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photography after shoulder injury


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Good morning All.

 

Cut a long story short after shoulder injury and "frozen Shoulder"..... I received 2 weeks ago a 'corticosteroid' injection into shoulder to assist recovery of shoulder movement.

 

 Still under continued medical care.

 

I just tried to hold in shooting posture my Canon 5d mk3 and 100 Macro . I lasted about 5 seconds.

 

Has one else gone through the same scenario ?.

 

Is that  my photography finished??

 

Did you change camera kit??

 

Or now do you use Monopod  or tripod????

 

Any advice or experience of the same??

 

(FOR ALAMY my work & submission have now just died!!!)

 

Thanks for comments & practical suggestions.

 

Sparks

 

 

 

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My frozen shoulder lasted for a year or so in its serious form and yes, it did do for my business, but more the lifting and shifting than actual photography. I took fewer pix then (pre-digital) but IIRC holding the elbows in helped. Canons are the heaviest, though. I wonder if there's a brace that keeps the weight off- the problem with a tripod is that you've got to carry it, which was my problem.

Which shoulder?

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I've always used a tripod, never been one to hang a camera around my neck/shoulder. As I got older wiser I started using carbon fibre versions and shoot the vast majority of work with a tripod, regardless of size of camera (I used to use m/f and now still using a 5D2).

 

There are plenty of good smaller cameras - Fuji XT1 or Sony A7 series etc that produce great results from cameras that are a lot lighter.

 

I've had a knackered back for decades and shoulder problems from sport.... you can/do adapt.

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I am left handed but all my  photographic shooting work is done right handed and it is my right shoulder that is affected.

 

Thank you for your comments. Apart from it will last a year.... that cheered me up no end!! :) :)

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Hi Sparks!

 

Dont throw your Canon kit away - frozen shoulders WILL get better, but as said can take up to a year or so. 

 

Might well be worth getting some good physio advice - both re the shoulder and re the photography...

 

Meantime small lightweight camera or tripod plus cable release?

 

Good luck!

 

Kumar

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Thanks Vpics.

 

I have a very sturdy manfrotto monopod that's lasted years.

 

At present I am thinking that's the way to go.

 

(Also the monopod functions considerably in my arm exercises....multi function  use for "Manfrotto" !!!!)

 

Sparks :)

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Hi Sparks

 

I can understand and sympathies with your predicament, having adhesive capsulitis in both shoulders during the last 5 years myself.

With physio and those painful daily exercises you should see an improvement in mobility and a decrease in pain within a couple of months. You will get there, take it one day at a time. Although it's left me with limited shoulder movement I still lug a metal tripod and 2 heavy canons up and down dale and suffer for it the next day lol. And as spacecadet points out, keeping your elbows tucked in really helps.

 

Good luck

 

Steven

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Yes, I had a shoulder injury that had ripped all the tendons etc.  I couldn't lift my right arm more than a couple of inches for many months.  The pain could be intense.

I managed to keep on window cleaning by adopting a different method which involved keeping the top half of my right arm at the side and using my legs

to achieve the movement needed.  This was high level water fed pole cleaning.

 

For my photography I changed to a Sony RX100 and managed to carry on ok.

 

After my corticosteroid injection my shoulder eased but I'd realised the advantages of the small camera for stock work and haven't looked back since.

All my DSLR gear was sold and my only item now is a Sony RX100 M3.

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I do not know the exact effects and limitations of having "frozen shoulder," but my sympathy goes out to you and John, sparks. Other than bruises and a couple of cracked ribs, I was very lucky during my 30-plus years as an assignment shooter. I have a few observations that prompt questions.

 

Sparks, scanning through a number of pages in your collection, I see that your subjects are mostly what one finds in the outdoor world. Although with Geoff's subjects, the use of a tripod makes total sense, my guess is that a tripod would prove to be an inconvenience with many of your subjects. And we must carry around a tripod, even a carbon fiber one, set it up, break it down, maybe lean over at an angle sometimes . . . is all that possible with a damaged shoulder? You tell me. 

 

Like John, I've moved from heavy DSLR gear to much smaller, lighter, Sony mirrorless cameras. Sparks, I see nothing in your collection that you could not capture with the Sony RX100 iii that John recommends. I have one, too, and I also have a couple of slightly larger Sony NEX cameras. My RX100 images sail through Alamy QC. Even when you get back to full function, and return to your D5, this little pocket camera will be a big plus to own. 

 

Edo

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I've been there twice. I'm left handed but right eye dominant. The first episode I wasn't into photography. I couldn't lift my arm high enough to use both hands to wash my hair in the shower.

I joined a gym, and through gentle machine exercises with no added weight, I got my range of motion back. Years later, the shoulder worsened again, and therapy and injections didn't help. Exercises only made the pain and disability worse. That happens if you have calcium deposits, torn rotator cuff, etc. because movement causes more damage to surrounding tissues.

I had surgery and all is well, now.

During that time, I was shooting Nikon. I did the camera lifting with my left arm, cradling camera/lens with my left hand and kept the right close to my body to trigger shutter and steady the camera, and it worked. I also often shot from my car window using a bean bag on a partially rolled up window. When I had my 80-400 lens mounted, I used a monopod because I shot birds with that lens, and a tripod wasn't mobile enough.

The only time I lost from shooting was post surgery when I was spending 5 hours every day for two weeks in a chair, with my arm strapped onto an armrest while being rotated through automated range of motion. That was to keep the shoulder from scarring down while the healing progressed.

