My future photography is bleary and uncertain, as is the future of various aspects of the photography community as many websites shut down their blogs, others just wither away, etc.  Maybe I should also let this blog set and go dark.  For now I’m just going to let it drift without frequent new posts while I look for something different to do, different scenes or different styles or different equipment, or … whatever.

But first understand that the end isn’t coming.  Things are just changing.  They always change.  My concern is how do I change, and do I have the time and energy to pursue a change.  Most of us lose the ability to change as we get older and approach the end of life.  My challenge is to make the most of these changes, even if they are all deemed to be a steep decay in the way of life as we remember it, and figure out a way to depict these changes with the energy I have left.

I played with the settings on my Ricoh WG-80 camera as I walked down to therapy.  It was raining on my trip home and I didn’t take any pictures.

This afternoon I will be making pictures (with a different camera) of the participants in the Music and Comedy show during their dress rehearsal.

Colors are starting to arrive so I went walking with my Pentax while looking to see what I could find.

Given the few things available for me to photograph and the cameras and lenses I have, I am still trying to figure just what I’m going to do in the future. All things change.  That is the nature of life.  I’m also photographing an upcoming event here at Homewood as well as taking therapy for my physical issues, and I’m waiting until after the event and my therapy to decide on the nature of my future photography.

Soon after I retired, long ago, I had a severe problem with vertigo and dizziness and was found to have a rather sudden case of vestibular hypofunction, but they never pinned down the cause.  After many months, I slowly became able to compensate for it and returned to functioning almost normally; but, many years later, I still have the vestibular problem.

My current situation is that aging has brought on conditions which slowly decrease my ability to deal with the loss of my vestibular functioning; i.e. my abilities to compensate with my eyes, legs, and feet.  These losses are important when working in “photo mode”, especially for someone with vestibular hypofunction.  In my situation, I am referring to “photo mode” as the action of continually swinging my head and turning my body while I scan with my eyes while walking, often on uneven surfaces or among people who are moving around me, as I concentrate on potential images.  These aspects are crucial in walking and continuing to look around to catch photogenic happenings such as in events or on walks.  I have had several close calls of losing my balance and almost falling with my camera in my hands as I move and look around.  Fortunately, I recovered quickly enough, so far.

Since I cannot continue to take chances of falling and injuring myself, I have entered into a program of therapy to help me deal with my conditions.  There is no cure, but I hope to slow down the effects of aging.  Fortunately, we have therapy right here on campus that is provided by Functional Pathways.  They are very good.  While medicine adds days to life, their occupational therapy adds life to my days.  In my case they are working diligently with me to help keep me functioning to continue taking pictures around Homewood.

The above are also reasons that have forced me to see what I can do photographically with the small rugged, easy to carry pocket cameras.  I have already dropped one of them with no harm to the camera.  Since the camera is carried in my pocket I am learning to slow down and stop to look around, and then take out the camera to make a photo during my walks; but, I can’t work that way during events among continual activity.  I need to use bigger, faster, and heavier cameras and lenses and have them in my hands ready to capture images during the events.  I will have to wait and see how much the therapy helps me and then make a decision as to if or when I will have to stop photographing events.