I’ve written and rewritten this blog post multiple times now. Trying to decide how much detail to go into is difficult! But ultimately it comes down to this – I have been diagnosed with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia with Ataxia. It’s been a multi-year journey to get to this diagnosis, with my walking going from bad to eating pavement regularly, and no longer navigating stairs or declines without handrails and some help. I am a full time wheelie walker warrior now, and balance issues negate me standing up while holding anything, much less an expensive camera.

This has meant that my plans to climb all over the hills and streets of my Ozark town, taking photos, doing portrait sessions, developing a photography tour of Eureka Springs, were thwarted by my own body. What has happened since, is that through the encouragement of my husband, and the richness of the landscapes we find ourselves touring at the moment in the Rocky Mountain region, I am doing what all good Foreign Service spouses do and pivoting to new subject matter. I’ve been doing that for most of my photographic journey, so it (now) makes sense for that to still be the case. It’s been a tough mental exercise to finally get to that understanding. It’s not unlike having to leave Belgium and my lucrative print/portraiture business for a tiny post in the Caribbean without those opportunities. Or the subject matter shifts in my previous moves from country to country.

For the moment I take most of my photos from a vehicle. My husband has developed skills at positioning the car or truck so that I can get some really great shots. I recently went on a photography ride alone and experienced first hand how difficult it is to find a place to pull over, out of the way, to get the shot I am aiming for. I also have a couple of chair options – power chair and a seat attachment for my walker, so that I can get some photography in at more urban or restrictive (ADA accessible!) sites like the Royal Gorge and various gardens. I have yet to venture into downtown areas. This is a slow process getting used to my limitations and my startling visibility. I miss my covert status!

I am starting to connect with other photographers and travelers with various conditions that either hinder their mobility or put them full time in a wheelchair. Some have either picked up photography as a hobby or have adapted their photography businesses to fit their circumstances. The range of abilities and tenacity is inspiring! I am now considering more options for going forward. I might just get the portrait sessions going again, once I reconfigure how I do things. That is still very much a work in progress!

I am also reaching out to other photographers, regardless of their mobility status and trying to learn, and be inspired by their work. No I can’t hike to that remote spot in the mountains to capture that landscape, but I can train myself to see the landscape shots and try to get out at the best times for natural light (also still working on this, lol). No I can’t jump around and speaking issues will limit my ability to communicate clearly, but I may find a calmer, more intentional way to shoot portraits.

Whatever I do, the important thing is that I continue to keep doing what I really enjoy. Editing, purging, and posting? I will continue to struggle to sit down and just do those just like I have for years! But eventually I will do those things because I enjoy sharing what I’ve captured. And I hope that you all enjoy seeing the world through my eyes no matter what vantage point I see it from!

Please, as always, like, comment, and share my posts with others! And if life throws you roadblocks – Pivot! Pivot! PIIVVOTT!