From the Photographer’s Perspective

Fascinated by the field of neuroaestethics (the intersection of neuroscience and art), Jack Coughlin, MD, PhD, has been taking photographs since he was in high school. In this presentation, Jack will take the audience on a journey through the difference between looking and seeing; lines, shapes, textures and colors; and the emotional connections people make with images of the natural world.

Some of Jack’s favorite photos are featured in the “Birds of a Feather” exhibition in the Coastal Ecology Center Gallery, on display July 1 through August 16, 2026. His image “Reflected Elegance” graces the cover of the Wells Reserve’s Summer 2026 Watermark newsletter.

About the Presenter

Dr. Jack Coughlin’s interest in nature began in elementary school; his passion for photography started in high school. Those interests continued through college, where he majored in biology and chemistry, then through graduate study in biology and time as a biology faculty member at Boston College. Later training in psychiatry, neurochemistry, and internal medicine deepened Jack’s understanding of how we perceive and appreciate the natural world. His photographs have been featured by the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, Kennebunk Land Trust, Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, and the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.