Our Happiness and Wellness Initiative shares "Some Good News" from the SPH and our extended community. You can submit your own good news by email to: happyandwell@umd.edu.
by Nina Branwell
Hongjie Liu, professor and chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics, has turned his passion for photography into a self-care practice that is yielding beautiful results.
Hongjie purchased his first camera in 2003, but only took photos for about a year. His research, teaching, and mentoring took precedence and he paused the hobby. Later, he bought a professional camera to both document his travels and to focus on the beauty around him.
Hongjie's photo catalog contains pictures of his travels, including to Amsterdam and China where he visited before the pandemic, and the wildlife and nature he captures. He uses photography as a form of relaxation, especially during the very stressful times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s reckoning with racism. Hongjie uses his hobby as an example to his students of the importance of “releasing pressure by picking up hobbies.”
Hongjie finds that redirecting his focus to photography allows him to decompress and that his photos reflect the positivity that a change in perspective can bring.
Additionally, the steps he takes to plan his photography involve rituals that are comforting to him. For him, “more planning means less difficulty,” especially when it comes to travel. Hongjie suggests setting up steps in advance to reduce the risk of unknowns that could cause undue stress. Steps include determining where you want to go, timing, and researching what you might encounter when you get there.
Hongjie’s photography has taken him to many different places around the world, yet during the COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel was not an option, he enjoyed visiting locations in the United States.
Finding something fun (like a hobby) and doing something with a new view (like travel) is a nice way to change your focus.
Some of Hongjie’s most notable pictures are those of Acadia National Park, which he took in autumn when the changing leaves created a spectacular array of fall colors. The area is also known for its particularly breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
“To capture the sunrise at Acadia National Park, I had to get up very early at 5:00 a.m.,” shared Hongjie. “Planning ahead to meet the sun as it rose offered images that will continue to bring me and those who view my photos joy.”
The added benefits to Hongjie’s photography hobby are exercise and being in the natural environment. Travel photography allows you to detach from the stresses at home and work and provides an opportunity to be more physically active while experiencing a new environment.
Throughout the uncertainty and difficulties of the past two years, Hongjie has found a way to focus on the beauty the world has to offer and to relax. He hopes that through modeling how his photography hobby has been a powerful form of self-care to his students, others will take the time to step back and find the beauty in life around us.