From the author of the photo above:
“We all have fears. Darkness, death, automatic flushing. These fears make up who we are. We should embrace them. Face them head on. Don’t let them define you.“
This quote is so true, and as I thought about what fears we all have…. taking photos of your fears is an incredible tool.
Say you have a fear of the dark. Of course the one thing that can help you overcome that fear, so they say, is to be up front, and face your fear. Can you think of using your photography for facing that fear. There are some amazing photos taken in the dark, and I often wonder if the photographer did that to help get rid of their fear of the dark.
I know there are a lot of people that darkness is a fear. I want to give you some photos taken from people in the dark. Notice the beauty you can find in the dark:
Now, of course the thought process of taking photos in the dark, is there is an opposite of what your fears are. Looking at that hand in the dark…. hopefully will make you realize that light, no matter how small, can bring a sense of hope to you.
Here’s another one of the dark:
In taking photos of the dark, you need to realize that taking a photo in total darkness won’t get you a picture. Also, in darkness, there is always the tiniest amount of light in there, WHICH OVERCOMES THE DARKNESS.
IS YOUR FEAR A PHOBIA?
Here is a list of the top 10 Phobia’s:
1. Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders. This phobia tends to affect women more than men.
2. Ophidiophobia: The fear of snakes.
3. Acrophobia: The fear of heights.
4. Agoraphobia: The fear of situations in which escape is difficult. This may include crowded areas, open spaces, or situations that are likely to trigger a panic attack. People will begin avoiding these trigger events, sometimes to the point that they cease leaving their home. Approximately one third of people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia.
5. Cynophobia: The fear of dogs. This phobia is often associated with specific personal experiences, such as being bitten by a dog during childhood.
6. Astraphobia: The fear of thunder and lightning.
7. Trypanophobia: The fear of injections. Like many phobias, this fear often goes untreated because people avoid the triggering object and situation.
8. Social Phobias: The fear of social situations. In many cases, these phobias can become so severe that people avoid events, places, and people that are likely to trigger an anxiety attack.
9. Pteromerhanophobia: The fear of flying. Often treated using exposure therapy, in which the client is gradually and progressively introduced to flying.
10. Mysophobia: The fear of germs or dirt. May be related to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Reference: psychology.about.com
If photography can help you eliminate your fears, you need to do what makes you the most fearful.
Going back to a movie that many people are familiar with: Batman. If you recall in Bruce Wayne’s life, the one thing he feared the most was bats. And he decided to just be surrounded with them, to the point that they did not bother him anymore.
Let’s look at #8 – The Fear of Social Situations, or being in crowds:
That is truly a big fear to some people. Look at what soldiers have to do. If any of them have the fear of being in a crowd, they get forced in to it to allow them to stay in the military. By the time they get home, the problem is solved. For fun, if you are afraid of crowds, grab your camera, and go take pictures of people in the crowds.
If you love photography, and you have any fears at all, plan on just facing your fears by going out and taking pictures of what your biggest fear is. You will be glad you did.
Tomorrow’s subject: Taking pictures of a hand. Interesting subject.
