Cultivating a deeper attention with photographs
How to get more out of the images we see every day.
Tomorrow is World Photography Day and it’s got me thinking about how much time we spend looking at photos. Whether we’re taking a picture on our phone, looking through our photo albums, or scrolling through social media. Photography is all around us, virtually all the time.
But how often do you really take the time to stay with just one photo and truly pay attention to it for at least, say, five minutes? It can be surprising what insights you draw from a single photo when you take the time to do so.
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Analyzing a Photograph
So today I thought I’d pick one of my favorite photos captured by my daughter and do this exercise of deep attention to photographs.
Here are a few notes I wrote down after looking at the above photo for a few minutes:
Flower petals and dried leaves on the ground…indicates to me that there’s a tree nearby or above it. Wonder if those leaves ever fall into the teapot plant or if someone comes through regularly to clean.
What about watering it? I’m imagining the cute scene of a person using a similar watering pot to water this teapot and it brings a smile to my face.
I’m wondering how old that teapot is…And I love that it was repurposed to grow something in it. Makes me think of how growth can happen in unexpected places and times.
The illustration of veggies on the teapot makes me think lovingly of my mom and grandma who had similar motifs in their kitchen. I wonder who this belonged to, maybe someone else’s mother or grandma. :)
The contrast of greenery against the stone or coming out of it feels like a symbolism of nature’s triumph over human construction.
After making these observations, I felt inspired by this moment in time and this piece of history encapsulated in a single photo. Even if I knew nothing about the location or the reason this photo was taken, my own imagination and curiosity is ignited by this exercise. I felt more present and pleasantly connected to how interesting and unique life can be if you take the time to notice.
Much like savoring the small things, paying closer attention to something allows your mind to relish in it. It gives you the freedom to start telling stories and to fill your brain with wonder. So much of the time our brain space is taken up with our to do list, with comparison, with worry and anxiety.
We need to slow down so that we can truly just let ourselves play with our imagination. The photograph can act as way for you to explore and engage in creative thought. When you learn how to pay deep attention, you can connect with the many positive pieces of what makes you, you.
The Power of Consistency
Now imagine if I kept coming back to this photo week after week. Depending on my current mood or life events that day, I might find that new insights, thoughts, or responses come up. Nothing has changed within the photo itself, but my mindset and perspective could shift according to external and internal factors.
Point being: How we think and feel about a single thing can change from one day to the next. This goes for many aspects of our lives. We may feel in a stuck frame of mind one day and a motivated and driven one the next. The shift can happen slowly or unexpectedly. Changing at one velocity for a time before slowing down for another. But one thing’s for sure, you can’t experience any growth or change without consistency and persistence.
Next Steps for Happier Beings
Go through your phone and pick a photo you want to use for this exercise. It can be from a recent vacation, a night out with friends, a meal you cooked or ate, or even just a random photo you took to remind yourself where you parked in a parking lot! It doesn’t matter what it is or how important the photo is to you. The goal is to take your time with it, and just notice what thoughts come up as you observe the details.
If you’re having trouble choosing, here’s a few more photos I love that my daughter took. What comes up for you as you look at the details of the photo? Write it down if you can, rather than just think it through in your mind so you can see those thoughts reflected back at you.
Set a weekly (or daily, or monthly) reminder to do this exercise regularly. Notice how it shapes your mood, day, or week to slow down and pay attention to just one thing for even five minutes.
Content for Happier Beings
Here’s the World Photography Day website if you want to learn more about this annual celebration.
This cartoonist sees quirky faces and characters in everyday objects, then brings them to life in a simple drawing.
Here’s a neat article about the world’s oldest surviving photograph!
As usual, please feel free to hit reply and share your thoughts. What would you like to see more of in these newsletters? What questions do you have about mental health and happiness?
And as always, I’m here for you.
Warmly,
Dr. Tal Leead, Psy.D.
happierbeing.com
“Now I know, of course, how easily photographs can lie. Or maybe that’s not quite right. It’s not that they lie, exactly: it’s that they invent their own reality.”
— The Lightness by Emily Temple
Really like this idea of slowing down, enjoying and reflecting on a photo :) - we rarely ever stop to do that! Museums sort of make you do that, maybe that's part of why I like them.