Bring the outdoors into your home
Soothe your soul with outdoor art: stunning landscapes photography that can melt away the stress and tensions of daily life
Reading time: 3 minutes
Scientific research has shown that placing large photographs of the outdoors in our homes, in particular landscape and nature photography, can have a significant impact on our physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Photographs of nature may also reduce pain, anxiety and stress and have even been shown to improve the recovery of patients in hospitals. So much so that a number of the major hospitals in London have started a trial of placing framed landscape photography in critical wards to help support patient recovery.
We all discovered first-hand during the pandemic the impact that not being able to spend time outdoors and in nature can have on our mental health. But not many people realise that if you can’t physically get outside, or if you live in an urban environment, you can still get many of the same benefits of the outdoors by including nature and landscape photography as part of your interiors.
The process of taking landscape photography can also be incredibly beneficial for mental health as the direct connection to nature and the outdoors creates a meditative state that can soothe the mind.
So feast your eyes on some of the amazing landscape artwork here, compiled as part of the Landscape Photographer of the Year project, which was started 15 years ago by world-renowned photographer Charlie Waite.
Stevington Windmill:
Stevington, Bedfordshire – Amar Sood
"It was a tempestuous summer evening, the forecast wasn't great but I had a feeling there would be a break in the cloud around sunset," says photographer Amar Sood. "It was a good opportunity to visit Stevington Windmill, a location which I'd been meaning to get to for some time. I'm glad I took the risk as conditions turned out even better than I imagined. The break in the cloud came and the scene was bathed in glorious warm light."
Before the Harvest:
Therfield, Hertfordshire – Peter North
“Taken in late July, this is a long depth-of-field shot of some wheat fields taken at Therfield, Herts,” says photographer Peter North. “I wanted the image to show each individual ear of wheat in the foreground all the way through to the distant hills on the horizon. The rolling hills in the middle distance had pronounced tractor lines and subtle colour variations emphasising their form. The whole landscape had many textures, tones and topography but I wanted a composition that held all these elements together.”
Brecon in Winter:
Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales – Will Davies
“Dawn sunlight warms up a winter’s morning in the Brecon Beacons,” says photographer Will Davies. “This image was taken from the Pen-y-Crug hillfort which provides a spectacular panorama of Brecon and the surrounding mountains. On this December morning, sunlight broke through a clearing snowstorm, adding a wonderful burst of warmth and colour to the scene.”
Durdle Door Night Lights
Durdle Door, Dorset – Callum White
“I was in the middle of shooting a panorama of the arch of the Milky Way, when some people down on the beach started using their bright phone lights while wandering around on the beach,” says photographer Callum White. “Thinking they were about to ruin the entire night of photography for me I wondered what to do – then, having clearly found enough firewood, they started a fire which transformed the scene. I abandoned the panorama for the moment and took a 'vertorama' to capture the foreground and the Milky Way rising above Durdle Door. It was an amazing night of photography and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a night under the stars. If you look closely, you can also see Jupiter and Saturn which are the two bright stars near the horizon to the left hand side of the shot.”
Conifer Tree:
Leith Hill, Surrey – Marcus King
“This beautifully twisted conifer on the top of Leith Hill has been a favourite photographic subject for many years in all seasons,” says photographer Marcus King. “This particular misty morning was ideal to show off the tree in all its glory against the rusty red of the autumn bracken.”
For more information about the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition visit: lpoty.co.uk/competition
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
