A CAMERA SETTING OF 120 OVER 80

By MICHAEL PERKINS

AS MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS NO DOUBT CAN, I find it easy to look at images I’ve shot in different times of my life and fully recall the state of my mind at the time. I know which pictures correlate to difficult periods, and which photos are, in effect, a barometer on various occasions of contentment. In the case of both happy and challenging events, however, I regard the making of photographs to be restorative in itself, something that the scientific world has recognized for some time.

Let me be more clear: photography is an essential good for both the heart and the mind. Its procedures and techniques actually promote mental health, pulling you away from the gravitational suck of care and worry. I have long suspected that it produced a greater feeling of calm and focus in the case of me, myself, but a body of study is backing up a benefit that I used to assume was “only me”. In a 2025 issue of the online magazine fStoppers, entitled Why Photography Could Be the Mental Health Boost You Never Knew You Needed, writer/shooter Alex Cooke shares the good news:

The psychological benefits of photography aren’t just anecdotal; they’re rooted in well-established principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practice, and positive psychology. When someone engages in photography, they’re essentially practicing a form of present-moment awareness that mirrors many therapeutic techniques used by mental health professionals. The act of composing a shot requires the photographer to observe their environment carefully, notice details they might otherwise overlook, and make conscious decisions about what to include or exclude from the frame.

True feel-good stuff, I know. However, Cooke insists that the benefits of snapping are rooted in real science:

Research in neuroscience has shown that creative activities like photography can actually change brain structure and function in positive ways. When people engage in artistic pursuits, areas of the brain associated with reward processing, emotional regulation, and cognitive flexibility show increased activity. Over time, regular creative practice can strengthen neural pathways related to resilience and emotional stability. Photography, with its combination of technical skill, artistic expression, and problem-solving, activates multiple brain regions simultaneously, creating a rich neurological experience that supports mental health.

If an ideal blood pressure is around 120 over 80, then I can attest to having come closer to that mark the minute I pick up a camera. Alex Cooke’s article is extensive, but an easy read, and I recommend that you at least leaf through its findings. Creative people are doing more than merely commenting on the world; they are, in small but real measure, helping put it, and themselves, in order. And that is one pretty picture.