SRL concert shooting days may be over

myvinyl333

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I am considered fully disabled via workman's compensation due to a back injury, had back surgery in January that resulted in nerve damage. I finally took my D800 and tried to do some outdoor shooting for 45 mins. I did most with a tripod and only a couple hand held. I can no longer steady myself or crouch down. The end result was 2 days of severe pain. Since then I have a cane I use to help my stability while standing. I have a concert photography business, Live Gig Shots. Luckily I have 5 shooters that submit photos and reviews which keep us active. I know I will never be able to shoot shows like I have and I will not be able to carry 2 bodies an large glass. I am thinking of options. A cheap one may be to use a monopod when possible and a grip less SRL with a 24X70 or smaller mounted somehow on my body that is not around neck or non my hips? I hold out hope I can compensate. If I had the money I would look to the new Fuji or Sony line. I held a Sony A7 and it was light... Feel free to give suggestions or if you know how people get around these inconveniences:er:.
$Central Elemtary March 21, 2014 (10 of 10).jpg$Central Elementary March 21, 2014 (1 of 12).jpg
 
I don't know of the link directly, but google for disabled photographer forums. I'm aware that there are at least a couple of such groups around and you might find that people there have some innovative ideas of how to get around some of the difficulties that you're experiencing.

A Monopod would certainly take the weight off, and a smaller, lighter camera setup would also help in that regard. The only downside is you'd still have to lift your arms/arm for a shot and I wonder if part of the pain is the simple action of lifting your arm for what could be a prolonged period of time whilst shooting.
A swivel LCD screen might let you shoot at a lower angle and tilt your head down to view the screen, though seeing at a longer distance might be tricky and I'm unsure if a bent neck angle would help at all (could simply put more pressure on your back muscles).

If you wanted to be inventive there are products out there which allow you to use a small LCD screen remotely from the camera (oft by cable); That rigged to a hat could let you hold the camera low, whilst having the screen supported closer to your eyes and negating the need to raise the camera nor tilt your head to view the screen.
 
I don't know of the link directly, but google for disabled photographer forums. I'm aware that there are at least a couple of such groups around and you might find that people there have some innovative ideas of how to get around some of the difficulties that you're experiencing.

A Monopod would certainly take the weight off, and a smaller, lighter camera setup would also help in that regard. The only downside is you'd still have to lift your arms/arm for a shot and I wonder if part of the pain is the simple action of lifting your arm for what could be a prolonged period of time whilst shooting.
A swivel LCD screen might let you shoot at a lower angle and tilt your head down to view the screen, though seeing at a longer distance might be tricky and I'm unsure if a bent neck angle would help at all (could simply put more pressure on your back muscles).

If you wanted to be inventive there are products out there which allow you to use a small LCD screen remotely from the camera (oft by cable); That rigged to a hat could let you hold the camera low, whilst having the screen supported closer to your eyes and negating the need to raise the camera nor tilt your head to view the screen.
Extremely fine ideas. The last one especially. It is not unlike having to hold my camera above my head and use the screen to capture a stage shot...You are correct as at the time moving around as we do it was cool for the most part but the result of that was horrible. I will look for the forums you refereed to-thank-you
 
I can't offer any suggestions, but I feel for you. I love concert photography, and really don't want to think about when I may have to stop doing it for whatever reason...
 
Ok, well not sure how bad your injury is but I have a friend who's brother was big into photography until he got hurt in a motorcycle accident.

He wasn't able to carry a dslr for any length of time, so we came up with a solution.

We went to one of those medical supply places and bought one of those folding walkers with the casters on the bottom so it rolls instead of him having to pick it up to use it.

We took a monopod and clamped it to the walker using muffler clamps.

Added a ball head and now he has a mobile shooting platform.

Sent from my LG-LG730 using Tapatalk
 
...one of those folding walkers with the casters on the bottom so it rolls instead of him having to pick it up to use it...

I like your idea but, having shot concerts, I have a hard time imagining using that. Either out in the crowd... or on stage with dozens of cables all over the place.

To myvinyl: I love vinyl too, lol.

But more to the point. I see three options.

1/ You hire a photog and train him/her in the way to shoot for you and you only do management.

2/ You only do management.

