Photographers with learning difficulties, and depression.

I hope you don't mind me bringing this subject up, but how many photographers we we know of or are on this form that have a learning disability?

I am not ashamed to admit that I have learning difficulties, that doesn't make me stupid. I first got into photography when I was sixteen at college, even then I faced negative barriers, because the lecturer wouldn't let me do everything on the course because he just couldn‘t see beyond my learning difficulty. Something which probably contributed to my depression.

I love taking pictures of old buildings and things that no longer exist because it takes my mind of my depression which for some people can be a terrible illness. I had to leave one photography forum because of all the nasty comments I was receiving about my pictures. Their not brilliant I admit but I am glad about this site because I know I will receive positive if truthful advice on how to improve my photography.

It’s just makes me sad that some stranger can sit behind their PC thinking it’s cool to berate another member on a forum because they think it’s ‘fun’. WELL IT’S NOT! It’s not good to make someone feel so bad that they feel they have to leave and go elsewhere, put yourself in that persons position. How would you feel if someone said something bad to you, this can have devastating consequences on vulnerable people.

How many people on here can bravely admit they have depression, or learning difficulties?

I have visited ‘Snap’ which is ran by Mencap, I take my hat off to some of them because they have gone out there and taken nice pictures and don’t care if someone criticises them nastily. