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06-09-2018, 08:40 PM   #1
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Shooting with a Physical Disability

Hi Pentaxians! What do you do to overcome physical limitations so you can still keep photographing? I recently injured my knee and cannot walk without crutches, and even that is difficult. I don't just want to sit in a chair with a zoom lens, but I'm feeling pretty limited at the moment. Share your stories about ways you've overcome limitations or had interesting experiences *because* of a limitation.

06-09-2018, 09:04 PM - 2 Likes   #2
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I've not experienced this, however I imagine you would benefit from using a monopod. It would take the strain of the camera weight from you, however using crutches and a monopod could be a challenge... When you mention you can't walk without difficulty on crutches, do you just avoid walking and suck it up when you have to, or have you other methods of moving about? I may be badly remembering things, but I believe @csa; was laid up for a bit and had to come up with a creative solution for photography, or maybe it was someone else? Hope you heel up soon and are good to go full on photo taking. Cheers

Last edited by bertwert; 06-09-2018 at 09:26 PM.
06-09-2018, 09:13 PM - 1 Like   #3
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Steve McCurry only has the use of one hand.

While I can't give specific advice but adapt and overcome.

Try to make use of a tripod maybe?

Also the mindset to get it right the first time might help. Become methodological about the shots you take.

The power of observation is your friend. I'm not saying any injury is good but it could cause you to be much more thoughtful and mental about what you do.

I've told this story here before but a friend of mine was an old school photographer for NAT Geo back in the day.

After an around the world trip that took months the editor met him at the airport anxiously waiting for the film so he could get it developed.

My friend wound up the roll that was in the camera and handed it over.

Boy did he ever hear it. He got cussed for the next hour.

In the end though he got 3 or 4 shots from a single roll of not even finished 36 exposure film published in National Geographic.

Quality over quantity.
06-09-2018, 09:19 PM - 1 Like   #4
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I had hip replacement surgery last year, so my mobility was severely limited for a few weeks. I could walk but couldn't go on long walks our out to my regular shooting area. It gave me time to work on macro photography again. I could do a lot of it sitting, or standing. Helped a lot that the camera was mounted on tripod, so I didn't have to lug it around. Spent a good amount of time photographing objects around the house.

06-10-2018, 08:20 AM - 2 Likes   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by thepurplehornet Quote
Hi Pentaxians! What do you do to overcome physical limitations so you can still keep photographing? I recently injured my knee and cannot walk without crutches, and even that is difficult. I don't just want to sit in a chair with a zoom lens, but I'm feeling pretty limited at the moment. Share your stories about ways you've overcome limitations or had interesting experiences *because* of a limitation.
If you like to photograph architecture, museums, and other indoor spaces, consider a walker rather than crutches. Attach the camera to your walker using a clamp.I found this on a search for "camera clamp" and have no experience with it, just one possibility as you research: Manfrotto Virtual Reality Super Clamp M035VRUS B&H Photo Video

There have been other discussions of the topic. Search around the forum and I hope you find something that works for you.
06-10-2018, 08:44 AM - 4 Likes   #6
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I've been thinking about this a little bit. So many photographers have a tendency to embrace speed. They want to run around in a way like they have ADD unable to focus on one thing for more than 3 minutes. When their AF doesn't work fast enough, their airplane doesn't fly fast enough, their Internet is slow, their Cel phone only has two bars...

The point is people are trained to want results "right now".

The problem is lots of things don't work fast, but they do work.

Nobody plays golf going "I finished in just over an hour!" like that's a badge of honor. One hour but they shot it in 126 strokes.

Painting pictures sometimes takes years.

I would argue that photography falls into this category too. The click of the shutter is fast, but everything up to that is not fast.

If you are observant, pay attention to detail, look at the light, premeditate where you will be and so forth a whole lot of photos will be right in front of you.

You might not ski up to a mountain bluff or get a shot while scuba diving but there is a whole lot more turf to cover than just that.

Able bodied or not the really good photographers will discover genres that they excel at and go with it.
06-10-2018, 09:40 AM - 3 Likes   #7
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PF member Swift1 has been battling ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease for the last ten years.
If anything limited mobility has probably made photography more important in his life.

Be sure to read Colton's posts and view his images.
They are exquisite and an inspiration to us all.

Chris

06-10-2018, 10:50 AM - 1 Like   #8
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In conjunction with the tripod, the built in timer, or a remote release are immensely helpful if you are at all shaky or off balance.
06-10-2018, 02:22 PM - 2 Likes   #9
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In the last few years, I have been developing a tremor in my right hand. It's been increasing lately and has spread into my leg as well. I have been on several medications, unsuccessfully for the last year but my neurologist switched me to a Carbidopa/Levodopa medication used for treating parkinson's disease and that is helping a lot. The tremor had reached a point where I needed to bump the ISO and shutter speed up in normal shooting to compensate for the tremoring. I suppose among us who are in their sixties and older this is more of a common issue. I also find that using a monopod with my heaviest lenses, DA*200 and especially DA*300 helps. What I am not sure of is whether I should turn SR off when using a monopod. In any case I have decided that the DA*300 will remain my largest lens and I can re-discover using my limited primes. Going too small can also be a problem. My hand tremors have also made taking videos with my iPhone more difficult too.
I would be very interested to hear back from any forum members who have any movement disorders such as parkinson's disease, essential tremors or ALS as to how they manage photography with their conditions. Photography is something I want to do more of, lot less of, due to a physical limitation.
Thank you purple hornet for starting this thread and I wish you the best in manage your condition.
06-10-2018, 02:48 PM - 2 Likes   #10
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no solutions

some thoughts though, hopefully they can help someone come up with a useable idea or two

