Episode #13: How to Tap Into the Mindful Nature of Photography
In this episode, I chat with Karin van Mierlo who is the founder & course creator at Photography Playground. Karin strongly believes the world needs more authentic and open-hearted photographers who want to be fully present in the world with a camera in their hands. That’s why she founded Photography Playground, an online photography platform to empower humans with cameras.
Listen in to hear Karin’s tips on how to tap into the mindful nature of photography and how it can improve your mental well being.
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HobbyScool Podcast Episode #13: How to Tap Into the Mindful Nature of Photography
Transcript:
r. estini Copp (host)
And my special guest today is Karen van Merlo, who is the founder and course creator at Photography Playground. And I'm going to be chatting with Karen today about how to tap into the mindful nature of photography. And Karen, thank you so much for joining me. I am very excited to jump into this topic with you. I'm not very familiar with mindful nature and kind of what you refer to there, but it sounds.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
Amazing. But before we get into all the questions that I have for you, can you tell the good audience a little bit more about you and how you got into photography and helping people with the mindful nature of photography?
Karin van Mierlo
Awesome. Yes, of course. First of all, thank you so much for for having me. It's really great to share this passion I have for photography. But and mostly about the mindful nature of photography, I think it can be very beneficial for people.
Karin van Mierlo
Um, so I'm. I'm from the Netherlands originally and I also had my education there. I went to University of the of the arts.
Karin van Mierlo
Um and I became a photographer.
Karin van Mierlo
Umm, mostly because I I just really love photography and.
Karin van Mierlo
Umm.
Karin van Mierlo
Because it's, it's such a.
Karin van Mierlo
A wonderful dance between what lives inside you and the outside world. What also between the things you can control in your camera, for instance. But also there are a lot of things that you just need to let go and go with the flow and see what happens and.
Karin van Mierlo
And respond to that.
Karin van Mierlo
Another thing I also really.
Karin van Mierlo
I'm always amazed by because I mostly photograph people.
Karin van Mierlo
Um, how? How people feel comfortable enough to let me into their lives. Like, for instance, I've done, I've photographed births. So.
Karin van Mierlo
It doesn't get more intimate than that, I guess.
Karin van Mierlo
And it's. It's such a privilege to.
Karin van Mierlo
Uh, to be a part of someone's life for for a little time. And then also to to present them with the photos I made, of course, and how happy they are with that. So these are all things that grabbed me when I first started doing photography at school.
Karin van Mierlo
You and sorry.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
I just wanted to jump in and you mentioned there that you had photographed some births. You know, you humans coming into this world. Can you tell us a little bit about, I'm sure you have a lot of interesting stories because can you share an interesting story that happened to you while you were photographing someone?
Karin van Mierlo
Ah, yes.
Karin van Mierlo
Why I?
Karin van Mierlo
Photographing.
Karin van Mierlo
And.
Karin van Mierlo
Well, it's mostly photographing women who give birth. It's not so much about the moment.
Karin van Mierlo
The the the baby comes out. I would say it's more about the.
Karin van Mierlo
The couple, because it's usually a couple and how they.
Karin van Mierlo
How they are connected, how they are going through this whole process of bringing their child into the world. So it's it's not very.
Karin van Mierlo
Graphic, I would say the way I photograph it, it's more.
Karin van Mierlo
It's actually a really beautiful process and but I do remember the first time I photographed births.
Karin van Mierlo
Or a birth.
Karin van Mierlo
And I was.
Karin van Mierlo
I was photographing and the the baby was being born and the doctor took it, took him in his hands and gave it to the to the, to the woman, to the mother.
Karin van Mierlo
And I just kept on photographing, of course, because that's.
Karin van Mierlo
One of the major things, but at the same time I was so moved by this.
Karin van Mierlo
Tremendous moment in in uh the lives of the of the people in the room.
Karin van Mierlo
That I was also. I had tears in my eyes and and very emotional and at this same time I also just needed to do my job.
Karin van Mierlo
And and that was, yeah, that was intense it I it got.
Karin van Mierlo
Better or better, and I'm not sure if it's better, but this was the first time and the the times after that I.
Karin van Mierlo
Was not as emotional as as the first time because you know it's a.
Karin van Mierlo
Big thing to.
Karin van Mierlo
Witness and a new human entering this world.
Karin van Mierlo
And so that, yeah, that that's one of my.
Karin van Mierlo
Bigger stories.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
OK.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
So let me ask you this. One of the things that you focus on is the mindful nature of photography. Can you expand upon a little bit more about what you mean by that? And you know just what what is mindful nature of photography and and how do you use it in your work?
