SIKESTON – Local photographers Larry Braun and Clay Guthrie collaborated to create a cooperative photography display with a fall theme at the Sikeston Depot Museum.

Sikeston Depot Museum Administrator Shelia Bohannon said the exhibit, which is open through Nov. 1, is centered on rural and fall/autumn photography and features a large number of local shots.

Braun resides in Benton, Missouri, and works as a streetscape and landscape photographer. According to Bohannon, Braun focuses his work on the outdoors in historic districts, state parks and small towns in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Kentucky. Braun’s photographs have been highly successful; they are shown in the Southeast and St. Francis hospitals, and one of them was even chosen to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp.

Local photographer Clay Guthrie of East Prairie, Missouri, straightens one of his photos on display at the Sikeston Depot Museum.

Submitted photo

Guthrie is a photographer and an East Prairie, Missouri, native. Although landscapes are the main subject of his photography, he also frequently includes wildlife, cityscapes and even extreme weather. Bohannon said Guthrie’s photos have appeared in magazines and are displayed on the walls of homes and businesses. 

This is their first joint solo exhibition, and according to Bohannon, Guthrie has greatly benefited from Braun.

Braun said he has known Guthrie for a long time and has helped Guthrie in his photographic ventures over the years. 

Braun said Bohannon got in touch with him and expressed her desire for an autumn scene display. Braun said he then gathered about 30 of his own pictures, framed them, and put them on display at the Depot. 

According to Braun, the majority of his photographs are from local areas in Southeast Missouri. 

“I have some of Sikeston, Charleston, Benton, a lot of Scott County, and Cape Girardeau County,” Braun said. “It’s a nice collection of autumn scenes from our community.”

Photos of Tywappity Lake near Chaffee, Missouri; streets in Benton; the Mississippi River; the Castor River shut-ins; and many other locations may also be found in Braun’s display. 

According to Guthrie, he has about eight pieces in the exhibit, and all of them have a fall theme. The majority of his work is set in rural and countryside settings. 

Guthrie said he met Braun in a local photography group when he first started getting into nature photography a few years ago.

“We were both at the time members of the River Region Photography Association, which is a camera club in Cape Girardeau,” Guthrie said. “I saw a lot of his work, asked questions and talked to him quite a bit about stuff. He’s been definitely an inspiration with a lot of his work and a very big help.”

Guthrie and Braun both said they have received excellent comments from people who have visited the photography exhibit, and they encourage the community to go and see the exhibit.

The Sikeston Depot Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Monday through Saturday.

An exhibit of photography by Doug Coombs is now on display at Village Arts at 216 DP Road in Los Alamos. Courtesy photo

Some of the landscape photos by Doug Coombs that are currently exhibited at Village Arts. Courtesy photo

VILLAGE ARTS NEWS RELEASE

Naturescapes by Doug Coombs is a solo photography exhibition that invites the viewer to glimpse stunning landscapes and unique animal encounters.  On display at Village Arts through Nov. 13, Doug’s work promises to take you across the country, and around the globe, and with his emphasis on the big skies of the west and his Milky Way photography, there’s a chance that he’ll even transport you across the universe!

Doug’s own journey with photography as a medium began as a teen with film based photography. In the early eighties he photographed sports at the University of Arizona, where he worked as a darkroom tech and photographer. Later when his kids played soccer for Los Alamos High School he avidly photographed their matches.

Doug is a retired software engineer/developer from Los Alamos National Laboratory and has been doing digital photography for over 20 years. He lived in Los Alamos for 35 years where he  co-chaired and chaired the Los Alamos Photography Club and the Los Alamos Adobe Users Group.  Doug currently resides in Pagosa Springs where he is an active member of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club, but continues to actively show his work in Los Alamos.  Doug and his wife Miyuki travel to destinations nationally and internationally on a regular basis to pursue photographic opportunities. Destinations include Africa, Brazil, Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, Teton National Park, Bisti Badlands, Arches National Park, Bosque del Apache NM, New Mexico, Colorado and more.

