Damion Bankhead – Finding his Purpose in Nature
As part of our Earth Month series, The Connection Between Fitness, Wellness & Outdoor Spaces, we’re highlighting Life Time team members who find renewal and purpose in the outdoors.
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Many people spend their whole lives chasing purpose, but more often than not, it finds us—quietly, unexpectedly—like sunlight slipping through the trees.
As a personal trainer and social media coordinator at Life Time Vestavia Hills, Damion Bankhead’s path hasn’t followed a straight line. His journey took him through many phases—sketching, producing music, serving in the Army, working in law enforcement. Each chapter added depth, resilience, and perspective, but none quite felt like a true reflection of who he was at his core.
For Damion, that light broke through on an ordinary day, with an old camera in hand and no idea how much everything was about to change.
“I grabbed a cheap camera one day, just trying to clear my head—didn’t expect much. But then this little Carolina Wren landed nearby singing like the whole forest was listening.”
He took the shot. And something shifted.
Photo of the Carolina Wren that changed everything.
That spontaneous moment on a simple hike became a turning point. The photo gained attention, and suddenly, what started as a quiet escape became a calling. Damion found himself immersed in the birding community, forming relationships with the Alabama Audubon and having his work published in Amateur Photographer and Alabama the Beautiful. But more than accolades, it was the connection to something deeper—something healing—that took root.
“Nature changed my life. Not just as a photographer, but as a man chasing his purpose.”
For Damion, time in nature is more than a backdrop for beautiful images—it’s therapy. It’s clarity. It’s peace.
“Spending time in nature has helped me in so many ways. It has lowered my stress levels, improved my sleep, and helped me disconnect and reconnect with my mind and body.”
Research backs him up. Exposure to green spaces has been linked to lowered blood pressure, stronger immune systems, improved mood, and better sleep. And for someone who now helps others transform their lives through fitness and movement, Damion sees nature as an essential part of overall wellness.
“I go out chasing God’s art, but I always come back with more clarity. And an indescribable peace.”
That sense of peace is something he wants others to experience too. His photos do more than capture a moment, they tell stories that help people see the beauty around them and within themselves. Whether it’s a bird mid-song, a quiet stream at dawn, or someone simply being themselves in a natural setting, Damion’s photography invites people to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.
But as much as nature has given to Damion, he’s aware of how much it needs us in return.
“We lose more than a football field of natural in every minute in the US. That’s thousands of ecosystems just gone, species vanishing while we mindlessly scroll.”
That statistic weighs heavily on him. It’s why he doesn’t just photograph nature, he advocates for it. He speaks for the birds, the trees, the ecosystems that can’t speak for themselves. He believes access to nature should be a right, not a privilege. And that preserving wild spaces isn’t just an environmental issue but a human one, too.
“I don’t just spend time in nature for the perfect shot. I spend time in nature to learn how to speak for the places and the creatures who can’t. Because we need nature. And right now, nature needs us.”
In his work, both as a trainer and photographer, Damion encourages others to step outside the box, both literally and figuratively. To reconnect with what’s real. To find movement, mindfulness, and meaning outside the gym and beyond the scroll.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about the outdoors. It’s about who we become when we allow the outdoors in—when we let the stillness quiet the noise, the trees teach us to breathe, and the light finds us.
Learn more about Damion and find his work at www.damionbankheadphotography.com