ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the physical and psychological pressures critical caregivers face. Clinical settings dominated by machines with limited touch and natural light are far removed from the natural world. In this context, this visual essay reflects on a photographic research project inspired by ecological ideas to consider and express the complex experiences of hospital staff. In 2020 I developed a program of photography walks for National Health Service (NHS) hospital staff, exploring the biodiversity of Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park in London. Here, I will discuss how this preliminary project illuminates the potential of sensory engagement with nature's cycles of growth, decay and renewal, to shape an expressive channel for critical caregivers, one that is distinct from more traditional models and settings of therapy. Employing 'visual touch' and emerging therapeutic photography practices informed by ongoing collaboration with hospitals and ecologists, this project seeks to generate new insights and interventions that support the emotional and sensory needs of staff. The project draws on the fields of visual ethnography and medical anthropology with the aim to inform future developments in hospital practice.