Psychology and photography, how are they related?

Psychology and photography can give the sensation of having nothing in common; However, they are related beyond what you may imagine. Therefore, we will explore the depths of image, perception and gaze so that you can enjoy and better understand the association.

What would the world today be without the visual, without photography? We are talking about a technology that has become everyday. And, if we told you that they have always existed, would you believe us? They may not have been present in the same format, but we have been able to capture images for centuries.

Psychology and photography, ways of transmitting

Let’s start by introducing each of these disciplines, to cross the bridge that connects them. Psychology is dedicated to the study of behavior, cognition and affectivity. On the other hand, photography according to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language (RAE) is ‘the procedure or technique that allows obtaining fixed images of reality through the action of light on a sensitive surface or a sensor’ and ‘a representation and description of great magnitude’.

Defined, let’s explore their relationship. Both are disciplines that human beings exercise and study. On the one hand, the psychologist contacts other people to intervene or investigate different processes and the photographer to capture different images. And although the photographer does not always capture images of others, he does not stop being in contact with his interior; The same thing, although on other levels, happens to the psychologist.

In both psychology and photography there is a transmission:

They generate, transport and inspire emotions. Frequently, the psychologist through the word and the photographer through the image.Mental representations are present. They can be symbols or images that arise from the work of each profession.The cognitive world is present. In both professions, thinking arises from different processes.There are different types of communication. Let us remember that there is non-verbal language that every professional can have and speak with their body. Furthermore, let us keep in mind that the photographer speaks… not only through his image, but also through his body and his speech in the process of taking photos. Photography in therapy.

Besides, In psychotherapy and photography, unconscious aspects are revealed. These are contents that we find unacceptable and distressing that are difficult to access.

The unconscious manifests itself through words and creativity. In psychology, often one of the results of the intervention is the patient’s discovery of what is happening to him or her. In photography, this protected world would be accessed through representations.

Psychology and photography: identity builders

Through the intervention of psychology and photography, different aspects related to identity can be constructed or reconstructed. Let’s look at some:

Selfconcept. It’s about the definition we have of ourselves. In psychotherapy we work on this so that the person works with an image of the self that helps them grow and does not cause discomfort.Self-esteem. It’s about how we feel about our self-concept. It is the emotional part of the vision of the self and has a lot to do with how we project ourselves in time (past, present, future).Self-efficacy. Closely associated with trust, it greatly determines the attitude with which we face a challenge.

So, both psychology and photography can be part of the construction of identity and condition our feelings towards its perception. So, and In each area, different processes are experienced in which the professional is molded through constant communication with others and with themselves.

Alfredo Pizzinato, in his article “Psychology and images: the process of digital narration in research on identity in children at risk of exclusion”, discusses the use of digital narrative productions as analytical material for psychological research on identity. .

Photography as a therapeutic element

Since photography manifests unconscious aspects that perhaps we would not otherwise be able to convey due to the anguish they would generate, it can be a key tool for the psychotherapeutic process. That is, in some way Photography can be a way to explore our unconscious.

Photographs in psychological therapy could serve to establish deep relationships, and tell stories from another perspective. So, why not communicate through photos? In fact, most of the traffic on social media today is based on visual elements. Photos are deleted or published depending on whether they will serve to retain followers or increase sales of a certain product. Advertising has been using images for years to try to awaken or intensify our desire.

Photographing is also telling stories in which our psyche is enveloped by the sensations, emotions, and thoughts that are experienced before and after the process. Living a psychotherapeutic process is also representing through images what happens to us, it is giving new meaning to painful experiences that suffocated us.

You might be interested…