Grandma Moses can be a role model for ‘seniors’. Died when she was 101, had 10
children and did hard farm work from the age of 12. She was unfailingly positive
in her attitude and thought like my own mother who always said, “Hard work never
killed anybody.”
As Grandma Moses got older and found the physical demands of
farm work too onerous, she took up embroidery to fill up her spare time. At the
age of seventy-six she gave up embroidery and began to paint, because of
arthritis in her hands making needlepoint too difficult. At an age where many
people are ready to give up, this remarkable woman started a new ‘career’, and a
very successful career that was, with many of her paintings hanging in art
galleries throughout the world.
I draw the comparison between Grandma Moses and ‘senior’
photographers, because photography is a pursuit, and an art form, that can be
very satisfying, and yet be within the physical capabilities of people when they
get older.
Modern cameras have all but removed all obstacles in the way
of anyone’s ability to take pictures - from small children through to today’s
Grandma Moses!
So what should a senior photographer look for with today’s
cameras? The first thing to look for is light weight. As you get older, the
ability to manipulate heavy cameras goes, and some of the really good cameras
are far too heavy. Look for a point and shoot camera, or a ‘bridge’ camera that
is light enough for you to handle. Forget the Nikon F3 or a Canon EOS, both
excellent cameras, but with weights of over one kg without a lens attached,
these are far too heavy.
Before I forget (another ‘senior’ moment), another very
important accessory for seniors doing photography is your reading glasses! To be
able to check your shots, the camera settings and the battery life left you will
need your readers! Hang them on a string around your neck! You will thank me.
As our eyesight starts to fall off, the average senior soon
thinks that photography is beyond them, as it is too difficult to get the
subject in sharp focus. Modern technology has come to your rescue. Almost every
new camera has “Auto-Focus”, usually called AF. Looking at the subject and
depressing the shutter button half way, the camera will look for you and focus
for you and even let you know that focus has been reached, usually with a ‘beep’
and a green light. Sure, there are some tricks to be learned as to how to get
the AF work for you in all situations, but it isn’t too difficult. Beep and
green light technology.
To make it possible to get even better and sharper photos,
the camera designers had you seniors in mind. So your hands aren’t rock steady
any more, don’t worry, there is a thing called “anti-shake” technology in
today’s cameras. The camera itself will settle all but the biggest tremors that
being a senior will bring. This feature is not something in every camera, but if
you ask at the camera store, they will tell you which models have it. They have
fancy names like Optical Image Stabilization, but “anti shake” will do.
The next important feature in a camera for seniors is the
‘zoom’ capability. Even the better compacts have built in zooming. I would never
expect an 80 year old to clamber over rocks to get a photo of a turtle digging a
hole in the sand, but with a half decent zoom, that shot is possible from this
side of the rocks, even from a wheelchair. The famous photographer Ansel Adams
once said, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” With a zoom lens that
is easy.
The thoughts of ‘exposure’ settings and such can be daunting
for seniors, but every camera today has its “P” setting. A ‘program’ that works
out the optimal exposure, both shutter speed and aperture. You don’t even need
to know what those words mean - the camera will do it all. The senior
photographer just has to work out what he or she wants to photograph and then
its composition.
Photography is for all ages, especially seniors!
