Old men have problems... In addition to that one.

Some of us old timers have difficulties with walking distances to get to a

good place to shoot their photographs. I, with a lung disorder, just don't

have the stamina to to get out there anymore, and if I get there I'm so winded

that I cannot hold my camera still enough to shoot. Sure, carry a chair with

you, plus your camera and tripod and what ever else you need is the answer. I

find that I can usually get there with a few rest stops along the way. But in

order to rest, I must sit so I bring my combination camera bag and chair along

with me.

 

At most hardware stores you can obtain an inexpensive cushioned plastic seat

that fits onto 5 gallon plastic buckets. I've lined a clean bucket with thick

foam and can carry my camera and an extra lens or two and even keep them in a

small camera bag should I care to. So off I go now with the bucket in one

hand and the tripod in the other. I sit and rest when I need to and can sit

while doing the exposures as well. For me this works, and it acts as camo for

your expensive camera gear sitting in the back seat of you car too.

I applaud you. Where there is a will there is a way. As i too get older and stiffer (and not in

the good way) I find I need to improvise a lot. I have a friend who is wheelchair bound and

while he can still drive he does not get out of his car. I have to say he has some beautuful

photographs that he has taken from the car. Again I say where there is a will there is a way.

 

Good luck in the future.

Very enterprising and original. I can't ay I've seen the cushion you speak about. Maybe they

don't have them in the UK. I should get two for my motorhome as extra seats. Wherever one

can get a useful item to double up as something else campers get interested.

Jennifer, as far as I know they are available from some fishing tackle places. There's a guy on ebay who makes and sells a variety of seat pads for different tackle boxes, and he shows some round one which I assume are for buckets. I've just sent him an email to ask if he can supply them for buckets, and if so, what cost.

Pete

I can walk ok lungs are ok, and my heart has been " rebuilt" TWICE.

but my feet hurt and my baklance is terrible, and it's hard to see thru the viewfinder.

well, we each have our own problems.

pleae consider the alternative.

well, I'll be 62 in November and I guess I'm heading in that direction. Long time married couple: wife to hubby; do you want to go upstairs and make love? hubby in reply: I can do one or the other but not both! :-) cb

William says : "beautuful photographs that he has taken from the car"

This is very true. I have so many beautiful photographs taken from car windows either

because it was too dangerous to get out of the car or because one saw a fabulous scene

from a view site.

 

I keep a homemade bean-bag in my car/motorhome (cloth bag filled with rice actually)

that I put on the vehicle window and rest the camera or lens on it. It's a great way to

steady the camera. I use the same bean-bag to prevent my equipment sliding around

when the vehicle is in motion. Of course if I run out of food on holiday I have a 3kg's of

rice to get by on. He he!

<center><img src=http://www.geocities.com/dainisjg/bogen_jen9.jpg></center><P>

 

That's what grandchildren are for. (Although all that whining sometimes gets on my nerves.)

One of my favorite PN posts:

 

Douglas Green, Aug 07, 2005; 09:01 p.m.

 

Remember the immortal words of Brett Weston: "Anything more than 100 yards from the car is not photogenic".

Thank the Lord for autofocus. I am 75 and can't see worth a damn anymore. When I play golf I try to find a pair of good eyes to go with me so I can find my ball. My depth of field ends at 150 yards. I can't focus on infinity except through a canon L lens. Plenty of light. I am very, very fit and walk the golf course and swim three miles a week. So if you have good eyes I'll carry your bucket. Seriously it's a wonderful hobby or avocation for us older citizens.

Where there's a will there's a way (how original! you may quote me)

 

Met a man at a Santa Barbara weekend art show, did stunning flower shots with a Hassy. He had to use a camera with a waist level finder, as he was a quadraplegic, wheelchair bound, and couldn't get a standard SLR up to his eyes.

 

Bill, you could also look into a pull-behind golf cart with a fold down seat. If you live near Charlotte NC, I'll give you my old one. Had a heart attack myself three weeks ago, but got catherized (sp?) and have fingers crossed

Jack, you almost gave ME a heart attack when I saw where you lived. My ex-wife is one of your neighbors.

 

But all seriousness aside, the best of luck to you and of course to the other old men who added to my original comments.

My hip joints have been replaced eight times, so I switched from Pentax 67 to 645 - much

lighter. If I really need to cover distance, I take the Canon 5D. Trouble is, I'm impressed with

some of the forest shots I'm getting with LF. I hope Brett Weston is right.

It's not only old men who have problems. I have MS and some days I wonder if I'm even going to make it out of bed. I'm looking for those things that will make it easier for me to get out and do my photography. I still work full time and really only have weekends to spend on it. I use a backpack to carry my camera and gear, but still have a very hard time some days. I absolutely refuse to give up my photography so I'm open to any suggestions.

After taking this "How old are we really test", I am all ready dead or almost there. Based on these numbers, men have a up hill climb. So just shoot and enjoy those valuable hours. To heck with ratings. Have fun.

http://www.poodwaddle.com/realage.swf

Hi. I'm 67 and the older I get the less tackle I cram into my camera rucksack - so it's not too heavy for my wife to carry. Well it's easy to get at if it's on her back.

I have a lightweight suggestion for you Bill.In the attached photo:

 

1.Walkstool.com will give you a very lightweight stool good for carrying anywhere.

2. Lowepro Mini Trakker Back pack.Good for carrying minimum gears.

3. A carbon Tripod by Manfrotto/Gitzo.It weight less to carry around.<div></div>

Michael, I have my doubts about the "How old are we really test" -- it gives me a "real age" of 32.4 although I turn 56 in a few weeks. When I was in my early 30's, I had a LOT more get-up-and-go, and not just in the way referred to in the thread title ;-)

John, I certianly understand what you are saying. Mentally, I think I still can do things that I did when I was 30 however, the ol' body dosen't cooperate. A few years ago, playing softball, I hit a triple and almost got thrown out huffing and puffing to first base. Just wanted ol' Bill Tate to feel better about dragging gear in the field. I'm wore out typing this much at once. :)

Rashed, thanks for the suggestions--I really like the stool. I don't know about the back pack. I seem to fall over lately if I shift my weight even a tad.

 

A while back I saw an embroideried pillow behind the silver haired lady in a restored old pick-up going down I-70 that says it all: THE GOLDEN YEARS SUCK!

 

Thanks all. Keep a good outlook. I'm pushing that double seven in November, and thinking about starting a new business. How's that for nuts.

I have a crappy spine with bnone spurs and a bad disk. After a glorious weekend at a spa

with a massage, I slung my M6 on a long strap-shifted to occupy the small of my back. I then

took a short walk this way and my back was sore for a week afterward.

 

When I prepare to leave the house with the same camera, and no accessories or extra lenses,

sometimes just handling it gives me twinges in my back and discourages me from taking it

out. My solution, for the meanwhile while I'm losing 20lbs. (yeah, right), is to do project work

that does not require the agility, quickness, and sometimes contortionism that street

photography requires.