Snap Happiness

Written by Gavin Humphreys

With all the new and popular technology, the world has become a very self-centered one. You control the exact image of yourself and how it's portrayed on social media, all from the palm of your hand. With so much me-me-me in our technology, it begs the question:

When is a selfie not a selfie?

The camera on your phone can be used to make you a happier, more fulfilled person. Many believe that happiness is taking pictures, which just becomes easier with phone photography.

(Don't believe us? Check out this study conducted by CNET or this Huffington Post article that confirms our belief.)

Rethink ‘selfies’ - forget photos of yourself, use the camera for yourself. Start thinking about how to get real benefits, like happiness and satisfaction, from your phone photography.

Being creative with your camera gives you the freedom to think outside the box. It exercises your brain, and perhaps your body, depending on the scale of the adventure.

There are so many functions and possibilities on a modern phone camera, and they are accessible to everybody. Nowadays, many phones are crafted for photographers specifically, with multiple high-quality lenses, front and back. Not to mention the in-depth editing apps and fun filters found on social media platforms. It’s time to use these photography resources to their full potential, which is why we've compiled this list of lifestyle and photography tips.

Photography as an art form is also an exercise in mindfulness - being aware of everything around you, and being in the moment when you take your picture.

A Note on Instagram

Photography nowadays coincides with platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, where art is often forgotten in favor of vanity and competition. Often, it's a battle of who is the coolest, who has the best body, who has visited the most amazing places, who has accomplished more, or who has the most followers. These comparisons can raise stress levels, and create a feeling of inadequacy, let alone decrease general self-esteem.

All that to say: you can delete Instagram, it won’t kill you. Trust us, we live to tell the tale.

One idea is to start a new account with a focus - wildlife, sunsets, wine, tai-chi, whatever, but make it a passion. Only follow other similar accounts rather than hoards of acquaintances, celebrities, or influencers. Post any photos you want related to the topic. Overthinking social media makes it less like a passion project or scrapbook and more like a full-time job.

Just take the most creative photos you can think of. But if they are not amazing, who cares? You shouldn't.

Remember you are doing this for you and for the sake of beauty - not for likes, not to sell things, and not to compare with others.

Just enjoy the project, as it’s a little record of your life and a journal of stuff you saw that you thought was interesting or pretty!

1. Get out into the wilderness

Taking some nice pics is the perfect motivation to get out into the fresh air of the woods or the mountains.

You could do this with your friends, or all by yourself; there aren't any rules

Give yourself a goal, maybe to snap the sunset, maybe to Instagram an unusual insect, or how about to photograph as many types of trees as you can find?

Whatever it is, a goal will help you focus on what you are seeing, rather than just wandering.

That said, don’t let your goal distract you from the beauty all around you. Perhaps your best photo will be that deer which came out of nowhere and then disappeared. Did it come out blurry? Don't worry, it’s still a magical moment.

The idea of taking pictures is to get you out into the world. The photos are simply wonderful dots, which you can use to join up the memories when you tell the story.

2. Photograph people

Socializing can be the greatest de-stressor of all.

It might be a case of trying to get a nice picture of your family as you gather for a birthday, or you could even organize a trip to a park with your friends to try to get some nice photos of your besties. Candids are key.

Photographs are amazing records of your friends and loved ones. They will change, they will age, they will die, but photos will take you back to the special moments you spent with them. They will often make you laugh, or sometimes make you cry. The important thing is that you and others appreciate the memorialized moment.

It helps to do a little planning for photos, think about lighting and action. Perhaps set up a tripod so that you can do some nice delayed shots: this could be for a formal posed group, or to catch more natural movement.

Don't overlook those you don't know. Taking photos of complete strangers is an amazing social challenge. It will likely take you totally outside your comfort zone.

If you decide to take this route, be respectful and ask permission (or if it will spoil the photo, at least tell them you took the picture afterward, show them your snap, and ask if they mind).

You could also do portraits - ask them to stand still a second and frame a beautiful shot.

Taking photos of folk you don’t know will hopefully result in you meeting new people and having a lot of fun in the process.

You see amazing characters on the street, or you could find the beauty in people at work - they might be picking grapes, smelting iron, or selling used cars, there are wonderful possibilities to record these moments.

As well as an amazing experience for you, it might be a record which nobody else has and valuable for your town’s history - since people don’t often take photographs of ordinary things.

3. Find beauty in ordinary things

Why do people take more photos when traveling?

You don’t need to go hiking the Matterhorn to see beauty. Learn to see the beauty in your environment.

You don’t even need to leave your house - a plant in a pot, the way the light comes through your living room window, your dog staring at you, waiting to go for a walk. All these things can make great pics, and are memories worth keeping.

You could try micro-photography. A lot of phone cameras are really good at extreme close-ups. Notice the way a raindrop sits on a leaf. Perhaps an ant on the sidewalk might make a pretty picture. The coffee stain on your notepad.

As you start to notice beauty in these small things you will hopefully be more aware and thankful for the moments we live in the day-to-day. We can find joy in every moment we live, don’t wait for your vacations to be happy!

4. Try long-exposure shots

Long exposure is another feature which many phones have, but perhaps we don’t often use it. (If your phone doesn’t you can download an app for this.)

Photograph a burbling stream, a bustling street, or a starry night.

Not only will this get you out and about, but it will also strengthen patience and planning.

Long-exposure basically means that you take a photo that lasts a few seconds (or a few minutes). You can use it to capture movement or faint lights.

A tripod for your phone will really help, but otherwise make sure that your phone is really well secured (because if it moves it will spoil the picture).

You will need to dedicate some time to this in order to truly master it. Try observing patiently what you want to photograph, imagine how it will look, then set up and go for it.

At first, the photos might not come out well. That’s not a big deal. Enjoy the process. Have a good time.

This is a bit like the rod-fishing of photography styles. You need patience as you cast your rod and wait - and you might end up with nothing to show for it at the end of the day, but that’s part of the fun.

You might also try long exposure’s video cousin, time-lapse video. Again, lots of fun to be had with this.

5. Put the camera down

Somebody asked me the other day: “If you could go anywhere and not take your camera, so nobody would know, would you go?”

Would you?

George Orwell expressed it in another way in Burmese Days:

“So often like this, in lonely places in the forest, he would come upon something - bird, flower, tree - beautiful beyond all words, if there had been a soul with whom to share it. Beauty is meaningless until it is shared.”

Is that true? “Not on Instagram - didn’t happen!”

We have to move beyond that, and start to enjoy the moment for ourselves.

We only have one life and living to impress others isn't really living. If you see something of great beauty, enjoy it. Enjoy it wholeheartedly.

If you feel yourself reaching for your camera, stop your hand and live in the moment. Soak in the scene and take a mental image of the view instead , as these photos also snap happiness to your heart. You will remember this moment for the rest of your life.

A photo, at the end of the day, is an amazing aide-memoire, but it does not replace the moment. While you are fumbling with the phone settings or trying to get a different angle, the instant might fleet away, and you weren’t there - not fully.

And of course, some things are un-photographable. It might be a ravine by moonlight, or an amazing rainstorm. Don’t be frustrated that you will not have a photo to show off or to remember it. Just leave the camera in your pocket and take a snapshot in your memory, never to be erased.

Snap Happiness

There are many different ways to see the world, and your phone camera can help you to find new angles - literally and figuratively.

Taking photographs can exercise your creativity, your social skills, your mindfulness, and more.

Be snap happy, find snap happiness.