The Healing Power Of Photography

Have you ever thought about using photography as a therapeutic tool? The creative process of photography can bring relief from stress, pain, heartbreak, and other negative experiences we need healing from, and can be a valuable tool for self-healing, inner peace and personal growth.

I personally felt the healing power of photography in my past, and this is the story about how I got started with photography. Back in 2009, I spontaneously bought a DSLR camera. But the truth was it collected dust in my closet the first couple of months. It wasn’t until I experienced a loss of a loved one that I started taking photos.

The person I lost was my mother-in-law and we were extremely close. She was like my mother and my best friend. I was hit by an overwhelming grief that made it impossible for me to go to work for a while, so I took some time off. And it was during this grieving process that I picked up the camera.

The camera quickly became a healing tool. The act of taking photos transported me to a better place. In those moments, I felt relief from my pain – a pause from crying, hurting, anxiety, and missing the person I’d lost. A feeling of getting my head above the water so I could breathe and see the world with fresh eyes and not through the “grieving eyes.”

In the moments I spend with the camera I could briefly reconnect with joy again. I started noticing the beauty around me and was reminded of the little things to be grateful for. I became more present in my body, which slowed down my racing thoughts. In that time of my life the camera became my dear friend and my way to self-healing.

What I didn’t know at that time was that just ONE year later I would be a full-time photographer running my own business. So that’s the story of how I got started with my passion for photography.

When we engage mindfully in taking photos, our minds, bodies, and spirits are all focused on the moment. Through photography, we connect with our emotions, gain new perspectives, engage with mindful awareness, and find space to express ourselves.

3 Ways Photography Can Help You Heal

#1. Photography can help shift your focus

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, stress or heartbreak, chances are that you may think predominantly negative thoughts. You worry about things that have happened in the past or things that might happen in the future. You might also experience negative self-talk that are bringing you down.

The beauty of photography is that it can help you break the habit of being worried and self-critical. Because when your mind is occupied with being creatively playful, it becomes a mental pause, a form of meditation and a break from thinking of the bad and sad stuff.

Where focus goes, energy flows. Meaning that what you focus your attention on will consume you and set the tone for your emotional well-being.

Getting creative with your camera can help you shift your focus from something negative to something positive. The more focused you are on your photography, the less attention you’ll have for those negative thoughts and things in life that are hurting you, draining you or making you insecure. The stress will diminish the more you immerse yourself in your photography.

#2. Photography can help you align with your true, authentic self

Sometimes we get lost and the feelings of “not knowing who you are” or “not being in touch with your true self” can take over. By playing with your creative expression through photography, you can begin a beautiful journey of re-discovering yourself – a safe space free from judgment to express your thoughts, feelings and stories.

Your photography journey will reveal what you are passionate about and what evokes joy in you. And if you pay attention to what you discover about yourself, you will build a solid connection to your authentic self. And by capturing images representing your emotions and experiences, you can better understand yourself.

#3. Photography can help you find creative freedom and grow your confidence

Taking photos can be both a super simple process or a more in-depth creative process. Simple when we just snap a quick photo with our iPhone and more time-consuming when you pick up the big camera and edit on your computer. Personally, I love to do both – depending on my mood.

Some days I really want to go deep into my creative process. I take my time planning the photos I want to take. I play around with the scene and style it in different ways. I play with composition, light and shooting angles. I test different camera settings to find the one that I like and finally, I spend time editing the photos on my computer, using Lightroom and Photoshop.

I can spend an entire day creating just ONE photo I LOVE. For some people, this would feel like a waste of time, but for me it’s pure joy.

I get to decide how nerdy I get with my craft, and I always learn something valuable when I allow myself to spend a good amount of time on my passion without stressing about time or efficiency.

I’ve noticed that when I improve my skills and deeply explore my creative abilities, I get so much personal satisfaction and my confidence grow.

Too often, photographers rush through their creative practice like they are in a hurry to take the photo. Why? Because we have all learned that we need to be efficient to be productive and get things done.

The truth is that by slowing down, you will feel more creative freedom, and your skills will grow with tremendous speed, and when you see positive result from your focused process, you will become much more confident in your skills.

That being said, there’s also a lot of creative freedom in taking photos with the iPhone. Some days, I just don’t want to take out the big camera. I just want to snap some quick photos and then cuddle up in the couch and relax with some editing.