I feel your pain. I hope your shoulder recovers, but because there have been 3 shoulder surgeries in my family after all other treatments failed, I am doubtful.

I do shoot with a Fuji X-T1 now and the smaller/lighter weight is easier on my body as a whole. If you take a peek at my work, everything shot in the past 20 months was shot with the Fuji or Sony RX100. 75% of my tropical island work was shot with the RX100-3. The storefronts were with the Fuji.

 

If you aren't ready to change systems wholesale yet, try the RX100-3 while you heal to give you something that will fit in your pocket, cause no pain, and make you reinvent photography (which can be fun) since you have to shoot within the camera lens's range.

Betty

Looking at your excellent work, I see nothing you've shot in the first couple of pages that couldn't be shot with either the Fuji or Sony. With the exception of birds. The new 100-400 Fuji lens I have on order will fix that! :)

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My brother is a photographer as well but only shoots as a serious hobbyist, he is a retired firefighter. He is also an avid cyclist and a couple of years ago he had a bad fall and tore both of his shoulders. He had to have surgery on both shoulders. He could not lift a camera for a year or so but after a lot of physical therapy and allowing time for the healing, he is back to shooting photos with no issues. Of course each person is different but there is hope for a recovery!

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A technique you could try is the one used by some sports shoooters when using long lenses while still needing movement for panning etc. They use a (short)monopod into a pouch on their belt, like a marching flag carrier. It gives flexibility as it allows twisting from the hips and legs but supports and steadies the weight of the lens and camera. That could take a lot of weight off the shoulder.

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A technique you could try is the one used by some sports shoooters when using long lenses while still needing movement for panning etc. They use a (short)monopod into a pouch on their belt, like a marching flag carrier. It gives flexibility as it allows twisting from the hips and legs but supports and steadies the weight of the lens and camera. That could take a lot of weight off the shoulder.

Great idea, Martin.

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My sympathies. 

I have a wrecked back from two accidents and had a torn rotator cuff which took about a year of physical therapy to improve after surgery. Right shoulder and I'm right-handed. It does get better but I find now that I use a tripod or monopod more often and switch off using a lighter camera much of the time. I love my Olympus OMD-E1 but still use my D700 though not as often. Even once my shoulder was better I found that the weight of using a heavy camera all the time was not healthy for me and having the option of going with something light really helps. Good luck. The better you are about keeping up the PT exercises the sooner you'll see improvement - it can be discouraging but just keep telling yourself it will get better.

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Thanks to everyone for taking time to reply. I am giving thought to all the comments and advice.....and encouragement !!.

 

I find it interesting the references to the amount of time needed.

 

But like Betty, my first step is get my arm up high enough to press the shutter button when the camera is at eye level........(no matter how the camera gets there!).....

 

I have a solid manfrotto monopod and manfrotto  tripod which will be used far more in future!!

 

But for now, one step at a time!!!!

 

Maybe I should be fine tuning a lot of my keywording. You don't have to reach up to a keyboard........oh!!!! hours of such fun to look for to. ;)

 

Thank to all !!!

 

 

Sparks

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I can empathise and sympathise. I've had some nasty shoulder injuries over the last 10 years. First one when skimming stones with my son - I ended up pulling a tendon - excruciating pain and took several months to get better after physiotherapy. Second one was pushing a very heavy washing machine back into place - a loud crack and excruciating pain - presumably a tendon or a ligament. I never had it treated, I just did exercises as advised by GP and it got better after some months with strong painkillers every night for sleep.

 

Third time I slipped when climbing over some rocks taking pictures. I saved my camera which was on a tripod but took the weight of the fall on my shoulder which turned some amazing colours over the following days. I couldn't hand hold a camera for over a month and movement was very restricted and painful. I was becoming despondent but it gradually got better over about 2 months. The really good news is that they all got better, although I was pretty pessimistic each time that they ever would. I think it is important to accept the limitations rather than try to push it even though that is the natural inclination.

 

You might want to investigate the latest Manfrotto tripods The Befree Carbon FIbre has been reduced very significantly in price recently on WEX. It is ultralight (1.1 kg) and comes with an ultralight ball head. Very useful for travelling as well.

 

 

 

 

 
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Thanks to everyone for taking time to reply. I am giving thought to all the comments and advice.....and encouragement !!.

 

I find it interesting the references to the amount of time needed.

 

But like Betty, my first step is get my arm up high enough to press the shutter button when the camera is at eye level........(no matter how the camera gets there!).....

 

I have a solid manfrotto monopod and manfrotto  tripod which will be used far more in future!!

 

But for now, one step at a time!!!!

 

Maybe I should be fine tuning a lot of my keywording. You don't have to reach up to a keyboard........oh!!!! hours of such fun to look for to. ;)

 

Thank to all !!!

 

 

Sparks

 

The other approach of course is to use your camera at waist level if it has a sufficiently versatile rear screen; you don't need to lift your arm. Shorten the neck strap and tension it while shooting and you will be able to use surprisingly slow shutter speeds. The other big advantage is it gets you away from those all too easy, therefore boring, eyelevel shots. Get down to a child's eye view - may generate new sales! Get a new view of the world!

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I was going to suggest live view but isn't that a Sony thing?

I can just get my v/f to eye level without rotating the shoulder, you have to squash your head into your neck somewhat. Maybe a right angle finder. Shame to change equipment for a short-ish term problem.

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