New Photography Injury

[TOLady]

As most of you know, I'm not the 'sit at home and knit' type of gal. I always have to be doing something. This has led to various injuries over the years (falling down 12' steep flight of stairs with 50lb powerwasher, fracturing left hip (that one was a real b*tch to heal!), various wrenches of back, neck, shoulders, various fractures of fingers and toes, etc etc - the list goes on and on) *LOL*

Well, now there's a new one to add to the bunch: Photographer's Elbow. This is from spending too many hours paddling, then drifting while hanging an S3 with the 70-200VR w/1.4 converter in portrait mode waiting for the perfect swan shot (man, that sucker gets heavy!). Doesn't matter how much you use the left hand to support the lens, the right arm still gets too much use. Now I've got one of these which helps somewhat but the Doc says to lay off for a few weeks.

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Yeah, right - like that's gonna happen!!! Like telling him to give up golf on his day off! :?

This just isn't fair: when one finally gets to the financial point where you can buy these toys and business point where you can spare the time, but the body starts to yell at you when you do!!!

Well, I'm off to take some Robaxisol for the neck, put the elbow cuff on, and jump in the kayak again. Y'all have a good day now and try not to injure yourselves :roll: :wink:

 

[bfullmer]

Sandi;

Sorry to hear about the injury. What a bummer! Good luck with the "paddle therapy." It's just what yur elbow needs. There's no keeping you down.

Brian

 

[eng45ine]

You Go Girl!!!!! But be careful!!!

 

[TOLady]

Thanks Brian for the sentiments, winters are long here in Toronto - the elbow can heal THEN! *LOL* One of my fav sayings is "Too short alive, too long dead - live life while you can."

 

[Leigh]

Get well soon, Sandi!

 

[Chris101]

Ain't the advance of time a "bee eye tee see aich". Just wait until you're fifty. Everytime you fix one thing, something else breaks. It's like a car! Oww-ch! I don't even want to say what that was - I gotta go to work. ;(

PS get well soon.

 

[Flew]

Sandi,

I got the same problem, and it was also a photography-related injury. I got mine from throwing a whole box of saltines at the Gulls last winter.

Talk about a B****H!!

 

[Retief]

OK, Sandi, just one dang minute hear. Seems to me this is more a Paddling Injury then a Photography Injury :lol: . Here is what I think you should do, and what is even better is that you can turn this into your own little "cottage industry". First you will need a few parts:

1. An old tripod
2. A gimbal head
3. Mounting plates as required

Mount the tripod on the deck of your Kayak, mount the gimbal on the tripod, mount the camera on the gimbal. Keep the whole thing at eye level so it won't make the boat top heavy. Bingo, problem solved, no more doctor bills, arms free to paddle as needed if you just craft a special "head strap" that keeps your eye to the viewfinder all the time. Piece of cake, and I won't even charge you for a doctor's visit :lol:

Isn't this place grand? Where ELSE could you get such a detailed set of plans for free?

Oh, yeah, and if you ever are in a situation where you are being invaded, you could easily mount a .50 caliber machine gun on the tripod and join the Canadian Navy :wink:

 

[Ken-L]

That injury is no fun....... and not easy to heal.

I went through several months of doctor ordered physical therapy which included physical, chemical and electrical treatments, after a year of severe symptoms.

 

[dmwphoto]

Sandi,
Now I really hope this heals very soon but I distinctly recall the message from you stating "Kwitcherbitchin". Does this apply here?? :^)
If that is YOUR elbow in the picture above I have no intentions of angering you :^)

 

[mike mac]

Sandi
Sounds like a common injury, I was shooting with Gordon Large from the forum yesterday and was saying the same thing. My problem comes for wearing a shoulder bag for too long and can even be aggravated by wearing a backpack getting old is a drag but the alternative is not very nice either :?

 

[tjgreen]

It's funny, I just got into photography as a quiet alternative to my more extreme activities, like waterskiing, weight lifting, scuba diving, and volunteer firefighting. Then, last weekend, I tweaked my neck and got sunburned trying to photograph dragonflies, my marriage and bank account are in serious danger due to LLD, and now I have to worry about "camera elbow", apparently. Sheesh, I shoulda stuck with running into burning buildings, at least they were open about the risks involved : ).

If anybody needs me, I'll just be over here mumbling to myself.

 

[Gale]

Have the same thing Sandi.

Carpal tunnel surgery both hands, cupital tunnell surgery both elbows,trigger finger surgery both thumbs... Photo elbow...now.

Do wear the support.

I Do excercises every day and wear the support most of the time. Well always while using the camera.
Take care and do what a good Occupational therapist tells you to do.

YOU DO NOT WANT SURGERY FOR THIS....IT WILL MAKE IT WORSE. !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feel your pain and frustration, I really do.

Take care Sweetie.

Frank (Flew) has gone on shoot with me.. He knows how it hurts me and what strenght I do not have.

 

[Gale]

For Sandi and Flew

Well here is the proof I am doing it... :>))))))

Waiting for the shuttle launch July 13, 05 taken by Mike with my Nikon Cp5000.....

pic is awful of me.. :>))) But hey look at that hat :>))))))))

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[drueter]

OMG Sandi! I thought Photography would be a good, low impact hobby -- now I have to worry about PhotoElbow!!!?!?!?! Getting old is hard enough -- the aches get worse and last longer anyway. I better not let my wife see this thread or she'll use it as another excuse why I shouldn't by that big lens I need!!

BTW -- get well soon!!

 

[Gale]

lol Don.......
Preventive methods

 

[GaryW]

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WOW! Look at that forearm! I think you could punch me out in about 2 seconds, TOLady!

Gary

 

[Vandyu]

...winters are long here in Toronto...

Just what is it like in Toronto? I know a lot of television shows are filmed there and there are many winter scenes. Is it dark and gloomy? I live in Virginia, but think if myself as a closet Canadian or European. Canada is closer. But, since I darn near froze to death in Missouri, I'm not sure if Canada is the place for me to retire :lol:

 

[Ron H]

Great! Now I have to worry about PE (Photographer's Elbow)!!! And I have the same lens with a 1.7x teleconverter, which probably weighs 2 oz more than the 1.4x. I'm doomed! :wink:

Get well, Sandi.

 

[SilverEagle]

Highly recommend physical therapy if you're not already doing it. It really helped me with shoulder surgery. Now, I can shoulder my camera gear again.