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Paralyzed Photographer
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How to take photos while being almost completely paralyzed?
Some disadvantages:
- Not able to hold and control the camera in your hands
- Not able to look through the viewfinder
- Not able to get a good look at a fixed display (viewfinder LCD)
- Not able to move to the perfect picture spot
- Not able to be at the right place at the right time
- Not able to move anything around in a photo studio
- Having a low physical contition, weak voice, strange appearance.
- Limited time and energy
It seems to be impossible!
On this page I'll write about how I do it, but there may be other ways.
Taking photos proved to be very difficult at first, not having a digital camera. (1998) I made some photographic portraits with a help of Peep Papa. But with analog film I had too little control, it took a lot of time, I needed a great lot of hard-to-get help, and was pretty expensive also. Frustrating all together, so I kind of quit.
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 But in the beginning of 2006 I got my first digital camera: the Sony DSC-R1, the only photo camera at that time that had good image quality (10MP, RAW, medium size image sensor, very good lens, manual controls), a life view LCD monitor that can face in just about any direction, and the option to connect a remote to control the shutter. Kees Meinardi made a construction for me. With that I can see the LCD monitor, and "push the button" (moving my shoulder moves my arm against a force amplifying lever that presses on the button of a remote control). By driving my chin controlled wheelchair, I can point the camera. The horizon is level as long as the ground is level.
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I still need help, of course, everything is still very limited, but this construction gave me just enough control to start with photography again.
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Down here, 6 examples of photo's I made this way:
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Check out the photos I made so far, in my Photography gallery
There are better (and much more expensive) camera's that I would like to use, like full frame SLRs or medium format digital cameras (before the accident, I worked with the analogue Pentax 6x7). But these higher quality digital cameras are near-impossible for me to work with, because they don't offer good life view, and lack a LCD monitor/viewfinder that can be faced towards my eyes.
There are some good cameras that can be wire-remote controled by a computer. That would give me much more control over the camera, but I would have to place a head controlled computer on my wheelchair... That just ain't practical. Too bulky, complex, expensive.
Good news on the horizon though: photo cameras are slowly turning into very high quality HD movie cameras. To make good use of the movie option, everybody needs:
- a monitor (display) that is of high quality, and can tilt/swivel in "any" angle.
- life view as standard (with auto-focus), not as an extra. No more mirror reflect.
And that is exactly what I need!
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NEW PHOTO-TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Two examples that can be very useful to paralyzed photographers:
- The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. No mirror, great life view, swivel display.
- The Sony 5-inch CLM-V55 clip-on LCD. Large swivel display for life view, fits on cameras that have life view and HDMI out.
LINKS to other paralyzed photographers:
John Geven. I guess a spinal cord injury C5/6. BIG fancy photo studio.
Peter Verzendaal. Spinal cord injury C5/6.
Please let me know if you know about others who are into photography while being almost completely paralyzed. Someone who does is not able to use his/her vingers, or worse.
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