, but trying to get a decent photo with your phone can be another matter entirely.
The more idyllic the potential shot seems – the more of a disaster the end result usually is. Thumb in the way of the lens, too much light obscuring the shot and your subject matter has gone whilst you were trying to get a grip of the annoyingly hidden features on the damn phone.
Even if one wandered around all day stalking our furry and feathered friends with a huge telephoto lens hanging off a Nikon, it is unlikely that great photo opportunities would easily prevail. It always seems to be the way! But, there is help at hand with photographic skills as well as staying positive and connected throughout this pandemic.
Artist in Residence for Swansea Bay University Health Board (NHS), Lee Aspland, has written an amazing eBook on Mindful Photography. Aspland is using his experience of living with a chronic health condition to ‘positively’ help others.
His book: ‘Photography for Well-Being 1’ download is great for beginners and professionals alike, whether using a smartphone or a digital camera.
Quite frankly: it is great that Aspland has covered the smartphone angle and entwined it with Mindfulness. The book is easy to understand and full of tried and tested methods of getting better pictures both outdoors and indoors. But that is not all: there are 15 activities in the book with 6 features that work together to ‘support’ your physical and mental-wellbeing.
The end result is great photographs that you will be proud to share with other people and at the same time be able to keep yourself connected and smiling during these rather challenging times.
Aspland’s book is a total winner all-round.
Free eBook – Stuck in the House: an introduction to Photography for Well-Being
10/10
Words: David Nobakht
