'I started to believe I could feel happy again': How photographing the weather has changed people's lives

It is a well known fact that spending time outside can improve our health and wellbeing, but could there be benefits from taking a camera along to photograph the weather?

The answer seems to be a very decisive "yes" from BBC Weather Watchers, an online crowd-sourcing group, set up to help showcase the best of the day's weather in pictures, across the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

There are now more than 355,000 who have posted in excess of seven million weather photographs since it launched in 2015.

Aside from encouraging people to get out and observe their surroundings, people also say that it has helped with depression, grief, fitness and added a new sense of purpose and pride in their lives.

The themes of this year's BBC Wellbeing week are connection, community and sharing.

Many BBC Weather Watchers have been telling us these are some of the positive impacts around "weather watching".

Meet the Os.

Alan Oxer has been a Weather Watcher for 10 years and after his photographs caught the attention of local and national TV teams, it inspired of his family to too.

Alan's daughter, Lucy, said her 87-year-old dad got into "weather watching" after her mother died.

"As an ex-seaman in the merchant navy he has always been fascinated by the weather," she said. "And now he contributes not only photos, but also details from his mini weather station.

"He goes out come rain or shine and he swears it keeps his heart ticking over.

"It's been a real source of joy for him after losing Mum, looking for lovely stories, romantic descriptions, checking weather bulletins and the web each day, in case his photo is shown."

Not only has his new pastime made him quite well known in his local town of Topsham in Devon, due to his photos being shown on BBC Breakfast and BBC Spotlight, but Mr Oxer's family are now following in his footsteps.

"We sometimes dabble too and picked up his signature handle of 'Alan O', so we also have a Lucy O, a William O and a Matt O in the south-west but we're not as prolific as Dad," said Lucy.

"Thank you to Weather Watchers for bringing such joy, focus and happiness to not only my dearest Dad, but the rest of us too, through him. We now see the beauty of each sky through his eyes."

Taking photographs of the weather also helped Fay Fautley from Kent cope with the grief of losing her father, "johndar" who had been an "avid weather watcher".

Fay ed BBC Weather Watchers too as she wanted to "keep his memory alive".

"I started to my photos and lo and behold I managed to get an Editor's Pick for a snowy photo I took," she said.

"I was absolutely over the Moon as I knew my dad would have been so pleased. This was a turning point for me with my grief, a point where I started to believe I could feel happy again."

The benefits of walking and taking pictures has had a marked impact on some people's wellbeing, while for others it has given them a renewed sense of purpose in looking back at their photographs and recalling the memories they invoke.

From the age of 22, Catherine Mayo has suffered with anxiety, depression and other health issues which meant that for a few years she was unable to leave the house.

The birth of her son, who is now 16, gave her the drive to start making changes and in doing so discovered her love of photography, taking pictures when they were out and about together.

"I would see something wonderful in that moment and take a photo," she recalled.

"These photos are wonderful memories which bring a great feeling of happiness and remind me life is worth living and it's what you make it."

After a brief relapse in her mental health after the birth of her daughter, she is now taking photos again.

"Sharing my photos and receiving positive means so much to me," she said. "If I have days where I feel lost, I look through my images and smile again."

A lot of BBC Weather Watchers, including Catherine, found that when their pictures were used online or television it gave them a sense of pride, recognition and purpose in their photography.

For Catherine it propelled her on to feature in the national papers and even winning competitions.

However, Liz Scarff, found it was a way to help her through some really bad times.

"It's become a reason to get out in rain or shine, even when leaving home is tricky," she said.

"I sometimes have to kick myself out of the door for a walk but as long as I have a camera I feel happy and ready to face the day."

She said it makes her take more notice of everything around her from the sky and clouds, to the light, trees and buildings and she comes home calmer and in a "more positive state of mind".

And she added: "It's even more rewarding when you get an Editor's Pick and see your efforts on BBC Weather!"

Living through lockdown brought unprecedented challenges for many of us, including Esther Johnson, who found she was unable to go on her normal runs with her friends.

Instead, as she found herself running alone she decided to combine it with her ion for photography. She became a BBC Weather Watcher during the first lockdown in March 2020.

Esther said it helped her state of mind and fitness at a very difficult time, plus the incentive to take really good photos that would be used by the BBC Weather team was an added bonus.

"The buzz when your photo is then actually featured on telly is great and makes it even more worthwhile," Esther said. "I even once made it onto the national weather forecast which was my goal!"

Long after the periods of lockdown Esther is running with friends again and said weather watching is now a part of normal life.

"I obviously kept it up and now I just have to run to catch up with my friends if I stop to take a photo," she added.

"Recently my running friend submitted one on a run and he got featured, so I might have another convert!"

For the producers and presenters who use the BBC Weather Watchers website as part of their job, looking through the hundreds of pictures ed on a daily basis can be uplifting and inspirational. It has also become an invaluable resource for illustrating our work.

Carol Kirkwood explains:

"I love seeing our BBC Weather Watcher pictures first thing in the morning. They offer so many fabulous views from all around the UK."

The BBC Breakfast weather presenter explains that for her "the beauty of the pictures is that you see the changing seasons and how it becomes so much darker in the winter, compared to the positivity offered by a sunny start to the day in the summer".

Many of us agree with Carol that the BBC Weather Watcher pictures help us to "appreciate nature and what a beautiful world we live in".

So from providing that quiet sense of calm to becoming a bit of a celebrity in your local area, BBC Weather Watchers can work wonders for your health, wellbeing and self-esteem.

If you want to the community and share the view where you are, start here: BBC Weather Watchers.