Opening Hearts One Photograph At A Time
- Molly Ferrill and David Fryburg, Envision Kindness
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
“The bond between father and son transcends sight. The father, with a steady and loving hand, guides a young boy who is blind, helping him experience art through touch and trust. The boy’s face radiates curiosity and a quiet joy, revealing the beauty he feels within.”
Images have a profound impact on our wellbeing.
These days, people see hundreds of images daily; consciously and subconsciously influencing our emotions and outlook on life. So how are we, as photographers and editors, affecting people with the images we choose to share?
The above image by Ramon Castillo, received an Honourable Mention in the 2024 Our World is Kind international photo contest, in Ramon’s words,
"This image speaks to the heart of compassion—showing us that kindness can open doors to worlds unseen. The father’s patient guidance embodies the idea that true vision is found in connection, in giving others the tools to express their own inner light.”
As poignant as these words are, this image itself transcends the need for language, showcasing the power of photography.
Envision Kindness has studied the way that people feel before and after viewing images of kindness, love, and care, to have confirmed again and again that these types of images greatly reduce stress, help people feel more positive about life, and treat others with more kindness. Concrete evidence drives seizing this important opportunity to make positive impact through the images we put out into the world.
“My son was very happy with the chicks that came as a surprise during the Easter holidays. He hugged the animals with dedication, which with the soft sunlight, created a warm image that fit the kindness theme well…”
Envision Kindness focus' on using images of kindness and care to help people strengthen their connection to their own humanity and that of others. The organisation has crowdsourced images of people and animals loving, helping, and caring for each other from photographers around the world. The goal is to use these diverse perspectives to drive positivity and connection.
Molly Ferrill, Director of Photography Collaborations at Envision Kindness says;
"We share inspiring and moving images of kindness with people in high-stress environments like hospitals and schools, crafting them into short-form videos that are played in waiting rooms and hallways. We have studied the impact of these videos many times: viewing them decreases stress, irritation, and anxiety in minutes. Behaviour also changes: viewers feel more cared for, and in return they are more likely to be generous and kind to others, such as making a donation to support a needy family. Hospital staff who view the videos also treat each other better. All of this has important consequences for people’s experience of healthcare."
Here is a 2-minute video sample of their media.
Building a community of kindness photographerS
Envision Kindness is always looking for new and inspiring images. To do so they have created two photography programs. The Our World Is Kind photo contest, is an international kindness photography competition that is free to enter and offers multiple prizes.
Beyond any monetary prize, participating photographers know that their images can help inspire people and make the world a bit better. The current contest closes December 15, 2025, offers multiple prizes of up to $2,000 USD.
Their other program, Select Photographers, is an invitation-only group of photographers who see the need for more kindness, peace, and caring in the world. Image makers are invited based on their submissions to the Our World is Kind photo contest.
"We welcome more photographers to join us in the mission to spread kindness through sharing images. The more that people participate, the more we can help people feel better about their lives and act with more kindness to those around them" says Molly Ferrill.
“After being told that my grandmother's cancer was inoperable, my daughter decides to gift her great-grandmother one of her stuffed animals to comfort her.”
"The love and innocence of two, week-old monkeys taking time off from their playing and jumping around and having a quick kiss. We humans should emulate them and spread our love."
"This is a photo of my son, Michael, who gave one of his beloved childhood books on dinosaurs to his nephew, Andy. Michael carefully made an inscription inside the cover of the book and presented it to Andy for Christmas. As Michael began reading the book aloud, Andy leaned in to say "thank you" and their foreheads touched in a tender moment."
Find out more about Envision Kindness - HERE.
