by Cecilia Travis \u00a9 2010
\nFrom “Currents” The Magazine of the North American Nature Photography Association Summer 2010<\/em><\/p>\n

Imagine yourself on a photo tour to Bosque Del Apache.\u00a0 Geese — thousands of geese! You shiver into place well before dawn to catch the earliest light as it slides across the water, silhouetting the birds and highlighting morning mists.<\/p>\n

Now suppose you are in a wheelchair.\u00a0 Photographing in wild areas is an impossible dream\u2014right? \u00a0\u00a0Wrong. Wildlife photographer Angelo Sciuli , who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease (ALS) in 1998 asked me to look into accessible photo tours. \u00a0\u201cBe prepared for deer-in-the-headlight looks\u201d, he warned.<\/p>\n

The results were encouraging.\u00a0 Many have already worked successfully with photographers who have mobility challenges, and many more are open to including them in their programs.\u00a0\u00a0 Almost all leaders will create a custom workshop for individual photographers.\u00a0 Accommodating a wheelchair photographer in an otherwise able-bodied group is best for diversity, but requires flexibility by all parties.\u00a0 The key is full communication beforehand.<\/p>\n

The wheelchair attendee needs to understand possible obstacles.\u00a0 How is the terrain? \u00a0Will the workshop disembark from a pontoon boat into three feet of water?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is the blind ten feet up a tree?\u00a0 How wide is the boardwalk and how will it be accessed?\u00a0 Do highway pull-offs have room for a wheel chair ramp?\u00a0 Can atendees shoot from a vehicle?\u00a0 Are they responsible for finding their own suitable accommodations?\u00a0 Is the event planned with alternatives \u2013 a long hike for some, scenic, accessible overlook for others?\u00a0 If so, will both options have their own highly skilled photographer?\u00a0 Physical limitation does not equate to limited skill.<\/p>\n

Guidebook writer and photographer Don Laine urges organizers to personally visit each site beforehand.\u00a0 \u00a0He recounts a company that claimed \u201conly a few easy steps to the boat\u2026it was more like 20 or 30.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workshop leaders are concerned that the able-bodied photographers in the group may feel cheated.\u00a0 They need to know if the mobility-impaired photographers can keep up.\u00a0 Can they walk?\u00a0 Can they go up stairs?\u00a0 How many?\u00a0 How steep a slope can be managed? \u00a0Can they be safely left alone?\u00a0 If not,\u00a0 will each be accompanied by an assistant?\u00a0 Does they have their own transportation?\u00a0 How do they transfer to the wheelchair?\u00a0 Do they use\/have a hydraulic lift or a ramp?\u00a0\u00a0 What are his toilet needs?\u00a0 Some leaders require a doctor\u2019s declaration of a disabled photographer\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n

Most workshop leaders welcome the photographer\u2019s helper to push the wheelchair or assist with physical needs, leaving the professional free to teach.\u00a0 The helper would not be charged other than for food and lodging.\u00a0 However, a few outfits are concerned that an assistant might take up vehicle or blind space needed by a paying client.\u00a0 All agree that a non-paying assistant should not take images nor participate in photography-related discussions.<\/p>\n

Expectations on all sides should be clear.<\/p>\n

Photo clubs are a promising source of workshops.\u00a0 The Rocky Mountain and the New Mexico Outdoor Writers and Photographers Clubs put on yearly conferences and book outstanding workshop leaders.\u00a0 Both organizations have had physically limited participants at their events.\u00a0 Not every event will be suitable, but the clubs try to schedule enough to make it worth coming.\u00a0 They know the fresh perspective brought by disabled photographers enrich the group experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to put together a wildlife photography workshop or even a series of workshops across the country for disabled photographers\u201d says wildlife photographer and tour operator Weldon Lee.\u00a0 Many workshop leaders like the idea of developing programs around a group of disabled photographers.<\/p>\n

Suggestions for developing these workshops from professional photographers Loren Worthington, a quadriplegic with limited use of his arms and Doug Walsh, a tour leader :\u00a0 Use facilities already set up for the disabled, and therefore truly ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. \u00a0Provide transportation from the airport to the site.\u00a0 Take the group, perhaps by bus, to nearby locations chosen by the leader.\u00a0 Partner with charitable organizations which work with the disabled, such as Easter Seals.\u00a0 \u00a0Have the organization provide trained assistants, maybe donate the use of adapted vehicles.\u00a0\u00a0 Look for sponsors or grant money. \u00a0Open registration to able-bodied shooters, to ensure sufficient participants. \u00a0Publicize well in advance.\u00a0 Price on par with similar professional workshops.\u00a0 Keep the quality high.\u00a0 \u201c I want to be challenged by better photographers.\u201d, declares Worthington.<\/p>\n

Yosemite, Blue Ridge Parkway, Anhinga Trail in the Everglades, John Dillon Park in New York, and Colorado\u2019s Wilderness on Wheels are examples of national and state parks, and specially designed private recreation areas which could be used.\u00a0 Exotic locations?\u00a0 Check out Endeavor Safaris, Eco-Adventure International, Ecuador for All, and Epic Enabled.<\/p>\n

Is wheelchair photography easy?\u00a0 Of course not.\u00a0 Bob Edens, a landscape and event photographer confined to a wheelchair proclaims, \u201cI have fallen off all the prominent curbs in Chattanooga.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 David Farber, a triiplegic nature photographer with only partial use of one hand, flipped backward trying for a better angle on a fox squirrel. \u00a0Loren Worthington just worries about \u201chow the camera lands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bodies may be damaged, but the dreams are intact and not impossible!<\/p>\n

My thanks to the following disabled photographers for help with this article:
\nBob Edens, www.bobedens.com<\/a>
\nDavid Farber, www.naturallyfarberphotos.com<\/a>
\nMike Matenkosky, www.imagesinthebackcountry.com<\/a>
\nBob Scott, www.quadtographer.blogspot.com<\/a>
\nAngelo Scuilli, www.scnature.com<\/a>
\nChristopher Voelker, www.voelkerstudio.com<\/a>
\nLoren Worthington, www.rollingfstop.blogspot.com<\/a> and www.AccessingArizona.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Cecilia Travis \u00a9 2010 From “Currents” The Magazine of the North American Nature Photography Association Summer 2010 Imagine yourself on a photo tour to Bosque Del Apache.\u00a0 Geese — thousands of geese! You shiver into place well before dawn to catch the earliest light as it slides across the water, silhouetting the birds and … Continue reading Imagine<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1756"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6042,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1756\/revisions\/6042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.accessiblenature.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}