Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that pictures of loved ones have the ability to ease pain.
The subjects were exposed to varying levels of heat pain while focusing on a photograph of their partner during an MRI scan.
The results show that emotional attachment is directly related to soothing pain and that an image of a partner provides a calming effect in the pain processing area of the brain. An effect that is similar to paracetamol or cocaine. On average pain was lessened by 36 to 44 percent, with intense discomfort being reduced by up to 13 percent.
How would you photograph one of the world’s tallest trees? That was a question posed to National Geographic photographer, Michael Nichols. Who was tasked with photographing the mammoth tree. Using three Canon 1Ds Mark II, a few pocketwizards, a dolly used for cinema work and three 35mm f/1.4 lenses Nichols set to work photographing the tree. Each full image of the tree took over one hour to produce and Nichols and his team had spent 18 days photographing the redwood.
The picture was published in September 2009 and it became one of the most popular issues. In the video Nichols talks about the process he used to photograph the tree, and obstacles he overcame to produce such a breathtaking image.
