Open the Shutters: Nature Photography for Better Mental Health

These days our mental health could use a little breathing room. From the state of unrest and divide in the world to the amplification of our general, day-to-day stressors such as job or relationship anxiety - the list is endless. Join Canadian Geographic Photographer of the Year Shane Turgeon as he touches on his favourite nature photography styles, from astrophotography to wildlife to intimates and abstracts and more, and how and why they have each become a major part of his mental health toolbox.

Biography

Shane Turgeon is an award-winning nature photographer focused on landscapes, the night sky, storms and wildlife. His work has been featured by Canadian Geographic, the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, PhotoLife magazine, F-stop Collaborate and Listen podcasts, the CBC and more. In 2022 Shane was short-listed for the prestigious Astronomy Photographer of the Year award from the Royal Museums Greenwich in London and in 2024 he was named Canadian Geographic’s Photographer of the Year.

While pursuing nature and landscape photos for his own personal pleasure are his primary focus in photography, he also has a keen passion for sharing both his art and the mental health benefits of nature photography and passing on his experience and knowledge to other photographers. In 2022 Shane created the Lightchasers Nature Photography Conference in Pincher Creek, Alberta; an annual event which brings photographers together to learn from some of the top names in Canadian nature photography with an emphasis on education, exploration and community building.

Shane is a proud ambassador for f-stop gear and McBain Camera.