Help for a newbie with brain damage please.

Beagletorque

Beagletorque

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I have a friend who has recently become disabled due to a botched op that caused her brain damage (long story and no compensation). She has difficulty using a computer, has eye and balance issues and has little money as she now can’t work. She thinks she would like to get into digital photography. My first thought was this would not be a good idea due to all the points listed earlier as most of my experience with digital is very compucentric. However I am very narrow minded, so any thinking out of the box, ideas or info that could help her would be much appreciated. The only requirement is that the output from the camera would need to be of a decent quality (whatever that means). Please reply with any thoughts......
 
Given the limitations, my first thought is not digital photography but Polaroid or instant film. It removes any difficulty in using a computer altogether. If the images need to be digitised for sharing they can be scanned.

Getting back into the digital box, how about an iPad/2? I've never used one but I keep seeing more and more people using them as cameras. Huge screen to see the shot, integrated editing software. I think she'd need to get a hands-on to see how it feels and how it affects her balance in use.
 
If she really wants to get into photography help her :thumbs: my niece is currently thinking about photography as a hobby and basically what that means is Uncle Matt get/s to go out on a photography day but does not get to play with my camera, so in essence arrange to go out for a couple of hours a few times and let her use your camera, maybe also sit at a computer with her and show her the basis's cropping, colour adjustments etc...

Now in saying that I appreciate that some of the logistics in doing this maybe difficult but it will be worth the effort I'm sure :thumbs:

Matt
MWHCVT
 
I know it's probably a crappy suggestion, but I have an EOS 300 film (35mm) camera lying around doing nothing. Pretty sure it has a lens (something like a 28-80mm) but will need a battery and some film. It's ben sat in a bag for yonks and it's worth nothing on the open market so she is free to have it....

The xmas tree is being dusted off and brought down from the loft so when I'm up there, I'll dig it out just in case.

Might be totally unsuitabl but the offer is there :)

P.S. The Polaroid idea is a good one, as is the iPad route, although both have their cost implications, much like 35mm. :)
 
One word. iPad.. it's an easy enough platform that anyone can use it and with the right tools you can create some awesome images. I'd say give it a go.
 
specialman said:
...big snip...cost implications, much like 35mm.
:)
Click to expand...

depends on the amount taken i suppose

Kodak Gold can be got from Poundland

dev and scan to CD with a contact sheet of thumbnails is £5 from PhotoExpress

the CD can easily be uploaded for viewing

PS ''Top Man'' there about the Canon.....:thumbs:
 
Ipad2 is a really good shout. Hadn't thought about it in that way before.have to be the two with the inbuilt camera, or perhaps an old iPhone if that's too big.

Polaroid is a good idea, and I have 4 now (started as a bit of fun because they were cheep to buy) but the films are currently expensive and can be difficult to use/stabilise. They are manufactured again by impossible films but are around £16 for8-10 shots. They do black and white and colour but check the website for the look and restrictions. They didn't get the patents or process with the machinery so are reunderstanding the process. You have to shield the shot when it comes out for about 3 mins, store within temp constraints etc.
 
It doesn't need to be as expensive as Impossible Project film for Polaroid!

Fuji do some (mostly pretty ugly, it has to be said) instant film cameras for their own Instax film, and their FP pack films can be used in some very retro, vintage folding Polaroid cameras. FP pack film can be bought for around £5 for short-dated or special offer packs, or around a tenner normal price online. And it's nowhere near as fickle as the Impossible Project film.

None of these so far have been particularly low budget, an iPad is a particularly large investment but it is a fire-and-forget purchase. Cheaper Android based tablest may also be suitable, but the tablet market isn't something I've ever had the inclination to keep up to date with.

The cheapest option would be a compact camera with a rear screen to make compostion easier. However, your friend needs to get to a Jessops, Jacobs or similar to have a play. Most modern compacts are very compact, very small bodies that can make gripping them comfortably awkward and tiny buttons. Being able to hold the camera comfortably could be crirical if balance is an issue. There are ways to improve this though, for very little money you can find chunky grips sold for the compact/DSLR HD video market that secure to the camera via the tripod socket.
 
specialman said:
I know it's probably a crappy suggestion, but I have an EOS 300 film (35mm) camera lying around doing nothing. Pretty sure it has a lens (something like a 28-80mm) but will need a battery and some film. It's ben sat in a bag for yonks and it's worth nothing on the open market so she is free to have it....
Click to expand...