3/ If it is possible, you build yourself, or you have someone build you, a contraption kind of like Gump has on his legs in the early part of the film. Of course, you may be able to find a much more modern version of the thing by going to a school that is big into robotics. Students often have to work on projects of their own conception but don't always have any idea what to do. For example, I've had business school students do market analysis for me. Free of charge.

Then you hire an assistant to carry the bag, change the lenses, etc. So many people like to go to concert you may even be able to find someone willing to do it for free.

Hope you find a solution
 
OP, sorry to hear your story, back injuries are not good.

If I may let me ask you a couple of questions. Why are you giving up on the thought of being able to carry 2 bodies and being able to bend and get up? It's only bee a couple of months and your body is still healing itself. I'm no doctor and I certainly don't know your specific situation, but I have been researching some things about back injury and sports and everything I've read is that they are looking about 4-6 months at a minimum and some taking about a year.

That may not seem like help for your situation but I would encourage you to do any PT that is prescribed to you. Stay positive and keep shooting what you can.

I hope you recover from this and are able to keep shooting what you like.

Good luck.
 
...one of those folding walkers with the casters on the bottom so it rolls instead of him having to pick it up to use it...

I like your idea but, having shot concerts, I have a hard time imagining using that. Either out in the crowd... or on stage with dozens of cables all over the place.

To myvinyl: I love vinyl too, lol.

But more to the point. I see three options.

1/ You hire a photog and train him/her in the way to shoot for you and you only do management.

2/ You only do management.

3/ If it is possible, you build yourself, or you have someone build you, a contraption kind of like Gump has on his legs in the early part of the film. Of course, you may be able to find a much more modern version of the thing by going to a school that is big into robotics. Students often have to work on projects of their own conception but don't always have any idea what to do. For example, I've had business school students do market analysis for me. Free of charge.

Then you hire an assistant to carry the bag, change the lenses, etc. So many people like to go to concert you may even be able to find someone willing to do it for free.

Hope you find a solution

Granted it may not be the ultimate solution, but with a little pre-planning and perserverance you could probably make it work. Granted my buddies brother doesn't do concert photography, which is going to have some fairly unique challenges - but he does often work in a crowd. From what he was telling me the frankenwalker concept works fairly well, in fact if anything people tend to give him a little more room to work than they did before when he was holding the camera himself. He has the camera mounted so it's actually at a 90% angle from the direction the walker rolls, he finds this works best because it gives him plenty of room to handle the camera without having the walker in the way. He rolls the walker to where he needs it, locks the wheels, then grabs the camera and shoots what he needs.

Again, probably not as fancy as something a high tech solution might do for you, and of course no solution would be perfect, but at least for my friends brother it got him out again and let him start shooting once more, so in the end it was a win.
 
I'm sorry to hear about these developments, George...bummer deal. I don;t really have any ideas to contribute except maybe physical therapy, strengthening muscles, good posture, the usual platitudes the doctors and P.T. people have to offer...on the photo end, I guess maybe smaller,lighter,less stress? I dunno...maybe have the young guns do the shooting, and you handle the back end of the business and web stuff? It's never fun to be forced out of doing something you love.
 
...but he does often work in a crowd. From what he was telling me the frankenwalker concept works fairly well, in fact if anything people tend to give him a little more room to work ...

This exact thought came to me after answering you before.

I remembered the last show that I shot. It was Rage against the machine and I was up at stage level to shoot while my wife was in the mosh pit, looking pretty much like a hippy girl but also like the grandma that she was. I didn't get to witness it but she later told me about the young, healthyy dudes who protected her in the pit. You know, making sure everybody gave her room to breathe and didn't trample the little old grandma. LMAO.

She must have been about 57 or 58 back then but her total gray hair and super light weight musta made her look older. It was so cute though that we talked about it for years...

and then, I forgot.

All that to say you are right. It is a possibility.
 
...but he does often work in a crowd. From what he was telling me the frankenwalker concept works fairly well, in fact if anything people tend to give him a little more room to work ...

This exact thought came to me after answering you before.

I remembered the last show that I shot. It was Rage against the machine and I was up at stage level to shoot while my wife was in the mosh pit, looking pretty much like a hippy girl but also like the grandma that she was. I didn't get to witness it but she later told me about the young, healthyy dudes who protected her in the pit. You know, making sure everybody gave her room to breathe and didn't trample the little old grandma. LMAO.

