Photographing fast action sports as a quadriplegic photographer
Nov 11, 2016
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Photographing fast paced action packed sports can be tricky enough as it is. For some, it presents even more challenges. Such is the case with Loren Worthington. After a spinal cord injury, Worthington lost the use of three of his limbs. Along with it, his ability to play sports.
Nearly twenty years later, the camera allowed Worthington to reconnect with his passion for athletics. Bound to a wheelchair, he has a unique perspective on sports photography. With the use of only one hand, he’s come up with some interesting ways of solving problems that don’t even exist for most of us.
One of the great things about photography, like many other passions, is its power to help you overcome. I even know a guy who quit smoking for photography, because he couldn’t keep up with shooting the things he wanted to shoot.
Loren’s video also reminds us that all those things we think are holding us or our photography back is in our heads. If we’re serious about it and determined enough, we’ll find a way to make it work. Loren found a way, has a career in sports photography, and was invited to photograph the Paralymics at Rio2016.
You can find out more about Loren on his website or connect with him on Twitter.
How have you overcome your personal challenges for your photography? What were/are those challenges? Let us know and share your stories in the comments.
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John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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3 responses to “Photographing fast action sports as a quadriplegic photographer”
…I believe your title should have read, paraplegic not quadriplegic !!!
Cervical level spinal cord injury resulting in lost or diminished function in all four extremities is defined as quadriplegia (the remote release in his mouth indicates a lack of finger function). It also results in loss of trunk control (from the armpits down) which makes stabilizing the camera while looking through the viewfinder difficult.
As a C6/7 quadriplegic with very limited hand function, I would like to find a camera with left handed controls. I often use the Sofortbild app on my Mac to interface with my Nikon. My heavy 70-200 and 200-400mm lenses would be easier to handle with a pivot arm mount like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WA7cKSwvMU