Legend :clap:

Its moments and things like this that make this forum so amazing! Bravo sir, even if the offer isnt taken up, its the thought that counts
 
Thanks for all the posts so far, will digest and reply properly when I have a keyboard in front of me.
 
What is her difficulty with the computer? This could be a number of things and there could be a solution.
 
Regarding the shortage of money.

Has your friend considered writing to the local community organisations such as Lions, Rotary and Round Table. These organisations raise money to spend both in the local and wider community. By writing to all of them she may get the amount she asks for from one or parts from them all.
 
Hi Regarding the use of a computer. There is a product on the market called Dragon Dictate. It basically turns your spoken words into text on screen, or allows you to issue commands to the computer, browse websites, manipulate the mouse, open and close programs, dictate emails etc.

It does take a little bit of work to train it but you can get some reasonable results straight out of the box, and a good quality microphone helps. We use it in work with good success.

It might be worth looking into as it could help with general computer use and not just from a photography point of view.
 
specialman said:
I know it's probably a crappy suggestion, but I have an EOS 300 film (35mm) camera lying around doing nothing. Pretty sure it has a lens (something like a 28-80mm) but will need a battery and some film. It's ben sat in a bag for yonks and it's worth nothing on the open market so she is free to have it....

The xmas tree is being dusted off and brought down from the loft so when I'm up there, I'll dig it out just in case.

Might be totally unsuitabl but the offer is there :)

P.S. The Polaroid idea is a good one, as is the iPad route, although both have their cost implications, much like 35mm. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks SpecialMan for the offer, but I think a small PaS type camera would be all she can manage due to the weight as she tires very quickly, very kind though.

Thanks again also to all who have posted. Prompted from the posts, I need to find out more about what see wants to use the pixs for and what exactly she can and can't do with a PC because of her condition (not ability).

Please keep posting any thoughts and I will update as and when.
 
No problems :thumbs: Just wish I'd not had a me Vs tree incident with my little Sony P&S (resulting in a cracked LCD), otherwise that could have been donated. :)
 
There's a Sony P&S which has a touchscreen which may make navigating menu options a little easier your friend - there may be more around but it's been 5 years since I bought my little Panasonic & I've not really looked at them since (except for the god awful green Fuji I bought for the boy, looks cool (he's 11) performs pants). If your friend struggles with her fine motor skills then it may be worth looking at something older that's a little chunkier with bigger buttons.

There are a lot of assistive technology solutions out there that can assist your friend with using IT and computers, google Inclusive Technology - they're aimed at school children but it will just give you an idea of what's out there. If your friend has good head control she can use an IR camera to control a pc instead of a mouse, large keyboards, switches, large touch tablet pc's which are so much more robust than an iPad or Zoom. It's very unlikely there won't be a solution available already, you just need to look in the right places. Don't discount the social fund for funding. There are groups you can go to for financial support with things but I can't remember any off the top of my head. Try Contact a Family - they have singly the biggest directory I have ever seen and can point your friend in the right direction locally.
 
Good info there, thank-you.

Another thank-you for your generosity SM, but I will need find out more before accepting anything on her behalf.
 
Hiya,
Its very easy when talking about photography and disability to get into the many things people can not do and perhaps ignore the many things they can do! Balance and visual problems can cause many issues with digital photography but certainly are not reasons to avoid taking up the hobby! Photography, can be, and most certainy is a hobby the majority of disabled people can enjoy and participate in but issues such as choice of camera and other equipment are important but are very individual.

Photographers with Disabilities is a group you may be interested in. We currently run an accessible study in Bristol although we are not essentially a Bristol based group. We currently have approaching 50 members. Information can be found about the group either through their website www.photographerswithdisabilities.com or through or through our active facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/244825096685/

Please do encourage your friend to take up the hobby as it can be a really enjoyable hobby in itself but it can also become a great means of communication and expression in itself.

Chris
 
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