1 jury rigging a small tripod or monopod which instead of being placed on the ground it is balanced against your chest or leg and used to support your camera leaving your hands free. I have also seen somewhere a belt pouch where a support might be placed

2 someone mentioned the use of a walker. I have seen some which have a seat built into it so the person using it could use it as a portable seat

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Drive-Medical-Rollator-Rolling-Walker-with-6-Whee...e3dd949fd96427

3 here is a link to images of golf umbrellas with their own seat


golf umbrella seat combo - Bing images

golf umbrella seat combo - Bing

you use it as a brace

4 friends helping out a friend perhaps


good luck and thanks for being an example to us all
06-10-2018, 09:50 PM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by thepurplehornet Quote
Hi Pentaxians! What do you do to overcome physical limitations so you can still keep photographing? I recently injured my knee and cannot walk without crutches, and even that is difficult. I don't just want to sit in a chair with a zoom lens, but I'm feeling pretty limited at the moment. Share your stories about ways you've overcome limitations or had interesting experiences *because* of a limitation.
A very good friend of mine, sadly now shuffled off to that great Photoshop in the sky, one of the best photographers I have known, was also a paraplegic from a run in with Polio.
He shot almost everything from the front seat of his Dodge minivan.
One thing he never did was feel sorry for himself or allow his "limitation" to get the best of him.
You can see his online portfolio here:
Brian Schneider?s albums | Flickr
06-10-2018, 10:10 PM - 1 Like   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
A very good friend of mine, sadly now shuffled off to that great Photoshop in the sky, one of the best photographers I have known, was also a paraplegic from a run in with Polio.
He shot almost everything from the front seat of his Dodge minivan.
One thing he never did was feel sorry for himself or allow his "limitation" to get the best of him.
You can see his online portfolio here:
Brian Schneider?s albums | Flickr
Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing Brian's Flickr. Nice portfolio of work.
06-10-2018, 10:19 PM - 1 Like   #13
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Gary Chalker (Ducatigaz) doesn't have any disability as far as I know, (unless taking exquisite bird images is a disability), but he takes a lot of images sitting in his car, using a mount attached to his car window (or windowsill??) You will find his work at the 300mm+ thread.
06-11-2018, 12:13 AM - 4 Likes   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by david94903 Quote
Sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing Brian's Flickr. Nice portfolio of work.
He was an amazing photographer. I first met him through a friend something like 45 years ago. This little guy on crutches who was able to move faster on them than most people could run. Always had a couple of really bashed up Leica rangefinders around his neck. They would swing around and get whacked by his crutches. Amazingly tough little cameras.
Later in life, after a couple of falls he ended up being confined to a wheelchair, he spent the last 20 years of his life in one.

He was one of the first people I knew who took up digital, partly because he could no longer stand up to make wet prints, partly because it was a brand new technology to explore. He initially scanned negatives with an HP Photosmart scanner. He used Photoshop from version one when it came out in the late 1980s.
He moved from the Leicas to Pentax, and then to Nikon, Canon and eventually Panasonic and Olympus.

He was the one who got me interested in Pentax. I was using Nikon, and getting increasingly dissatisfied with the brand. I was using an F3, and not really liking it because of the viewfinder, and a 50 f/1.2 that literally fell apart in my hands didn't improve my mood, and was looking at the F4, and not really liking it either. Nikon was moving away from what i wanted into great big monster cameras that shot postage stamp sized negatives. He talked me into looking at the LX, and I was hooked. It was exactly what i wanted in a camera. As he was moving away from Pentax and towards Nikon because of a business decision by his employer, I ended up buying a lot of his lenses. I got some very good glass for next to nothing from him.

Sorry, that's probably pretty boring, but it felt kinda good to get it out.

Last edited by Wheatfield; 06-11-2018 at 06:34 AM.
06-12-2018, 12:50 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by bertwert Quote
I've not experienced this, however I imagine you would benefit from using a monopod. It would take the strain of the camera weight from you, however using crutches and a monopod could be a challenge... When you mention you can't walk without difficulty on crutches, do you just avoid walking and suck it up when you have to, or have you other methods of moving about? I may be badly remembering things, but I believe @csa; was laid up for a bit and had to come up with a creative solution for photography, or maybe it was someone else? Hope you heel up soon and are good to go full on photo taking. Cheers
Yeah, I avoid walking at all costs unless I have to. And that's usually just to get from one place to another. House to car, car to office. Carrying anything is impossible unless I have a backpack that I can later pull out while seated. So I don't think a monopod would work in this instance. But maybe a foldling monopod? I dunno. I'm still working through the options.

---------- Post added 06-12-18 at 12:53 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by rod_grant Quote
Gary Chalker (Ducatigaz) doesn't have any disability as far as I know, (unless taking exquisite bird images is a disability), but he takes a lot of images sitting in his car, using a mount attached to his car window (or windowsill??) You will find his work at the 300mm+ thread.
Thanks Gary! It's good to know car photos and creative workarounds are more common than we might think.
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