A Focus on Fun for Everyone

by David Von Hatten

Author David Von Hatten often uses a tripod for taking photos. Photo by Rita Garcia

I've been shooting pictures since the day I received my first 35mm camera in 1980. Today, whether it's flowers, landscapes, people, sunsets or sporting events, there's still something curiously magical about capturing a moment, a mood, a feeling on film. Perhaps it's the creative outlet that inspires me. Or perhaps I simply lose myself in my tiny 35mm canvas, forgetting that, aside from being a shutterbug, I have another bug, SMA type 3.

It never occurred to me, however, to let my condition stop me from pursuing my hobby. I'm hard-pressed to think of a reason why you couldn't enjoy photography as well. How? With equipment that's right for you, creative problem solving, practice and a sense of adventure.

This article will introduce you to seven other photographers with neuromuscular diseases who take striking photographs. Along the way you'll read ideas on what equipment to look for and how to adapt photography to your needs.

Angelo Sciulli of Lancaster, S.C., has a form of ALS and a masterful eye for nature photography. Though able to hand-hold his camera, Sciulli adapted a walking stick to serve as a monopod (a one-legged device used to hold a camera securely). He then conveniently attached the monopod to his walker.

His photography adventures have taken him to British Columbia, Yellowstone, New England, Alaska and points beyond. Sciulli's work is currently featured in a traveling exhibit that's designed to raise ALS awareness.

In the exhibit, "each of the images has a corresponding statement relating it to ALS or my personal battle with the disease," Sciulli says. That presentation, sometimes offered with humor, has proved effective. "Visitors stay and read the statements."

For example, the caption for the photograph of a grizzly bear taken in British Columbia reads: "One of the unwritten rules of bear photography is that you don't need to be the fastest person, just faster than the slowest. Obviously to continue to do nature photography requires alternative methods.

Robert McLemore has a monopod attached to his wheelchair tray. Photo by David Von Hatten

"Similarly, patients with ALS continually have to find alternative methods to do even everyday tasks such as eating and getting dressed. In my case I cannot outrun a rock. I have found that carrying a can of spray cheese and spraying it liberally on my associates, should a bear charge, levels the playing field."

You can see examples of Sciulli's work online at www.scnature.com.

Whether you're shooting pictures for a few minutes or a few hours, arm fatigue is something you can do without. That's why Sciulli switched from a Nikon camera system to Canon's to take advantage of the lightweight equipment.

Aside from camera features, camera weight is one of the most important considerations you'll face when shopping for a camera. Fortunately, lightweight cameras can be found in 35mm, APS (advanced photo system) and digital formats. Which one's right for you? That depends on your budget and abilities.

Many lightweight cameras on the market help combat arm fatigue.

Disposable cameras are the least expensive and among the lightest, weighing only a few ounces. Those with high-speed film (400 or 800 ASA) and/or built-in flashes typically provide crisp, colorful results in most lighting conditions. They're available for $10 or less.

For even sharper pictures without sacrificing camera weight, pocket-sized point-and-shoot cameras work well. Prices start at $35 for non-zoom cameras and may go up to $300 for long-zoom models.

The feature-packed Minolta Freedom Zoom 150 35mm camera, for instance, weighs only 7 ounces and costs about $225. I prefer the versatility of my SLR (single lens reflex) camera, a Canon Rebel 2000, which weighs in at less than 13 ounces (at $330). SLRs with manual focus go for about $200, and the auto-focus versions from $280 up to more than $1,000.

To know which camera is right for you, try some out at a photo store, or go online to see a camera's specifications.

Von Hatten demonstrates one way to support a camera — by propping his elbows on his knees.

But what if your neuromuscular disease makes it impossible to hold even the lightest camera on the market up to your eyes?

Ben Mathews of Metairie, La., has contended with that reality. Mathews, who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, comes from a family of photographers and enjoys the hobby so much he figured out ways to shoot.

For years Mathews shot pictures using a monopod. To make the process even easier, a friend of his made a metal sleeve that held the monopod and was clamped to Mathews' scooter so his camera was always at the proper eye level for shooting pictures.

These days, Mathews, who has donated work to the MDA Art Collection, uses a Yashica point-and-shoot camera with a specialized prism viewfinder. He simply rests the camera on his lap, looks down into the viewfinder and snaps pictures with ease.

A common problem among amateur photographers is blurry pictures caused by camera movement. To avoid fuzzy shots you need proper arm support to provide greater stability. The correct arm support even reduces fatigue.

If you use a wheelchair, one way to gain arm support without having to lug extra equipment around is to raise your armrest(s) to a comfortable level that provides you with the most stability. For me, a few notches above the usual setting on my left armrest works perfectly.

Boise, Idaho's Connie Prater loves outdoor photography. In fact, she's been at it for over 20 years. As with Mathews, Prater's parents were photographers.

Von Hatten often raises one armrest of his wheelchair to provide arm support while he's taking pictures.

Prater, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, enjoys taking pictures from the passenger seat of her car. To stabilize her camera, particularly on windy days, Prater rests her camera on the car door. She says, "I love to shoot from roadsides. My favorite photo was taken one early morning of aspen trees while camping in Colorado."

Prater also enjoys capturing memories of Boise's foothills, either from her balcony or from other unique vantage points such as the top floors of parking garages. One of her photos is a part of MDA's Art Collection.

