Greetings from a legally blind photographer in NE PA.

[legally blind]

Hello, my name is Michael and I am legally blind. That means that my eyesight is worse than 20/200 corrected.

I lost my a majority of my eyesight a few years ago due to diabetic complications, I am a type I diabetic.

Before loosing my eyesight, I had a strong interest in photography, and after loosing my eyesight I learned to use photography as a way to see the world around me.

Over the last semester at college -- I am majoring in Psychology, I have been taking a 35mm black and white film photography class and I have been able to use what I learned in the past to enable me to complete the entire photographic process without assistance.

While I currently do not have one area in which I specialize, a large portion of my current work is within the realm of still life.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Hello and a warm welcome to APUG.

Jeff

 

[Zewrak]

Hello and welcome.
I saw a short documentary about a legally blind photographer that painted with light. I was intruiged by his way to see things.

I wonder, what makes you use photography as your media? I am always impressed by people that "use" their handicap to create stuff and I am curious what makes these guys to chose the, what seem to be, hardest way to express themselves.

 

[legally blind]

Jeff and Zewrak, thank you for the welcome.
In my case, I was interesting in photography quite a few years before loosing my eyesight. I simply became much more serious about photography after losing my eyesight.

When I lost my eyesight, I gained lots of free time and the opportunity to deeply explore two of my interests psychology and photography.
I began working towards a degree in psychology, with hopes to return to work using my mind instead of the manual labor I was performing prior to becoming disabled. I then felt that since photography was something that I was interested in for such a long time -- 20+ years, that I would take it upon myself to become formally educated in the art as a part of my re-education.

I also find photography to be therapeutic, as it gives me the temporary relief I need from many of my challenges. While creating a photo, I only have to deal with the specific challenges involved with that photo, instead of 1,000's of random challenges coming from all directions.

 

[Diapositivo]

Hallo Michael

 

[bdial]

Welcome Michael!

I'd like to hear more about how you approach photography with limited sight. It's something I've thought about for a long time, but haven't had to actually face.

Do you have any examples of your work on-line?

 

[fotch]

Hello legally blind and welcome to APUG.

 

[David Lyga]

'Legally blind': Please do not blame me if you happen to see (in the sense of 'perceive') things better than most. Sometimes it just happens that way. - David Lyga

 

[SuzanneR]

Welcome to APUG, and best wishes with your endeavors with photography and psychology.

 

[Chazzy]

Welcome to APUG, Michael, and good luck with your photography.

 

[daleeman]

Welcome to Apug.

I / We hope you find a great source of encouragement here. I also hope you continously enlighten us who already frequent this discussion board with new insights on how photography touches you and us too.

Lee

 

[ColdEye]

Greetings, I would love to see some of your pictures. I too love Psychology, I have my Bachelors and I am now working towards an MA. Best of luvk to your endeavors.

Ranie

 

[rjbuzzclick]

Welcome. I too would love to see some of your work. I work in audio and several years ago did a theatrical sound design for a show that was intended for a primarily hearing impaired audience. It caused me to rethink my design process considerably. I would be interested to see how the sight that you do have affects your photographic vision.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Welcome to APUG!

And good luck with your studies. I'm an adult student myself and find it excitingly refreshing to go to school with an adult perspective on things.

 

[vpwphoto]

I am 20/1600 uncorrected... with few retinal detachments too.... I wonder where I will be at 65?!?!?

 

[mooseontheloose]

Welcome to Apug Michael! Like the others, I'd be interested in seeing your work.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Welcome to APUG!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Welcome to APUG!

Steve

 

[papagene]

Michael - hello and welcome to APUG. Glad to have you amongst us.

 

[daleeman]

Michael,
Was thinking about you North East PA. area you are from and I remembered I was up your way in the fall to Ricketts Glen with some other APUGers. I have one image in my gallery from your backyard (maybe) (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Enjoy! Hope to see some of you photos soon.
Lee

 

[Whiteymorange]

Hi Legally,

I too am interested in seeing your work. My wife works at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown MA and the staff there has had many discussions of blind photographers. Perception is more than acute vision, and I'm always trying to push at the edges of perception. I'd love to experience your take on it.

 

[legally blind]

Thank you for the warm greeting!
I was a very busy with classes the last few days, sorry that was not able to get back to everyone sooner.

When I take photographs, I either think about what I would want to see if I could, how I envision something of being and trying to duplicate it, or what I want to remember if my eyesight should ever be completely gone.

I really do not have much of my work online at this point, I have a Flickr account under legally blind, and I recently started uploading a few of my photos into it --only two are there right now.

Daleeman, I can not look at your photo. According to APUG, I do not permission to view that page.
I live about 2hrs from Rickets Glen. From what I have seen, it is a place I would really enjoy visiting.