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
Well.
Karin van Mierlo
Umm.
Karin van Mierlo
When when you're a photographer, you cannot escape this mindful nature, basically because.
Karin van Mierlo
I think that the essence of of mindfulness is to to slow down and to to be fully present in the moment.
Karin van Mierlo
And also to receive and accept that moment. And the exact same words apply for the process of making photos when you're photographing.
Karin van Mierlo
You need to be fully present in the moment. You cannot think about what you had for dinner the night before, or little worries or things. The past, the future, they're all.
Karin van Mierlo
This they sort of disappear when when you're photographing, when when you do it the right way, of course, or the right when you are fully immersing yourself in the act of photographing, not when when you're.
Karin van Mierlo
Being a tourist and you walk through the city and you're sort of snapping away. That's not, that's not mindful photography, but mindful photography is is.
Karin van Mierlo
Being fully present in the moment.
Karin van Mierlo
And um.
Karin van Mierlo
That's.
Karin van Mierlo
The same the same is true for being mindful.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
So let me ask you this, do you think photography?
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
Can help people become happier or more mindful in their day-to-day activities.
Karin van Mierlo
Yes.
Karin van Mierlo
I yeah, so.
Karin van Mierlo
I think.
Karin van Mierlo
Photography can can help in the sense that it when when you practice it in the way I I just described.
Karin van Mierlo
It will bring you in a state of flow state, state of mindfulness. But and it also that's what I find so beautiful about photography and also connects you to your creativity.
Karin van Mierlo
And being in a state of flow and and being mindful and also being creative are all.
Karin van Mierlo
Things people can do to reduce stress levels, for instance.
Karin van Mierlo
Now, of course.
Karin van Mierlo
Painting can.
Karin van Mierlo
Could probably do the same thing for a person. It does has the same characteristics, but what is so unique and also beautiful about photography is that it's it's.
Karin van Mierlo
Connected to the world, outside it's connected to life. So for instance if you want to make a photo of a tree.
Karin van Mierlo
You need to go outside and and to actually do that.
Karin van Mierlo
And so it's.
Karin van Mierlo
Apart from.
Karin van Mierlo
Becoming mindful. Apart from being more creative, it also makes you active as in.
Karin van Mierlo
When when you're having a bad day and uh, things sort of.
Karin van Mierlo
Are not working for you and then going outside to to photograph that tree, for instance, that already is.
Karin van Mierlo
It's helping you to to open yourself up for new experiences, to to see your familiar surroundings with fresh eyes and.
Karin van Mierlo
Get you out of your overactive mind and become aware of of the beauty.
Karin van Mierlo
Because beauty is everywhere.
Karin van Mierlo
But.
Karin van Mierlo
It's not always easy to see it or you're you're not always available to to connect to that and that. That's what's so, so beautiful about photography. It's creative, it's mindful, it gets you in the flow and it connects you to the world and the beauty.
Karin van Mierlo
That surrounds you.
Karin van Mierlo
And another thing.
Karin van Mierlo
What I also see is that there is this firm connection between photography and gratitude.
Karin van Mierlo
And because you are actually actively becoming aware of of all those.
Karin van Mierlo
All of the good stuff in your life and and and the beauty that is there.
Karin van Mierlo
And then you you you become more grateful. And gratitude is also very stress reducing.
Karin van Mierlo
Um and.
Karin van Mierlo
Yeah. So that's.
Karin van Mierlo
How I can think photography can can help people?
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
So let me ask you this, do you have any tips for somebody who wants to tap into the mindful nature of photography and kind of so they can experience what you just described the the gratitude, you know, the stress reduction?
Karin van Mierlo
Yeah, definitely. I'd be happy to. So I think one of the the the major obstacles quite often is that people think they need a fancy camera or they need.
Karin van Mierlo
All the all the the technical knowledge to to take a good photo. That's not what mindful photography is about. It's not about the camera, it's about so you can even use your smartphone. Doesn't matter what kind of camera. Also your your knowledge of the technical stuff.
Karin van Mierlo
It doesn't matter.
Karin van Mierlo
It's.
Karin van Mierlo
Getting caught up in the in the tech side of photography is not going to make you more mindful so.
Karin van Mierlo
It's it's about the process. It's about the the being in the moment when when you're photograph. It's about observing, paying attention to your surroundings. It's about opening your eyes and that's all a process and the result.
Karin van Mierlo
Your photos.
