When I was younger, I loved when people would take pictures of me. If I saw someone who had a camera and was about to take a picture, I would give them a huge smile and then carry on with my life. As I got older, I started to love being behind the camera more. The beauty of being a photographer is being able to see the beauty in everything around you. For me, it’s looking at the world in a unique and different perspective. When I live my life, I look at nature and think to myself, “Woah, this would be a great picture.”

After I take the picture, I have it forever. When I was younger, I was shy and didn’t like talking to people. Sometimes I had to deal with anxiety, and still do to this day. I have realized that photography has opened me up in many ways, physically and mentally, and there are many ways being a photographer has made me healthier.

Photography is a gift. We are all photographers in some way. Even if you do not like taking pictures, you have probably taken plenty of photos. Photography brings incredible joy to my life, and it has also helped me physically. I have found myself being more active in my everyday life by walking around campus, going hiking to get that amazing mountain picture, or even going to the beach to capture a wave. As a photographer you must go the extra mile to get the shot you want, which in the end gives you some exercise. When I am shooting, I don’t really think about the physical exercise because I am focused on the camera and the picture I am trying to capture.

Photography is also beneficial mentally. Anxiety and depression are two disorders that are becoming more common in society, and it is hurting lives. According to Psychology Today, 60-70 percent of people who have anxiety also have depression. Photography helps me with my mental health by putting myself in a place I want to be when I am shooting. Usually when I have anxiety, it is because I am worried about something. When I am in nature and shooting photos, I feel calm and relaxed because it feels like I am away from the world – it’s just me and my camera. Being interested in what I am capturing also takes my worries and throws them away for awhile because I am not thinking about what I am worried about. Photography helps with anxiety, but it also helps with depression. Have you ever been so busy with school that you felt distant from your friends or significant other? Feeling productive about something you are passionate about is very important to your mental health and photoshoots can help with this. From my experience, doing photoshoots with my girlfriend is fun. It is something we both enjoy and we both feel complete outside of school and the chaos it sometimes brings.

Photography is my escape from society and the worries of life. It forces me to get out into the world and allows me to think from a different perspective. I can shoot what I want in a blink of an eye and have the memory with me for as long as I want.