Losing my vision, request advice

I'm a photographer who, because of Lupus, has had to stop my professional work these past three years. But I still shoot fine art and some portrait work now that I'm feeling better, just when I feel good. Here's the rub. I 've had worsening double vision for the past year. Now I've been told by the Mid south's expert that they cannot operate and fix my complex problem due to certain complex reasons. So, my distance vision (any further than three feet) is variably blurred and double with different intensities day by day. So
E days are better than others. But they've told me it will continue to worsen. Basically, my vision is shot. No more wedding work or anything fast. Does anyone have suggestions or advice or stories of others who have this and /or suggestions on how I can co.tongue to photograph for myself and even with an assistant to help measure distance s? I'd already gotten in to pin hole photography which I love. Also had started experimenting with Holgas, Diana +F cameras and their fisheye.... bought the Lomo Belaire 6x12 all because u set distance with just two choices. But I thought maybe if I memorized my depth of field settings on my lenses (or used an app I found.d which lists this I.go per lens) that with the help of a laser distance gadget I might be ae to adjust my lens properly or have my assistant measure it for me. I'm just spouting off things I thought of. I want to continue my photography but know many things I did before are out of course. Ill be legally blinded.d. But will always be able to see light and color. Just is blurred worse some days than others and everything is either doubled or has a shadow above instead of a drop shadow. It used to just be a shadow above but now it's distinct double side by side. Unfortunate the disease Lupus has attacked the muscles in my eyes and three craniAl nerves. Told u it was complicated. But I won't give this up if I can see to some degree. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I know I can do something.g. I just know! I've had Lupus for 25 years and have had to adjust a lot. I've survived it all and photography is my one love I cannot bear to loose.

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Shoot what you see. figure out how to make it something good. What do you focus on (with eyes) ; shoot it. If you can look at a ground glas you can do a rolleiflex or large format. When you settle on something, shoot light and color. Shoot tones. See what jnanian does. It's still creative. Here's where I shoot light and color.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/10371009514_e8fa4cc495_z.jpg
It's digital so I put a link, not inline image to keep with the style of this site. Search my http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=13759696@N02&q=helios photostream for helios if you like more of that.

I don't have any direct info on how to deal with your problem. But recently, on TV, I saw a news program about a photographer who was going blind and how he continued with his photography. I don't recall his name. But I did a Google search and came up with these links. They're very inspirational. I hope you find your way to continue with photography. Good luck. Alan.

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...apher&gs_l=hp..0.41l89.0.0.0.1358...........0.
http://www.peteeckert.com/
http://petapixel.com/2013/08/07/bli...describes-how-he-sees-and-captures-the-world/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25668809
http://www.zacuto.com/z-finder-gives-blind-photographer-perspective

My wife works at the Perkins School, most remembered for Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. The one thing I have taken away from my own (peripheral) connection to the place, the people who work there and their students, is that the term "differently abled" is not just political correctness. The things that blind and even deaf-blind folks accomplish every day astounds me, and often these are not done in spite of their physical condition, but because of those conditions. Your vision as an artist is not dependent on your eyesight. Good luck.

Alan Klein said:

I don't have any direct info on how to deal with your problem. But recently, on TV, I saw a news program about a photographer who was going blind and how he continued with his photography. I don't recall his name. But I did a Google search and came up with these links. They're very inspirational. I hope you find your way to continue with photography. Good luck. Alan.

Click to expand...

I think the poster may ne thinking of John Dugdale who has mastered the cyanotype and other alternative processes. Before losing his sight Mr Dugdale was a professional photographer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKdZyOXJmJc

Perhaps not the forum for it, but I have dealt with age related macro degeneration focus issues by two methods.

It doesn't read as if going to larger formats will help you. I gave up 35mm, 6x7cm, 4x5" and have been very happy with 8x10” and 7x17”. Considering your rate of change this may not work for you.

My other approach has been a digital camera with auto focus. I still compose the same. Bracketing gives me good exposure. Adjustments in camera, in Photoshop, or in printer deal with color/B&W and tonal range. I chose a Nikon D7100 24mp because while trying out digital in general I could use my 20 year old f2.8 AF lenses. If I choose to pursue this route I can buy better lenses.

Good luck with this. My wife is going blind and I am trying to help her deal with many of the same issues in painting. Remember that there are many people who care either because of their relationship to you or strangers like my wife and me who are working through similar problems.

John Powers

I have issues too and am always trying to find ways around it.

What sometimes works for me is cheating. I got some big industrial type bar codes and have model hold one near my point of focus. Camera locks on easier. I have found minolta maxxum 7 and 9, Olympus rangefinders (RC) are sight friendly. As are wide lenses. Short primes have an easier time locking on for me too. Good luck. I almost gave up, then decided there might be other ways to get it done.

My Aunt is 78 and has macular degeneration. I'm 57 and spend too much time on my back with a bad prostate. All I know to do is remind my Aunt it won't be like this in heaven. And that's the best retort I know to give on this one.GL

Some things do not 'fix'. Many things can be 'adapted for'. Spent time as a technical writer. Wrote the books on RCA's first robots to set focus, and screen color automatically. Might I suggest delivering a digital image to a flat screen display can solve the 3 foot range or double image issue. Now for the digital image side? Digital scanning back for your current equipment? Other? There is a federal (clearing house) office in W. Va. that are the for the known adaptations people.
One old tech said to this tech, we probably have all the pieced we need to cobble something together and solve that problem. He had a round about, imperfect, but it worked solution in two days.
Analog gang. Call to action. How do we get him the images his current state can use, while keeping the functionality of his familiar photographic tools. Depth of field and composition being so much a 'that is right' visual composition call.

gleaf, while your call to action is commendable, you have him or someone fixing the Holga or Diana and he might as well just bite the bullet and get a regular camera. Or at least that's my perception of it anyway.

I love to use the Holga and Diana cameras. Focus is pretty imprecise with these cameras in that you guess focus, and they have more depth of focus than regular lenses. I use all formats, but have made my best images with the Diana, partly because I use it more and partly because of the feel of the images.

Jon

Keith Carter's situation might be informative. In this video, the pertinent part starts at about 4:00.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W3m0oMnp0o

Personally, I am growing cataracs, as many do. So far, only the right eye is really affected, but, of course, that is (was) the eye that I used to focus. So, I've had to make adjustments. I learned to focus with my left eye, and that will work until ... At some point, there will be the surgery, and then (hopefully) I'll see better than I have in most of my adult life.

The only adjustment I've had to make in the darkroom is to sometime use a binocular visor (Optivisor) http://www.doneganoptical.com/products/optivisor to look at 35mm negs on the light box. As bad as the right eye is, my overall vision is still better with both eyes than just the left eye alone.