My Dad gave me my first camera when I was 6, then he gave me a very good camera to work with when I was 12, that was the Leica, then we went through the Pentax period and finally I rested my eyes on the Nikons. Though for my birthday one year my Dad sent me that old Leica and it comes out for a run every now and then. A stunning camera, remind me Roger to take a shot of it for you.
But all those years I have shot using levels, I have always dropped to my knees, stood on something or gone to the ground or even laid ON the ground to get a shot. Ask my children, who are now adults, I have even been seen on the ground at weddings, in heels, gorgeous dresses, flowing curls, champagne flute raised just so ‘can someone hold this?” and the camera and my smoky eyelinered blue eye, level with the floor, taking photos of shoes dancing.
Yesterday I took my trusty shepherds crook that I use to keep bad dogs and wild sheep in order but is also incredibly good for grabbing things off the ground when one cannot bend, and out into the farm wee went.
The Shepherd crook also doubled as a walking stick for the way home. I took Camera House, the NIKON d90 given to me by my dear friend Bill. 2 days of recovery from an altercation with the steps was too long out of the loop for me. But I cannot kneel, or crouch – let alone get right on the ground ( I cannot get back up – the pain is fierce) so I am now faced with shooting straight down or across from a standing position.
So here is a new challenge.
How to take interesting shots using only one level. My least favourite level too.
Pretty dull aren’t they. Something to work on. We love a challenge you and I.
Today I was a good girl and did not sit down at all. I was either walking or laid on my side. The house is going to hell in a hand-basket. The writing has stopped. (I am writing this one handed laid on my side.) There is still debris everywhere from the storm. The windows still have leaves and dirt stuck to them from the bad wind. But the animals are all fed. The Matriarch visited the Old Codger for me and I got in touch with another friend of mine (the woman who shared the chicken raising experiment with me) and she and her network of mothers is helping me with the little family whose Mum is sick. I am listening to my pain very carefully and the moment it crosses the line – off to the couch I go. Just like you told me to.
I am also increasing my raw milk calcium intake. Just like you said. White Russians at bed time. What a good girl am I.
This is only a tiny problem in the realm of things. Very fixable.
You all have a lovely day.
your friend on the couch,
celi
Valerie Davis wrote yesterday about a subject very dear to many of our hearts. Our love of silence. If you have a moment it is well worth the read.
The Kitchen's Garden 
83 responses to “A different angle”
Heal well, my friend!
Hell of a way to learn patience… hang in there! Is it heat/ice/heat? Ice/heat/ice? I can never remember… Wish I lived close enough to help!
Oh Celi, here I turn my back for 4 days and I come back to find a broken bumbone and a demolished treehouse. Please take care of yourself – what were you thinking trieing to take on a tornadoe? 🙂 There was horrendous IL footage on TV here – I rushed to the farmy page and found you injured but everything largely ok, phewww. Take care. Laura
we are indeed all largely ok.. where did you get off to then, hope you had a nice time?
Didn’t go away – had house guests for 4 days and got really busy with them. Laura
Celi, I am glad to hear you are (mostly) resting… 😉
I do hope you heal quickly. Broken parts are the worst pain to endure.
How I feel for you. I know the lying on one’s side thing…there’s only one exact spot that is pain free…for a short time. What a bugger. It won’t go on for ever. I would love to see the Leica…I never owned one.
Sorry I know but i am still laughing about your comment yesterday.. c
Oh how I know this pain. Rest and get strong again. Wish I lived closer 😦 HUGS
With my neck problem from the accident I have many telling me to drink lots of water for the pain, stiffness and it apparently keeps the muscles hydrated and this aids in quicker healing… don’t know how true it is but I pass on the advice I’m getting…
water I can do, thank you, some of the other things suggested require a drive into a town and a search, things i cannot do right now. Sitting in a car will have to wait a while, let alone getting into and out of one! Water on the other hand is in my tap.. I can do that.. c
Rest, rest, rest.
I hear you, resting right now.. c
You are listening to the Fellowship and healing. Excellent.
