Photography and mental health: how one photo competition is raising awareness

Shadowy image of a man behind frosted glass
(Image credit: Stefano Pollio / Unsplash)

August 19 each year is celebrated as World Photography Day. While the date itself signifies the invention of the Daguerrotype process in 1837, the event is held annually to celebrate "the art, craft, science and history of photography".

It's also a great way to encourage photographers to pursue their passion and to raise awareness. So what better day to pick to discuss an issue that plagues millions around the world and is often a silent killer – mental health.

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Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

In addition to looking after they day-to-day functioning of Digital Camera World in Australia, Sharmishta is the Managing Editor (APAC) for TechRadar as well, and helps produce two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under. Her passion for photography started when she was wandering the wilds of India studying monkeys (yes, life took a sharp turn somewhere along the way) and is entirely self-taught. That puts her in the unique position of understanding what a beginner or enthusiast is looking for in a camera or lens, and writes to help those like her on their path to developing their skills or finding the best gear. While she experiments with quite a few genres of photography, her main area of interest is nature photography – wildlife, landscapes and macro. She still prefers an optical viewfinder but is utterly fascinated with what mirrorless technology has been able to achieve. 


With an ear to the ground in the Asia-Pacific territory, she is constantly on top of camera news and breaking developments in the Australian region, in addition to sourcing local deals during big retail events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday / Cyber Monday. 


She’s also a skilled stargazer, always eager to share astrophotography tips such as photographing the blood moon without even using a tripod!