Village Arts is open 9-4 Monday through Friday and 10-4 Saturday and is located at 216 DP Road.  For more information on Doug’s work and to see more of his photography, find him on Facebook and Instagram and at his website https://www.dougsview.com/.  Doug also has a broad selection of framed and matted work available at the Fuller Lodge Art Center.

Doug Coombs/Courtesy photo

Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Diaz

HAVANA TIMES – Photography is about managing light to capture a piece of reality. Long Exposure photography is a technique that allows moving objects to leave a luminous trail, achieving a very visually attractive effect.

To do this, it is necessary to look for shutter speeds between 1/10 and ¼ seconds, that is, the lens diaphragm is open between 10 and 25 tenths of a second, the time in which an object or subject moves, leaving a visible trail of light. which can sometimes seem somewhat surreal or ghostly. It is also advisable to use an exposure level that is as neutral as possible and an ISO of 100.

However, note that in each image there is something perfectly focused and sharp, which may well be a static element of the scene or a moving element as long as the photographer has achieved a minimum movement of the camera that synchronizes with the movement of the element of the scene, which can be a vehicle, a cyclist or a person walking.

See more photo galleries here on Havana Times

Countries that celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month do so at different times of the year – it’s May in the USA, for example, while Australia does so in October. But there’s one mental health-related event that the world celebrates on the same day – October 10 has been designated as World Mental Health Day, an initiative that began in 1992 and continues today to help raise awareness of mental health issues.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, most of us would have come in contact with mental health illnesses – either by suffering directly, or by indirectly watching and possibly supporting a loved one going through tough times. Many of us – like me – don’t even realize we have a problem, but sometimes talking to someone else about what might be triggering an emotional response to something specific can be prudent.

For those of us who aren’t comfortable with asking for help, know that you’re not alone and there are things that you can do to get through the turbulent times. For example, one of my colleagues used ChatGPT to overcome his grief, while another uses cameras and photography to focus his creativity.

Photography has also been my mental support for a very long time. I’m happiest with a camera in my hand and I’m lucky to be in a job where I get to indulge my passion.

I’m also a voracious reader and spend any spare waking minute I have with my nose buried in a good book. Well, ‘book’ isn’t quite right – I went digital years ago and now use an ereader to not just read, but also jot down notes and todo lists.

But the technology isn’t really what’s important; it’s about how it helped me get through some tough times – and could possibly help you as well.

Reading to escape

Escapism is a slightly complex concept when it comes to dealing with mental health issues, but when used correctly, it can be a positive force. I’ve been reading since I was five years old and, as an only child, books were my constant companion. In hindsight, I suppose it’s fair to say I was using Enid Blyton’s characters to combat loneliness. 

Reading, for me, is a habit, not a hobby. I have to read every single day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. While I’ve read all kinds of genres through the years, I now have a strong preference for books that help me escape – fantasy and cyberpunk for the most part. I also devour books on ancient and medieval history because those worlds, that life, is foreign to me and I need to use my imagination to build that ‘fantasy’ land.

I haven’t read a printed book in a while, having bought my first ereader – the Kobo Glo – in 2014. It broke a year later after falling off a shelf, and I then got my first Kindle. Now, thanks to being a reviewer, I have a stack of these e-paper tablets and am always excited when I get to test some of the best ereaders on the market today. 

You can argue that there’s no better experience than reading a real book, but I’ll counter that by saying the feel of the paper or the sound of the page turning is superfluous – if you’re engrossed in the book, these are extraneous and you won’t even register them. If the ‘feeling’ of the physical book is what you’re focusing on, you’re probably not reading the right book.

Reading the right book can also help you cope with stress, anxiety and depression. In fact, there’s a little-known branch of psychotherapy called bibliotherapy that focuses on how books can support mental health.

Book recommendations to help combat mental illness

A bibliotherapist is someone who uses books along with traditional therapy techniques to improve your mental wellbeing. Some libraries around the world offer ‘lite’ bibliotherapy sessions, but these are of a different kind – you get book recommendations based on significant life events you’re dealing with to help you cope. 

