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”
Thank goodness you have delegated some of your responsibilities Celi, so that your body has time to heal! And that your wonderful family and friends have stepped in to help. Sending positive healing energies! xoxoxo
Whiskey is a good pain reliever as well. When my back goes out I do up jack and ginger. It may not be the level you like for the photos but we appreciate them. It’s nice to see how the farmy is doing. 🙂
You’re a very talented photographer. Hope the pain heals soon.
There you are cin, lovely to see you and what beautiful views you have from your balconies.. loved your post today.. c
It’s so funny you should write about camera angles today. I was walking home from my usual urban walk-about today, and had a fierce desire to lie on my stomach in the piazza just to get the right shot of the cobble stones under the arch. But I didn’t have my camera, so no point. I am worried about your sweet little tale bone. I had an inflammation of mine once, and that was enough to almost immobilize me. I hobbled around and sat on an inflated donut for a few days and then, voila, it disappeared the way it had come. But you have something more serious…please PLEASE take care.
you could have laid on the ground and pretended you had a camera, they would have thought you were a street photographer and thrown money too you!.. laugh.. c
My Goodness, your back does sound really bad.
I can only console you with the thought that it WILL get better.
And you’d be surprised what you can shoot from the one angle – I do it most of the time.
Just try to keep up a certain amount of gentle movement. After my back surgery I wasn’t allowed to sit for more than 15 minutes and I must admit slow walking (which I do to this day) is the only way to survive at times like this. I learned to keep everything within easy reach too.
I find a few drops of Lavender essential oil on the woolly cover of a hot water bottle behind the base of my spine is the most helpful. (I had L4/5 lumbar disc surgery and the osteophyte formation from the surgery is constantly pressing on the nerve root 24/7 since 2008, so I fully comprehend how you must feel). I sometimes do a kind of walking meditation in slow motion.
I am glad to hear about the slow walking, I pulled all my outside clothes on this morning determined to do chores and twice had to reach down to get something and then I was absolutely marooned on the floor of the barn unable to move for the pain, i tell my legs .. get up and they say, no, it will hurt, so i had to wait for john for wander back in to help me up and even then it was impossible.. he is getting frustrated with me too, he is not used to me being so wretched for this long. Now I am going to lie down again, I stand to type, but I have to succomb now.. c
White Russians sound good to me! I know you are getting tons of advice, but I want to add just a couple of others I found helpful. When you are lying on your side, place a pillow between your knees to keep the spine aligned. If you are doing something standing up, bring the project up as high as you can, so you are not straining your neck to look down. Every piece of the spine is so important, and if you are not careful putting pressure on the other parts to relieve your tail bone will aggravate the Sciatic nerve that runs through the lot of them, and then you will have multiple problems! Oh one last thing, I found that standing in an open door way with my back against the ‘jam’ helped me to keep my spine straight before I began walking. Otherwise sometimes I found myself leaning to one side too much.
Like others I so wish I was closer so could come help – look after yourself my friend!
all good advice, nothing like experience as a teacher! and i certainly do not want any more problems.. c
White Russians for back pain. Got it. 😉
simple things are always best!! c
It seems as if you have a whole houseful of caring friends: we bloggers. Aren’t you lucky that we can’t be there in person to bend your ears with our homegrown myths and cures? Your body will do just fine on its own in time. So, my friend, you’ll have to use some patience for a while…
We would mother you to death! LOL
not that i would mind! c
Hi C….. I have been sending healing thoughts ! Sprained my SI joint last spring right before I was leaving for beach time, needless to say I was “benched”. The pillow between the knees is very
helpful. Time is the healer and It’s a very humbling experience ! I had been working extra hard
preparing for walking on the beach and left my house hoping I would be able to make it through
The airport to the plane . Lay low !! Warmest healing hugs ! Nanstera
oh no! the plane must have been torture! c
It is one of the most painful injuries I have ever had. I mean my goodness “What You Sit On???? Owie! I am so glad you have your trusty donut! Truly is a wonderful invention!
I know it is against your nature to rest on the couch on a work day, but you need it! And it is good to walk around some too…the stiffness is a misery and all those bruises!
Photos are enjoyable, not to worry! My first camera was an old Brownie when I was a kid now that I think back! Seven kids in our home! Better cameras came later! 😉 My dad was a Stock Broker, but 7 kids!!! LOL
The shoe store where my mom shopped for our shoes loved her! One of his best customers I think!
School shoes, dress shoes for church, boots and sneakers for play!!! Oh yeah…I think he really liked my mom! LOL Good thing my Dad wasn’t a cobbler! The cobblers kids.. as the story goes… had “no” shoes to wear!!! So I guess we were pretty lucky kids! Eh?
Take care Celi and I hope your pain is less and less with everyday! (((hugs)))
I was definitely a little better this morning! thank you mere/.. c
Something like this happening which makes us move in a different way makes us realise just how much we normally put our bodies through on a daily basis. Glad to hear you are trying to rest…take it all gently and hopefully your animals will send you some healing power too.
The first camera I used was my grandmother’s box brownie and when you looked into the viewer the image was upside down.. If you rolled the film on just a fraction and clicked again you could get two of whatever you were snapping (usually me snapping my grandmother or my grandmother snapping me) in one photo – I thought it was amazing!
That was my first camera too! Had such fun with it.
It was fun indeed!
I also loved the double exposures of film.. and the surprises!!
Double the White Russian intake and it will all get better 😉
Knew I was missing something!
If you are going to be out of commission for a while, you might considered using a remote viewer and controller with your camera. If you are able to place the camera on the ground, etc., you can then control it’s functions while standing up. And they also make hiking sticks with tripod mounts. 🙂
very good ideas nicole, though I cannot bend over and place anything on the ground quite yet, let alone retrieve it. But soon I will, this will not last for too long, i heal fast.. c
Our bodies heal in their own time no matter how we chafe and moan and groan that it is not fast enough, At your latitude, don’t forget the Vitamin D with all that good milk to help with bone. Love your pictures no matter what the angle. It is kind of like looking at a friend without makeup….doesn’t matter, as long as we see her. When we live without pain, it really makes us out of sorts when we do experience it for more than an hour. That tumble you took makes me think that many of your muscles are also black and blue inside and wrenched. Thank you for steering us towards Valerie. I am imagining a tea party with your solitary, reclusive followers. Maybe just the sound of spoons whirling in teacups? Stay warm and keep a flask of White Russians handy.
This is such a delicious comment, I laughed out loud, and will keep this picture in my mind for many a day… luckily I think we’re probably all in touch with whoever is the goddess of laughter, singing and dancing, so after whirling our tea-spoons into a frenzy of sound we can then leap up and dance to the music of time !!
stunning.. both of you.. c
Good morning C; glad you have made the usage of spirits for pain mgmt. white Russians? sounds good brandy is a good one too; (missy and i like blackberry brandy) works to relieve pain well . i would like to see the Leica as well. try standing when typing you are using a laptop ? right ? toss it on a counter in the kitchen it will be fine, just don’t be cooking around it the greases and moisture will clog up the fans and it is hard to clean .
be a blessing mike
good idea on the standing to type! Excellent!/..that blackberry brandy sound just the ticket.. maybe I will decant the last jar of peach brandy c