It's one thing to meticulously look after our photography gear, but if we don't take care of our bodies, there's only so much we'll be able to do in the future if we can't get up from our chair or lift our camera. Take a look at this video which explains how to make your photography more enjoyable and safe for as long as possible.Whatever type of photography you do, I am sure you have been there at some point. Whether it is a long day of shooting on foot, and feeling the after effects on your wrist after holding your camera for hours on end or if you have been doing some studio work, leaning over a tripod, or doing some lay-flat photography, and suffering from back ache later on. Let's not forget all those times you end up getting crazy angles by bending down or getting down on your knees! I find that I don't even consciously notice I am doing it because once the shoot starts, I try to do it to the best of my ability and sometimes it does involve putting my body in oddly contorted poses!
You can get away with it initially for a while but if you want to invest in yourself, you do need to take care of how you shoot and how you look after your body so that you can keep doing what you love for as long as possible without suffering the consequences or something that could have been avoided. To help us with this, photographer duo Andrew and Denae invited Andrew's brother Jeremy, who is a physical therapist, to join them in their latest video to discuss this.
Jeremy discusses techniques we can implement to improve our shooting habits, which will lead to better posture and thus less strain on our bodies. I know for a fact that many of us put our own needs at the bottom of the list, with business and clients often taking priority, but to sustain our hobby or business, it is crucial to set time aside for ourselves. I fully know it's something I need to take more notice of. I noticed it after not having shot a wedding for over half a year due to COVID-19 and how my body reacted when I started shooting again.
How do you look after your body to help you shoot more comfortably?
Good practical advice. Thanks
After 40 years in this business I only wish I to had a brother who had become a physical therapist. Probably one of the most useful and important How To's I've seen on this site. Thanks and hope you think to do a couple more handy hints to keep people job ready.
One thing I've found as a hobbyist lifter that I have incorporated into my photography: When you're squatting down, people have a tendency to go up on the balls of their feet, which I find can be a tiring position to maintain that feels stressful on the knees. My solution to this, if you wear a shoe with a slightly raised heel, like a boot or a dress shoe, it becomes a lot easier to squat while keeping your heels on the ground and distributing your weight evenly on your feet without losing your balance.
Great video and article, more content like this please fstoppers.