2026 SPE Annual Conference: Catalyst for Exchange
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print this pageA Veterans walk through photographic education with PTSD.
Richard Austin
Friday, March 20 - 10:30AM to 11:00AM
Atlanta 1
For the past six years, I have used photography as a therapeutic tool to navigate and process the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This practice has compelled me to reflect deeply, challenge conventional perceptions of beauty, and gradually reconnect with my senses—many of which had been suppressed as a survival mechanism during military service. Following the advice of a neurologist to engage the right hemisphere of the brain to counterbalance the hyperactivity of the left, I undertook an intensive, self-directed photographic journey.
My current thesis visualizes PTSD through the landscapes that have become personal sanctuaries, using non-visible light—specifically ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectrums—to represent the often-invisible wounds of trauma. The use of panoramic formats, diptychs, and triptychs invites viewers to engage in lateral scanning, echoing the hypervigilant way I perceive my environment. Additionally, I incorporate alternative printing methods to create complex, layered imagery that mirrors the obscured and multifaceted nature of PTSD.
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