I have finally had time to begin going through some of the images from my recent photographic journey to California along the Big Sur area and Antelope Valley. It was a very successful shoot and there are thousands of images yet to go through. I will be adding them to the website in the coming weeks. In the meantime here are just a few:

Image # 20110408-561 Sage brush and California goldfield flowers

Image #20110407-106 Tree on rocky cliff with aqua blue ocean

Image #20110406-385 Beach covered with stones and pebbles

Image #20101030-68 Reflections of fall in the river

It is now common knowledge that nature images in healthcare facilities are an essential element to the well being of patients and contribute positively to the mental state of visitors. Once you accept these facts, the next logical step in the thought process is the realization that nature images can contribute to the mental and physical well being of the population in general. If a beautiful image of nature helps a patient in the hospital by lowering stress levels, blood pressure and speeding the healing process, doesn’t it stand to reason that such images can have positive benefits on our lives in environments other than just hospitals and clinics? What about retirement communities, corporate offices, government offices, schools and of course our homes? These are all places where the therapeutic effect of fine art nature photographs would be welcomed.  It is exciting to think that fine art nature photographs may have such a positive affect on our emotional and physical well being that they may in fact help to make our trips to the doctor less frequent and our daily lives less stressful.

Image #6622 Morning sunlight streaming through trees

Nature art heals. We all know this intuitively but now scientific evidence is accumulating to support these claims.

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks knew it and designed temples that surrounded patients with nature, music, and art to restore harmony and promote healing. A number of studies have presented strong evidence that even a few minutes of contact with nature can significantly decrease stress, reduce anger and fear, and increase pleasant feelings. This calming effect can be achieved by providing views to the outside, interior gardens or aquariums, or artwork with a nature theme..

As a fine art nature photographer I find this particularly interesting and rewarding. When I have been in the field for several days I come back exhausted but renewed from my experience in the outdoors. The fact that viewing my art can impart this feeling of renewal and healing to others is satisfying.

Sources:
Parsons R, Hartig T. Environmental Psycholphysiology. In Handbook of Psychophysiology, 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press;2000:815-46.
Van den Berg A, Koole SL, Van der Wulp NY. Environmental preference and restoration: how are they related? J Environ Psychol. 2003;23(2):135-46.

I am back from another round of traveling and photographing Fall this year. I am taking a minute today to share just a few photographs that capture my impressions of Fall 2010. I will be adding more images from this years travels as time permits.

“I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.” Confucian scholar Zhou Duny

I have mentioned before, I am drawn to photograph water lotus and water lilies flowers and leaves. In preparing some lotus images for a client I decided to do a little research on the water lotus and discovered some interesting facts:

The plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. It is often mistaken for a water lily. The lotus is a completely different plant unrelated to the water lily.

In has many uses for food. In Asian cultures the roots, leaves, and flowers are used in many recipes as garnishes, teas, medicines and soups, just to name a few.

From ancient times the lotus flower has been a divine symbol in many Asian traditions.

Water lotus and water lilies have long been a favorite subject of mine. I find myself producing abstracts as well as more literal interpretations of them. Recently I spent a couple of days photographing water lotus and water lilies and a few other subjects. I have posted a number of these  new images to my site or you can view a sampling of them view HERE

We all have a sense of the restorative and healing powers of being in the outdoors and experiencing nature. But can simply viewing art that depicts nature aid in healing our bodies? As a fine art nature photographer it is certainly an intriguing concept. One of my motivations when I create a fine art photograph is to help uplift and inspire people. It  appears that there may be some physical healing that can take place from viewing art images of nature.  Now there is evidence that looking at art that depicts nature can actually have a healing effect on our bodies. Here are some recent findings:

“In Harmony with Nature’s Blueprint” published in Interior Expressions (February 2000), Jain Malkin writes the “effect of nature on humans has been thoroughly studied… humans have physiological and emotional responses to nature.”

In recent years, Roger Ulrich, Ph.D., environmental psychologist, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design, College of Architecture, Texas A&M University, and a leading authority in the field has expounded his “Theory of Supportive Design.” Access to nature is central to this theory. The underlying premise is that “improved medical outcomes are linked to environments’ effectiveness in facilitating stress coping and restoration. Supportive design tries to eliminate stress factors and to include features that reduce stress, calm patients, strengthen coping resources… including access to nature.”

Ulrich has cited numerous studies showing that “viewing nature can produce significant recovery from stress, which in turn, can lead to cost-savings, by improving medical outcomes,” going as far back as a 1984 Science paper which stated: “patients with bedside views of nature had briefer hospital stays and needed less medication.” In a September 2000 presentation titled “Evidence-based Environmental Design for Improving Medical Outcomes,” Ulrich argued that “exposure to nature produces significant recovery.” Both psychological and physiological stress reduction are noted, as measured by “less anxiety, calmness, reduced blood pressure, muscle tension, heart and respiratory rates.”

Interesting…..

There is arguably no subject that has been photographed more than nature. The question remains, with all of the millions of nature images that have already been created, is it possible to make an image of nature that is refreshing and new and yet still appeals to our desire for art and beauty? The answer to that question has been part of the motivation I feel to keep returning to the wilderness in search of new ways to see the natural world. For me the real joy and challenge of my journey as a fine art nature photographer has always been the never ending discovery of new ways to reveal the beauty of Nature. To see in a new way and to share that vision in a way that uplifts and inspires people, that is my mission.

Fine art photographs of nature can make powerful statements as single images.
They are often the focal point of interest for an entire room. Bringing together images that work as sets or groupings is also an effective way to extend the ambiance and flow of nature images throughout a design.
When choosing photographs to be used as sets or groupings it is a good idea to select images that have a common theme and color. It is even more striking if they have a common style and feel. This often means working with one photographic artist for the entire set. I have had many instances where all of the images were shot on the same day and even represent different compositions of the same subject. Above and below are a couple of very popular groupings that we have helped our clients with.

If you would be interested in having us create some groupings for you please let us know.

After more than 30 years of photographing nature I have nearly 300,000 images in my files. My images have been taken from Alaska to the Amazon River in Brazil, from Vermont to the Everglades in Florida and from Olympic National Park to Guatemala. Some pretty cool places no doubt, but I noticed something interesting the other day while working on a project for a client. Some of my best selling images have been made very close to home. In fact a number of them have been made within 10 feet of my house!!
Here are a just few of the images that have been big sellers that were made close to home. All of these images were created within 10 feet of my home!

We don’t have to look far to find the beauty in nature.