Numerous articles on the internet assert the health benefits of landscape photography, primarily aimed at promoting the sales of related artwork. In contrast, I adopt a slightly different perspective. 

First, having conducted my own research, although existing studies (referenced below) do illustrate the calming impact of nature images on the human body, the assertion of “health benefits” appears somewhat overstated to me. 

Second, as a landscape photographer myself I do not believe in the approach of using such studies as a means to convince potential customers why they should buy my nature wall art.

Some of the studies cited in those articles are:

• View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery
• Health Benefits From Forests
• The Relationship Between Trees & Human Health

If you examine these studies you will see that they do not involve nature photography but the authors who reference them make correlations. In other words, because walking through a forest is good for you, therefore looking at a forest picture must have similar effects.

Other studies have been conducted, which are more specifically addressing the effects of nature art/photos, such as:

> Viewing Nature Scenes Positively Affects Recovery of Autonomic Function Following Acute-Mental Stress

In simple terms, researchxers conducted a study to see if looking at different types of scenes before experiencing stress could affect how the body recovers from that stress. They used two types of scenes: nature scenes (like trees and grass) and built scenes (like city views without much nature). They measured the body’s autonomic function, which is related to the automatic functions like heart rate, using a method called heart rate variability.

When people were stressed, their heart rate, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular measures increased, and this increase was similar for both nature and built scenes. However, after the stress, the recovery was better when people had seen nature scenes. Specifically, the part of the nervous system responsible for calming the body (parasympathetic activity) was higher after looking at nature scenes compared to built scenes.

The study also looked at how the body responds while just looking at the scenes without any stress. They found that the variability in heart rate during the first 5 minutes of looking at nature scenes was greater than when looking at built scenes. This suggests that nature scenes may have a positive effect on the body even before experiencing stress.

> The effects of views of nature on autonomic control

This study found that looking at nature scenes, even in a controlled indoor environment, can positively affect the autonomic nervous system, which controls various bodily functions. The researchers measured heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive way to assess this system, and found that when people looked at nature scenes, there was an increase in markers of parasympathetic activity, which is associated with relaxation. This suggests that simply viewing nature has a calming effect on the body’s internal processes. The heart rate and blood pressure of the participants did not significantly change during the study. Overall, the research provides evidence that observing natural scenes can influence the way the heart is regulated, promoting a more relaxed state.

> Viewing Landscapes Is More Stimulating Than Scrambled Images After a Stressor: A Cross-disciplinary Approach

The study looked at whether looking at paintings of nature scenes could help people recover from stress. They had 30 participants look at either normal landscape paintings or scrambled versions of the same paintings after a stressful task. The results showed that those who looked at the normal paintings felt less sleepy and sluggish, and their stress hormone levels decreased more slowly compared to those who looked at scrambled images. The study suggests that viewing nature paintings can be more stimulating and helpful for reducing drowsiness after stress.

If you’re buying nature wall art for an office, a facility, or another public interior, then studies such as the above might matter to you. However, if you’re buying for yourself, I would argue that they are irrelevant. The only thing that matters is whether the print you’re buying speaks to you personally or not. Whether it has a positive emotional impact on you personally or not. And I know from experience that the same picture can impact different people in different ways.

You can decide for yourself whether these studies’ findings are enough reasons for why you should buy a nature wall art piece. However, my opinion is that all of this is irrelevant, and you should make a judgment based on the particular value a specific image has to you. The reality is that having nature artwork on your wall is not a must. People buy it because they like it.

For more information read my article: Understanding the Value of Nature Photography Prints.