{"id":57498,"date":"2026-07-09T17:43:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcwealthmanagement.com\/en-uk\/?p=57498"},"modified":"2026-07-09T17:43:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T17:43:26","slug":"i-was-a-pioneering-female-engineer-now-im-an-award-winning-wildlife-photographer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcwealthmanagement.com\/en-uk\/insights\/i-was-a-pioneering-female-engineer-now-im-an-award-winning-wildlife-photographer","title":{"rendered":"I was a pioneering female engineer \u2013 now I\u2019m an award-winning wildlife photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What do you do when your body forces you to stop doing the work you love? For Michelle Jackson, the answer wasn\u2019t to slow down \u2013 it was to learn something new. After retiring early from a distinguished career in the rail industry, she became an award-winning wildlife photographer. \u201cLearning all the photographic skills replaced my demanding career, and my brain didn’t have an opportunity to get lazy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson joined British Rail in 1978 as the operator\u2019s first female trainee engineer, designing locomotives like the Class 91 before moving on to the interior design of passenger cars. She and her family moved to Australia when she was headhunted for a project director role overseeing several major train projects in New South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There, and in Victoria, she spent 24 years working in the industry, but when her hearing deteriorated, Jackson chose to retire at 56, and she and her family moved back to the UK in 2018. She bought her first DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera at the age of 61, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and joined a friendly photography group that arranged walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt first, I had my camera on automatic; I didn\u2019t know how to do anything else,\u201d she laughs. She then signed up to two online courses \u2013 including one to learn editing software. Initially, due to lockdown restrictions, she focused on photographing what she could around the house, such as still-life and close-up shots, but as normality resumed, she started to learn about wildlife photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Your third quarter<\/a> is the chapter where your focus moves from striving to choosing \u2013 when you have the resources, the perspective and the experience to make the choices that matter to you.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Taking photography seriously<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Her breakthrough moment came during a post-COVID-19 trip to the Isle of Mull, where she saw golden eagles and sea eagles for the first time. She started entering competitions and won second place in the 2022 Society of International Nature & Wildlife Photographers\u2019 Bird Photographer of the Year category with a golden eagle shot taken on the Scottish island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where my wildlife passion kicked into place,\u201d she beams. \u201cIt made me believe that this was something that I could do; something that I could be proud of and that was the turning point when I really started to take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson achieved her associate level with the Royal Photographic Society in 2024 and is in the process of submitting her application for Fellowship. Her observation skills, honed during her engineering career, have seamlessly transferred to photography and she takes all her shots in manual mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Photo: Michelle Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of spending time outdoors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although her wildlife photography career didn\u2019t take off until after retirement, she\u2019d always loved the outdoors. \u201cPhotography makes you slow down, breathe and take in the environment,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s good for my wellbeing and happiness \u2013 I can lose myself and forget those everyday worries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have always loved the arts, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s photography or taking up watercolours out in the countryside \u2013 getting outside and doing something creative brings immense benefits to anybody. Photography did it for me; it replaced my career, but finding something else which challenges you and allows you to continue learning and developing is just as important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But why is that cognitive stimulation so crucial? And when it comes to creative pursuits like photography, what\u2019s going on \u201cunder the hood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why artistic pursuits are good for us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jackson’s experience isn\u2019t unique. There\u2019s a growing body of research suggesting that taking part in artistic activities can help us age better. A major government-commissioned review undertaken for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport in 2024 found that arts engagement improves mental and physical health, reduces depression, pain and frailty, and may lower healthcare use, supporting overall wellbeing and healthier ageing.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daisy Fancourt<\/a>, co-author of the research, professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at UCL, and author of the new book Art Cure<\/em>, suggests that engaging in creative activities \u2013 such as doing arts and crafts, reading, playing musical instruments and attending cultural events and performances \u2013 builds \u201ccognitive reserve:\u201d the brain’s resilience against cognitive decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure photography has been beneficial to me, both getting out actively with my camera and when I\u2019m editing pictures \u2013 I find it very relaxing,\u201d says Jackson. \u201cI don\u2019t have deadlines and targets like you do when you’re working \u2013 the pressure’s no longer there \u2013 but I needed stimulus.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Photo: Michelle Jackson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another academic researching the impact of art on later living is Dr Julia Basso<\/a>, assistant professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech and director of the Embodied Brain Lab. Her lab explores the body-brain connection and how art forms such as dance can impact brain function, mental health and social connections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research suggests our brain ages more slowly when we engage in creative activities. That\u2019s not metaphorical \u2013 it\u2019s measurable. A 2025 study scanning the brains of nearly 1,500 people worldwide found that those who danced, made music, created visual art, or even played video games, showed younger brain patterns than their sedentary peers.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we age, neurodegeneration occurs in regions of the brain responsible for short-term and long-term memory, as well as socio-emotional processes. They undergo cell loss and literally shrink in volume \u2013 but according to Dr Basso,<\/strong> these same regions are also the most responsive to positive change, and physical activity can increase neurogenesis \u2013 the formation of new cells in the brain and wider nervous system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s not just the physical activity itself, says Dr Basso. \u201cWhen it comes to art, the reflection afterwards also seems very important in terms of neural engagement. It\u2019s something we do with dance and art often \u2013 there\u2019s a talk back; a moment to digest it. It’s a time of emotional understanding and emotional cognitive integration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creativity is an important tool for emotional regulation. Jackson, for example, finds that photography helps clear her mind of unhelpful thoughts. \u201cI won’t say it’s stress, but you worry about your kids, even when they’re in their 20s and 30s,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhen I\u2019m out with my camera, those worries are in the background. Even when I\u2019m sitting at the computer post-processing, I\u2019m 100% concentrating on what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How art can make us more social<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back at the Embodied Brain Lab, Basso and her team are exploring whether there are greater benefits to participating in activities as a group, such as community arts or playing in an orchestra, over painting or practising an instrument alone. \u201cAnytime you’re engaged in more social activity and you\u2019re with others, you’re going to have more stimulation in your brain\u2019s reward pathway \u2013 which controls your ability to feel pleasure \u2013 so, there will be differences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any cognitive stimulation \u2013 whether with peers or alone \u2013 beats watching TV or doom scrolling though, she concedes. Just don\u2019t overwhelm the system too quickly. \u201cDig into one thing initially, and get yourself embedded in a community,\u201d she advises. \u201cMaybe a class or two a week \u2013 and explore from there. Start small and then build.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about Michelle Jackson, <\/strong>visit her website<\/strong><\/a>. To learn more about Dr Julia C. Basso’s work, visit <\/strong>The Embodied Brain Laboratory website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Artistic pursuits like Jackson’s often come with a financial cost. But the right financial structure can give you the freedom to explore it fully. Talk to us about building the life you want into your wealth plan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Campbell, Denis. \u201cConsuming Arts and Culture Is Good for Health and Wellbeing, Research Finds.\u201d The Guardian<\/em>, Guardian News and Media, 17 Dec. 2024, www.theguardian.com\/society\/2024\/dec\/17\/consuming-arts-and-culture-is-good-for-health-and-wellbeing-research-finds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. \u201cInternational Study Shows Creative Experiences Delay Brain Aging.\u201d Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin<\/em>, www.tcd.ie\/news_events\/articles\/2025\/international-study-shows-creative-experiences-delay-brain-aging\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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