Karin van Mierlo
They matter less, so it's it's not.
Karin van Mierlo
Um.
Karin van Mierlo
It's not good to to harshly judge those results or be perfectionist about it, or.
Karin van Mierlo
Compare with with other photographers and then thinking no they're not good enough. That's all very counterproductive in in mindful photography. So instead you should let go of attachment to to the outcome to the results to to the photo.
Karin van Mierlo
Because it's it's it's about being intentional. Like I said before, you cannot just sort of snap away.
Karin van Mierlo
Like you see me, a lot of people do.
Karin van Mierlo
So you you need to.
Karin van Mierlo
Step away, step outside of your of your busy life for a moment and and slow down and truly observe what you're about to photograph so it becomes an intentional act and being fully in the moment.
Karin van Mierlo
And it's also very much about stripping away the fluff and and removing.
Karin van Mierlo
Things that are not really necessary so you end up with the essence of the thing or the person or the seeing your photographing. So this basically means that.
Karin van Mierlo
Um, you should.
Karin van Mierlo
Try out a lot of different points of view.
Karin van Mierlo
So because if if you change your point of view, uh, you can decide to to leave out things that are not really necessary, you can move in really close and only photograph a close-up. So it it.
Karin van Mierlo
Encourage you also to to to be very active and to to walk around and to really observe. And what is that essence and and how am I going to convey that?
Karin van Mierlo
And.
Karin van Mierlo
And also.
Karin van Mierlo
Um, print your photos.
Karin van Mierlo
Even the ones you're not.
Karin van Mierlo
Super happy about but that, but they gave you, they give you.
Karin van Mierlo
They connect you to a moment you're grateful for Oregon, so print them and, um, sprinkle your walls with them so you can you can see those, those mindful moments you're grateful for on a on a like a regular basis. I call this a gratitude wall. And I have them. I've had them in all my houses. I've lived for like, the past 30 years.
Karin van Mierlo
Walls full of photos with moments I'm I'm grateful for. So what that also does is when when you see them.
Karin van Mierlo
These sort of primes your your mind to see these moments and this this can be like really small, doesn't have to be big.
Karin van Mierlo
Life altering moments but.
Karin van Mierlo
Like walking.
Karin van Mierlo
Walking to the supermarket and and discovering really beautiful flower and taking a photo of that and you only saw that flower because you opened yourself up to that when you print that flower and you put it on your wall then.
Karin van Mierlo
You're reminded every day to keep your eyes open.
Karin van Mierlo
For the beauty, because it's everywhere.
Karin van Mierlo
So.
Karin van Mierlo
Yeah, that's. I I don't. I mean, there's of course there's a lot more.
Karin van Mierlo
To have a lot more tips, but I think these are the most important ones to to start.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
So Karen, you gave us some great tips there. Can you tell the folks where they can find you if they want to learn a little bit more about how to get started with mindful nature of photography?
Karin van Mierlo
Yes, of course I'd love to so.
Karin van Mierlo
Like you said, my my website is called photography playground and that's photography-playground.com.
Karin van Mierlo
I'm also on Instagram at photography_playground. There's also a private Facebook group which is called photography photography playground.
Karin van Mierlo
Um, so yeah, that's where they can find me.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
And we'll make sure that those links are in the show notes and you also have a free gift for folks, too.
Karin van Mierlo
Yes, I have.
Karin van Mierlo
I, uh, I made a a mindful photography playbook where I share tips, but most most of all I I describe 5 mindful photography projects or projects. Maybe a little too big a word, but prompts so.
Karin van Mierlo
Because, you know, the only way to actually benefit from this mindful nature of photography is to actually photograph. And it's. I found that it's a wonderful way to to get people.
Karin van Mierlo
Out of the house and with their camera and and and start photographing when when there are some.
Karin van Mierlo
When there's some guidance like.
Karin van Mierlo
Through this or.
Karin van Mierlo
Go there or.
Karin van Mierlo
So there the it's not that overwhelming. There's like a direction. So there there are five mindful photography projects also described.
Karin van Mierlo
In the mindful photography playbook.
Karin van Mierlo
It's also called a playbook for a reason.
Karin van Mierlo
Because it's time for you to to play.
Dr. Destini Copp (host)
And I love that. And we'll make sure that all three of those links are in the show notes so people can find them and get their free gift. And Karen, thank you so much for joining me. I enjoyed chatting with you about mindful nature of photography.
Karin van Mierlo
Awesome. Thank you so much for the opportunity, for the opportunity.