Photography and green space – can they positively impact mental health?

Image Credit: Tristan Poyser

bradley creek is a new outdoor photography exhibition by University of Cumbria academic Tristan Poyser, exploring our relationship with nature and the benefit to our mental health and well-being.

‘bradley creek’ started as a response to experiencing the benefits of spending time in green spaces for their own well-being.

Tristan, a photography professor at the university’s Institute of the Arts, has been visiting Bradley Brook for over five years and noticed an improvement in his well-being when he ran here instead of hitting the sidewalks in more urban areas, so he became on your usual running route.

During the height of the pandemic, in March 2020, with the creek just around the corner, Tristan explored the benefits of spending time in the nature reserve through his photography.

Tristan photographs the same places each visit, recording the changes in the seasons as well as changes in storms and park management. The photos are displayed in the place where they were photographed to fully immerse viewers in this world.

Bradley Brook is a stream that flows through Mere Clough in Phillips Park Nature Reserve, just off one of Britain’s busiest motorways, the M60. Long before cars and motorways, Mere Clough was visited by Victorian botanists to study its variety of plants and flowers.

Tristan commented, “The whole process of doing the work is designed to make me feel good about life. The project takes me for walks in the woods. Choosing to use analog photography allows for a more methodical and considered process. Unwrapping foil from a new roll of film feels indulgent, similar to the thrill of unwrapping candy as a child. The mindfulness of manual printing in the darkroom is a mediative process. It’s all an antidote to the fast-paced digital world and a conscious effort to maintain my own well-being.

“Showcasing the work outdoors in Phillips Park will bring the project full circle and allow others to experience the changes to the nature reserve that occur over time. The project has inspired the delivery of Nature, Photography and Wellness workshops to members of the public.” in partnership with the Lancashire Wildlife Trusts Nature and Welfare Service team, which specializes in eco-friendly and social recipes, the workshops allow people to spend time in a natural space while learning new skills in photography and ways to maintain their own well-being “.

bradley creek and associated workshops are supported and funded by the University of Cumbria, the UK Research and Innovation Fund (UKRI) and The Lancashire Wildlife Trusts Nature and Welfare Service.

Dr. Colette Conroy, Director of the arts instituteUniversity of Cumbria, (below) said: “The collaboration with The Lancashire Wildlife Trust is a great example of knowledge sharing between academics and stakeholders at the University of Cumbria. The outdoor exhibition also allows members of the public engage in art and research in a very different and more accessible space than the traditional gallery.”

The outdoor exhibit opened earlier this month and will be open until October 16.

Tristan’s photographs are simultaneously exhibited in Normandy, France, where they are part of a conference focusing on nature photography and the English. Bradley Brook has also been a feature of the recent Prestwich Arts Festival.

For more details visit www.tristanpoyser.com/p/bradleybrook