I recently had a session like this. Organized by Kobo, I was first asked to fill in a short questionnaire that included questions like ‘who is your favorite author’, ‘what are your favorite books’ and ‘are you experiencing or will experience a significant life event’. Examples for that last one were things like marriage, childbirth, milestone birthdays, a breakup, divorce and more.

Based on my answers, the bibliotherapist – Lucy Pearson from The Literary Edit – came armed with some book recommendations for me. While I had read most of the titles she recommended, I liked the fact that I wasn’t steered towards reading a genre that didn’t appeal to me. 

A bibliotherapist can recommend titles that could resonate with your experiences. For example, if you’ve lost a loved one and need help coping with your grief, they can suggest a book (or books) where the main character is going through a similar experience and it might make you feel less alone. Book recommendations can be fiction or nonfiction, and it can help kids as well. And it doesn’t matter if you prefer reading a printed book or use an ereader.

Channeling creativity

While reading is a habit for me, photography is my hobby. As I’ve already said, I’m happiest with a camera in my hand. I took up photography in my mid thirties – it wasn’t until my late twenties that I got my first camera, a Canon point-and-shoot whose model number I can no longer remember. 

A couple of years later, I graduated to a Panasonic point-and-shoot with an 18x optical zoom and a manual mode, using the latter to teach myself how to adjust settings for the best shot. It was at this time that I began to realize I like taking pictures. It didn’t matter that the photos weren’t professional grade, I seemed to enjoy the experience.

It was around time that began to feel like things were falling apart. I won’t go into the gory details but by 2010, I was at my lowest point because of massive upheavals in my life. It was the most terrifying time I’ve been through, filled with uncertainties. And, as expected, the stress and anxiety of that time took its toll not just mentally, but manifested physically as well. My hormones went haywire and, consequently, I needed to undergo surgery.

It was taking photos that kept me distracted from it all. In 2012, I bought my first DSLR, the Canon EOS 600D, along with a Sigma 18-300mm zoom lens. For a few years, I could hardly leave my apartment because of the health effects of depression, and I’d take photos of the sunsets from my balcony (which were really quite nice), or drying autumn leaves on the plane trees outside the building. 

I found that focusing on honing my photography skills kept my mind occupied with other, more constructive thoughts, rather than on myself – things like framing the shot, figuring out the best settings, and so on.

I haven’t stopped taking pictures. Experimentation over the years has made me a better photographer – I am entirely self-taught and am decidedly not a professional. What I got out of it, other than feeling better mentally, is a good understanding of the tech that goes into cameras and lenses. This put me in a position to be able to write about photography and I was offered a job that helped me indulge myself with my passion.

I think photography has made me a better person, teaching me patience and empathy. It’s also helped me own up to the fact that I have a mental health issue, and no longer feel the need to hide in the shadows. And that makes me one of the lucky few.

Being able to share what we’re going through helps – although it takes tremendous courage to do so – and telling that story through photography or film can be a wonderful creative outlet. If you are creatively inclined, there are photo competitions like Out From The Mist that accept entries each year on the theme of mental health. It’s also a great and safe space for photographers and content creators to tell their stories.

Harnessing the power of fitness and other hobbies

Reading and photography are my personal mental supports, but they’re not the only ones you can try. Going for a run or a walk, joining a gym, meditation and yoga… these are great options that not only keep your mind healthy, but your body too. There are plenty of mental health apps that you can use to get started.

Not into fitness? You can take up knitting or crocheting maybe, or start a scrapbook. If you like making arts and crafts, perhaps consider buying a machine like the Cricut Joy and you could be selling your wares on a platform like Etsy and making some extra cash.

Almost every single one of us has some form of stress or anxiety, whether we admit to it or not – it’s up to us as individuals to seek help or find something that sparks joy in our lives and, perhaps most critically, stick with it.

If you’d like to know more about mental health, or are keen to seek help, visit the Mental Health Foundation website in the UK, Mental Health America in the US or SANE and Beyond Blue if you’re in Australia.