I love relaxing with a cup of coffee while I play with my favorite editing apps. It’s like meditation for me and I forget what else might be going on in my life at the time. It’s the perfect little break during the day.

As an experienced photographer, coach and therapist, I go a lot deeper into the topics above through my Lifestyle Photography Academy. Many of my students tell me how the program has changed their lives by growing their confidence, reconnecting with themselves and learning photography in a safe space free of judgment and critique. You can read all the positive feedback on the course page here >>

The doors to The Lifestyle Photography Academy are currently open for enrollment. I’m truly looking forward to spending this season doing what I love the most; helping you capture amazing pictures and shine creatively!

This Lifestyle Photography Academy is for you if:

✅You believe it’s time to nourish your creative soul and make space for what you love.⁣

✅You have a goal to feel confident as a photographer and capture beautiful photos that will kick-start your creative career. ⁣

✅Your dream is to dramatically improve your photography in just a few weeks and learn EVERYTHING it takes to bring your passion to the next level.⁣

✅You wish to attract more customers, followers and clients via beautiful, professional, storytelling images for your blog, website and Instagram.⁣

✅You’re ready to discover your artistic vision, and learn how to find your signature style, connect with your audience and profit from your work.⁣

This program is my baby, my joy and passion. If you would like my help to increase your skills in photography, styling, creative confidence, visual storytelling and photo editing, then I would love to invite you to join me on this wonderful journey.⁣⁣

How To Stay Calm In ANY Situation

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Calmness is your superpower. Your ability to carry yourself with dignity and remain calm in the eye of a storm will empower you in any situation.

And when you’re able to not overreact and take things personally, you keep your mind clear and your heart at peace. Staying calm is a form of self-respect. It’s how you strengthen your confidence and grow self-trust.

We all encounter individuals who bring negativity and drama into our lives. Whether it’s through testing boundaries, teasing, provoking, blaming, criticising or simply adding mental clutter, these situations can be challenging to navigate.

However, it’s important to remember that you have the power to choose how you respond to these situations. It’s always possible to set healthy boundaries, and it’s never too late to learn how to respond in a new way.

The first step is to understand that your response is always a CHOICE.

You can choose calmness over frustration, anger, and resentment. You decide to stay calm because it’s the most powerful response to anything. And when you make that choice, you don’t waste your valuable energy on something you can’t change or fix.

Here’s how you can be calm and stand in your power…

Don’t Take Anything Personally.

Whatever happens, don’t take it personally. Nothing other people do is because of you.

It can be easy to get caught up in the opinions and actions of others, but it is crucial to remember that their behavior has nothing to do with you.

Let go of the belief that others’ words and actions are a reflection of your worth.

The reality is, people, act out of their own fears, insecurities, and experiences, not because of you.

Everyone has their own view of the world; they might have a completely different mindset than you and perhaps also a very different set of values.

When we take something personally, we automatically give our power away. We allow the other person to control us and our emotions. No one deserves that power – especially not bullies, trolls, and energy wampires. You need to keep your power where it belongs – at home inside of you.

When you respond with calmness and silence, quietly and respectfully, you are the powerful one.

If someone leaves you a mean comment on your Facebook page or Instagram post, delete it. Don’t spend a minute of your precious time feeling hurtful, angry, or sad.

Why? Because what they wrote says absolutely NOTHING about you. But it says a whole lot about the person who wrote it.

That person is not a happy person, because no happy people put others down. Emotional mature people with healthy self-esteem and deep respect for other people know how we are all connected and that when you give kindness, you feel better. When you give love, and encouragement and share your joy, you are a happy person.

So remember, next time you are about to take something personal, just stay calm. Walk away. Leave it. Delete it. Smile at it. Laugh it off. Breathe deeply and know in your heart that it has nothing to do with you.

Learn to Pause, Not React

Instead of reacting, you pause. You stay neutral and calm. It will be a challenge in the beginning because you will properly feel an entire range of emotions on the inside, and that’s okay. It’s normal.

So allow your reaction to happen on the inside. But stay quiet on the outside. Just be still and remember to breathe. Remind yourself that you owe no one a response. You can choose to observe, listen and relax your body.

Say to yourself, “this is a great moment to pause and stay neutral. ” Then turn your attention to your feet and feel the ground underneath. Connect with your breath and focus on your belly moving in and out.