I’m totally with you on the photography. I, too, have always been the one on the ground/floor, kneeling, squatting, crawling to get the right perspective. Then along came osteoarthritis in my right hip and incredible pain and immobility and then total hip joint replacement. I am supposed to be careful even now about how much I bend my hip lest it pop out of place. But, aha, do I listen? No. I am still kneeling, squatting (the big no-no), crawling, etc., to find the right angle and perspective.
Soon, my dear, you will be back to shooting how you want to shoot. But, for now, heed your body and heal.
Audrey it is terrible not to be able to bend down, even to pick up shoe. I hope your hip does not pop out of place but your work and blog is so educational and the photos so good that i am glad you are still finding us the best angles.. c
It sure does make you appreciate the boring, standing upright looking down or over angle, doesn’t it? Never fear, as long as you rest and heal, like you’re doing, you’ll be back to kneeling and twisting to get just that right spot before you know it.
Oh and Valerie’s post was most excellent so thank you for pointing us her way.
Valerie is a very good writer and a terrific woman, I thought you might like her work Joss. ho is the weather out there in france today? Lovely?.. c
alternately sunshine and showers and COLD. Your accident/injury is NOT a tiny thing. I tried to keep going after mine, and made everything 10 times worse. Please listen to your pain.
PS I find your one-level pictures perfectly enjoyable – it’s the personalities in them that I love.
I have heard what bulldog has heard about the importance of drinking plenty of water when injured. Good that you are listening to your body and treating yourself accordingly. This, too, shall pass.
I wish it would hurry up and pass!! We are on day four, 2 more days and I am starting some gentle yoga again, laying about is turning me to a jelly.. c
I injured my knee a week ago when two dogs the sizes of Ton and Boo careened into me while playing and my kneecap shifted and some ligaments were torn. This is day 8 and today is the first day I’m able to weight bear and be free of that excruciating pain when you move the wrong way, but also feel my spirit is restored too. I’ve been doing all the things you’ve been advised, and like you too, I’ve felt impatient to get back out there, but I knew if I didn’t rest, not just my knee, but my wholeness because of the shock, healing would take much longer and I might be left with a knee that’s never quite right. I still take the puppy out twice a day, but for very short gentle rambles rather than long walks and I have other animals to care for, so not able to rest all day….and wouldn’t want to. I’m telling you this, not to detract from your painful situation, but to say there’s a time frame that seems to be around that 7-8 day mark that your body needs to recover from the shock and then your bodymind can address the phyysical injury. Please hold off on the yoga for a while longer, do what chores you must and are able to, and don’t do anything else that might exacerbate the injury. You can’t force the process.
thank you.. point taken, and your poor knee, that is a mean injury, dogs just do not see anything when they play.. for you i will try and go to day 8, though today has taught me a thing or two about being impatient that is for sure. c
seems to me that whichever camera you use and whichever level you are, all your pics come out as they should, well I think so!
just take it easy (not easy for you I know), let nature do its work, otherwise it will only get worse… but you are still my heroine ( is that being sexist in this day and age) you keep on going and going and going……..
Wishing you some serious relief, friend, but in the meantime, you have given us an EXCELLENT photography lesson. You are so very right–the best photos often require yoga-esque poses! In the meantime, I am sure you’ll rise to the challenge of upright photography. 🙂
I do hope you heal very soon, I’ve had an injured tailbone and it really isn’t fun nor pretty. It’s truly amazing how everything is so connected in the body.
We were very fortunate in Yorkville, there really was no damage but I must say it was frightening. The sound of the winds were breathtakingly loud!
I think the noise had me a bit disorientated too, terrible, howling shrieking carry on. c
Celi, here’s to you healing and being “back on your feet” soon.
What a pity we don’t all live closer so we could all come give you a hand.
🙂 Mandy xo
I have down time and I certainly would come to your aid!!!! Wish we all lived closer! A tea party would be wonderful! After we do Celi’s chores!!!! 🙂