Let us use our mobile phone cameras with different eyes: Mindful Photography to Nurture Positive Emotions, Gratitude and Appreciation

: Written by: Kamran Mofid; Published: 07 June 2021; Hits: 630

Co-Creating A Better World With Mindful Photography

Photo:NewsWatch

A Path to Nurture the Power of Gratitude Through Mindful Photography

‘Be in love with life and the living and the world will be a better place.'- Kamran Mofid

Photo:Living2Inspire

Whilst reading the New York Times Well Newsletter of 3 June 2021*1, the following piece caught my eyes. I began to read and found it very interesting and helpful. Hence my reason for wishing to share it with our readers.

‘Please take a moment to enjoy this photo of a rainbow cloud*, also known as an iridescent cloud. It’s a rare phenomenon that occurs when small water droplets or ice crystals in the cloud scatter the sunlight.

Rainbow Clouds, Suzy Kosh of Pacifica, Calif., was grateful to spot a rare iridescent cloud. Photo: Suzy Kosh

‘The picture was taken by Suzy Kosh of Pacifica, Calif., during our recent Fresh Start Challenge**. I asked readers to take a fresh look at the people, places or things in their lives and snap a photo. It’s a simple gratitude practice+ based on science. One study found that mindful photography++ can be a fun and easy way to savor everyday experiences and cultivate gratitude. For the research, college students were instructed to take photos of things that brought them joy or felt meaningful to them. During the study, the students used their phone cameras to take pictures of campus buildings, blooming flowers, friends hanging out in the quad or objects in their dorm rooms.

‘Overall, the students who took mindful photographs felt happier and more appreciative of college life compared to a control group that took photos of uninspiring things like bike racks. And the researchers found that mindful photography worked just as well at improving well-being as a traditional gratitude journal practice.’

I’ve adopted this new practice in my own life. Although, I still need to learn and practice more, nonetheless, I have tried to incorporate mindful photography and gratefulness in all I do, as reflected in many of my postings on the GCGI.INFO

*1 New York Times Well Newsletter of 3 June 2021

* What is a rainbow cloud?

** Fresh Start Challenge

+ It’s a simple gratitude practice

++ mindful photography

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