If you are in a conflict with a loved one, staying calm is even more important. Listen and ask questions instead of getting angry and defensive. Your willingness to remain calm will help build trust.

So that’s my little take on cultivating calmness as your superpower. If you would like to connect with me or ask me a question, simply reach out. I’m mostly active on my Instagram and of course you can also send me an email.

With Love,

Christina

FREE 5-Day photography course. Perfect for you if you love still life and food photography and want to learn my best tips. Get started here >> It’s 100% FREE!

A Personal Story About Overcoming A Challenge

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When I took this portrait of my daughter, she and I enjoyed a stay at a 5-star hotel. Life was great! No cooking, no taking out the trash, no grocery shopping! We enjoyed Michelin food, facials, massage, and soaked up the sun by the pool. Everything was perfect!

A few days after we had returned home from our vacation, everything suddenly wasn’t perfect! My daughter called me in the middle of the night, crying in panic. On her way home from a concert in another city, she accidentally took a train in the wrong direction. She was now stranded far away from where we lived. There were no more trains for the night, and to make things worse, she only had 5% battery left on her phone!

I think every parent can relate to the horrifying worries that entered my mind. I wanted to rescue her as quickly as possible. I wanted her to be safe. I felt powerless because I couldn’t do that immediately. I had to be patient. I had to keep my hopes up that nothing would happen to her while she stood alone in the dark at a lonely train station.

So in the middle of the night, in extreme thunder and pouring rain, I drove to pick up my daughter. The thing is; I fear driving on the highway in the dark because there’s no light. I don’t like the limited visibility! It stresses me out, and the thunderstorm made me even more anxious.

I felt fear vividly growing in me, but I refused to give in to it. I knew going into panic mode would not do the situation any good. Tears of frustration wanted to burst out, but I was determined to stay in control. I decided to be strong for my daughter; to do that, I had to overcome my own fears.

In all my eagerness to get my girl, I had forgotten to use the toilet before I left the house. Now, I really had to pee badly, but I didn’t want to stop; I wanted my daughter safe first. After two stressful hours on the road, I was relieved when I finally found her at the deserted train station!

I ran out and hugged her with relief. As I guided her to the car, I noticed two creepy guys lurking around. Luckily, she was safe now, and I couldn’t wait to take her home with me.

But I had another emergency…I REALLY had to pee…a lot! My bladder felt like exploding. The nearest gas station was closed, and with no possibility of finding a toilet in the area, I had to “invent an imaginary ladies’ room” behind a dumpster in a parking lot…

While I sat there, peeing amid the thunderstorm with heavy rain coming down on me, I noticed that I had peed on my left sneakers. Great! Not only was I soaked from the rain, but now I also had to drive back home with this smelly, wet shoe…

In that moment, my mind wandered back to the fabulous days at the 5-star hotel; the beautiful infinity pool, the colorful cocktails, the calming spa treatments, the happy sunny days with no worries…

And suddenly, I laughed out loud. The contrast between “then and now” was surreal. It was hilarious!

THIS, I thought to myself, is such a good reminder that life is ever-changing, and you never know what will happen next. You just have to deal with it the best you can and trust that, no matter what happens, you will figure out how to get through it.

Life will challenge you in unexpected ways. Circumstances will test your willingness to act despite feeling fear. And at that moment, when you act, you understand that you can do more than you think, that you are braver than you believe, and that you can overcome most things.

The truth is that we humans rarely intentionally leave our comfort zone. We like to be safe, avoid everything that triggers our fears, and avoid putting ourselves in situations of feeling inadequate.

But the thing is, we grow the most from unexpected, challenging situations because they put us out of our comfort zone.

I learned a lot about myself from this experience. I realized that I CAN drive in the dark despite my anxiety (still, I wouldn’t say I like it, but I can do it). I learned that I CAN manage my fears and worries in complicated situations, that I’m capable of finding humor in a bad situation, and don’t die from getting pee on my shoes. All good lessons to learn, right.

So what’s my point with telling you this story?

Simple: to help you look for the good in the bad.

Some of the most powerful resources you develop will arise from challenging situations. Strength doesn’t come from living the good life in a luxurious hotel – it comes from interacting with life outside your comfort zone. That’s how you get to know yourself. That’s how you become confident in your own skin and discover your true power.

With love, and a huge smile…

Christina