She must have been about 57 or 58 back then but her total gray hair and super light weight musta made her look older. It was so cute though that we talked about it for years...

and then, I forgot.

All that to say you are right. It is a possibility.

People are awful funny about that sort of thing. Some of the people you'd least expect it from can really surprise you sometimes.
 
...but he does often work in a crowd. From what he was telling me the frankenwalker concept works fairly well, in fact if anything people tend to give him a little more room to work ...

This exact thought came to me after answering you before.

I remembered the last show that I shot. It was Rage against the machine and I was up at stage level to shoot while my wife was in the mosh pit, looking pretty much like a hippy girl but also like the grandma that she was. I didn't get to witness it but she later told me about the young, healthyy dudes who protected her in the pit. You know, making sure everybody gave her room to breathe and didn't trample the little old grandma. LMAO.

She must have been about 57 or 58 back then but her total gray hair and super light weight musta made her look older. It was so cute though that we talked about it for years...

and then, I forgot.

All that to say you are right. It is a possibility.

People are awful funny about that sort of thing. Some of the people you'd least expect it from can really surprise you sometimes.

I just returned from 1st non shooting show, Jason Isbell. I got a Photo Pass for my partner (Who is truly a professional) and I got a press pass. It worked, but I was in so much pain it was hard to concentrate. Paul and I discussed the situation and like many of the great suggestions, we are looking at tag teaming some shows where I know the promoters/venues. I could use a monopod and situate my body near a post or wall, shooting long. Paul would handle pit. Since my December injury I added shooters to pick-up shows. They are not always the quality we strive for but with more experience and a possible class this summer via Paul on concert shooting, we will be stronger. I added Edward Spinelli from Chicago (check him out)


I have always been the contact and make contacts. Now that I am home, I have much more time which is cool. I am going to try and get better, but this is back surgery 3 and I am 60, not great odds , but possible. I am so fortunate all of you gave me such heart felt REAL suggestions, all of which are possibilities.

I am not ready to just direct/manage only. I am going to 1st get better where light shooting does not result poorly. I will strip the D800 to body and use primes.
 
I broke my arm last summer and had an awful time using my camera. After the immoblelizer came off the doctor sent me to PT and the therapist developed a program and worked at with me to get back to where I was before the accident. She had specific exercises that would help me regain the ability to use my camera. I had to take the camera in to PT a couple of times everything is just about 100 % except my hand. Talk to your doctor or therapist once they know your specific needs they will work with you to develop a specific program.
 
I broke my arm last summer and had an awful time using my camera. After the immoblelizer came off the doctor sent me to PT and the therapist developed a program and worked at with me to get back to where I was before the accident. She had specific exercises that would help me regain the ability to use my camera. I had to take the camera in to PT a couple of times everything is just about 100 % except my hand. Talk to your doctor or therapist once they know your specific needs they will work with you to develop a specific program.
This is definitely a part of my recovery plan, actually taking my camera is brilliant! PT will fit me for a back brace this week. She told me it should help me to feel stronger adding some support. I asked about bending over ( which is very difficult now) and she will show me ways.
I hope that eventually I will not need the brace or cane. I am in month 4 of PT and I am pretty sure my Dr. and insurance will keep me in PT longer.

To add to this I dropped my D800 and 24x70 and messed them up. They are @ Nikon hospital. ****ty thing is I have all my geared insured but my agent failed to add the D800 and the 24 x70. The company will not except her error and cover my stuff. Long story but I have emails that tell my agent what I wanted insured, she just did not put them on. (she has the invoices as well). May have to contact my lawyer...q1
 
She is incompetent and need to pay for it out of her own pocket to learn a lesson. You told her in writing and she screwed it up. You paid the premium and it's not covered and that falls on her. You can't fix stupid but you have every right to make stupid pay. It's her job to get it right and she needs to learn that now.
Now also try Fujifilm X-T1 camera with any of there lenses. Light and great camera and lens combo. I just sold all my Nikon equipment for Fuji. I'm 66 and been shooting Nikon sense the Nikon Fa. Remember that camera? I never had a problem with Nikon until I bought the Nikon D600. That's why I'm all Fuji now. So Go check one out if you get the chance. You might like it.
 

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