To steady her shots, Prater also uses a 9-inch tripod placed on a flat shooting surface. Priced from $15 on up, these three-legged devices serve incredibly well to hold a camera securely. Tripods are especially useful if you have difficulty holding a camera for long periods of time. If you use a wheelchair, a tripod can be cumbersome to set up, however.

The ErgoRest Multipod, for about $85, is a tripod that attaches to your car window or door. See www.matsnilson.com/eng.

If you'd rather not purchase a tripod, try using your body as a support by tucking your elbows in toward your chest while shooting pictures. Or consider placing a large camera bag, beanbag or pillow on your lap and using it as a support for your arms. Rest your elbows on the pillow as you hold your camera up to your eyes.

If you're still getting blurred shots, most 35mm SLR cameras will let you set your shutter speed to a higher setting, minimizing the problem.

George Donahue uses a tripod or monopod (bracing it between his knees) for stability, or rests his elbows on his knees as he cradles the camera. He's an avid photographer from Watertown, Mass., who's also MDA's 2002 National Personal Achievement Award recipient.

Donahue, who has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, uses his manual wheelchair to his advantage when shooting pictures. "Since I am in a wheelchair things appear differently," he notes. His photos reflect his unique perspective.

Patience also seems to be high on Donahue's list for shooting great pictures. Recently, while photographing beautiful apple blossoms, he noticed a busy little bumblebee buzzing about. He focused in on a flower and waited 20 minutes for the pollen-hungry creature to land on it. It did so, but the shot wasn't quite right, so Donahue came back the next day with a tripod and zoom lens and waited for that perfect shot.

Guess what? He got it. His persistence often pays off.

Last year Donahue won third place for amateur photography at the Armenian Library of America in Watertown and has other awards to his name.

Much like Donahue's tripod, monopods can be secured so that you don't have to hold a camera at all. Robert McLemore of Houston, who has cerebral palsy, uses a customized monopod that attaches to his wheelchair's lap tray and holds his camera at the right eye level for picture taking. McLemore can then easily push the button on the cable release that's attached to his Pentax point-and-shoot camera.

A cable release screws into your camera's shutter release button on one end. On the other end of the cable, which is usually a foot or more in length, is a bigger, easy-to-press shutter release button that makes photography a breeze.

Stephen Blankenship of Durant, Okla., uses a cable release device when shooting landscapes. He notes that it's much easier to press a cable release with your thumb than to press the shutter release button on your camera with your index finger. Blankenship should know. He's been shooting pictures for many years and worked in a photography studio for 14 years.

"I've probably printed over 200,000 prints," Blankenship says.

While he hasn't made any equipment modifications, Blankenship, who has FSH muscular dystrophy, suggests buying an inexpensive monopod to rest between your legs while sitting in your wheelchair. If the monopod's too tall, Blankenship says, "Simply have someone saw the monopod off to the right height and apply duct tape to cover its jagged edges."

Currently, Blankenship's landscape and still life photographs are hanging in a gallery in Durant. He loves "creating images that somebody looks at and says, ‘Wow.'"

Lynn Upton agrees. "There's an excitement in getting good pictures, trying something new and developing a new skill," she says.

Upton hails from El Segundo, Calif., where she enjoys taking pictures while walking along the sandy shores. These days, however, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease has made it more difficult for her to do so.

Upton solved that problem creatively by purchasing a 75mm-to-300mm zoom lens that allows her to shoot from a pier but still get the effect of being on the beach. It comes in handy when she's shooting action pictures of her 14-year-old son, Tracy, as he surfs, or of her other son, Chris, 12, when he's swinging a bat at a baseball park.

She notes that photography is "a great creative outlet. It's very possible for people with disabilities to use a camera, and I would encourage people to try it and see if it's something they might enjoy." Upton's skills have improved so much that she occasionally sells her images to parents of other players on her son's baseball team.

While Upton hasn't had to adapt her camera, she finds that a tripod or flat shooting surface helps greatly because arm fatigue can occur after she shoots for long periods.

Renee Granade knows a thing or two about selling photographs. For the last three years, Granade, who has SMA type 3, has sold her own line of greeting cards. Her subjects? Cuddly Persian kittens.

Granade uses a point-and-shoot Minolta camera that has auto-focus and zoom lens features. To get the best possible shots, Granade uses a tripod and a cable release. The latter particularly helps because it can be difficult to press her camera's shutter release button. These adjustments also free her up to concentrate on the picture.

If your camera doesn't have a screw mount on the bottom for a tripod or cable release capability (check your shutter release button), or if you have trouble pressing the shutter without getting blurry pictures, all isn't lost. Most new cameras come equipped with handy self-timers.

Simply press the shutter release and the camera's timer begins its countdown, giving you approximately 10 seconds to set up your shot while holding the camera steadily with two hands before the shutter snaps automatically. This feature is especially helpful for me when I'm shooting in cold weather, when the dexterity and strength in my fingers diminish greatly.

Granade sometimes gets a hand from a friend, especially when shots need to be taken from ground level. She simply directs the friend as to how she wants the shot framed. Granade says, "Everybody's physical limitations are different. They just need to explore and get creative."

One of Granade's photos is part of the MDA Art Collection. Her card line, KatiRée Persians + One, is sold in Edmonds, Wash., where she lives. Though she had no intention of starting her own greeting card collection, she admits, "It's about being adventurous and trying new things."