216: Mental Health and Landscape Photography - A Panel Discussion

Welcome to episode 216 of F-Stop Collaborate and Listen!

This week I hosted a special panel conversation on mental health and landscape photography with my guests Brian Rueb, Bryan Pezman, and Len Metcalf.

In 2019, there were an estimated 51.5 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States suffering from mental illness. This number represents 21% of all U.S. adults. The statistics for mental illness are quite staggering; however, it also means that if you are suffering that you are not alone. As artists and photographers, there is a lot that can be said for using art as a means for coping with mental illness and expressing our experiences with it. In this podcast episode, we explore this topic deeply and examine the impacts of mental illness on us, photographic artists.

Bryan, Len, Brian, and I discuss mental health issues in landscape photography this week, including:

• Each of their personal struggles with mental health and how it has impacted their photographic careers.
• How landscape photography has helped them manager their mental health.
• Using photography to help others suffering with mental health issues.
• Spotting the line between therapeutic processing of mental health through our artwork and darker more dangerous territory.
• Social media's impact on our mental health as landscape photographers.
• Authentic connections with the natural world and how they can impact our mental health.
• How the financial side of photography impacts our connection with photography and our mental health.
• How expectations and the how in our pursuit of photography can impact our mental health.
• And lots more.

Over on Patreon this week, we discuss the challenges in showing grace and tolerance for those suffering with mental health who behave in outwardly aggressive and mean ways towards the photographic community.

Other items mentioned on the show:

1. Lens Journal.

2. Storm Chasing Tours with Bryan Pezman.

3. Gary Randall Alaska Workshop.

Support the show on Patreon.

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Thanks for stopping in, collaborating with us, and listening. See you next week.

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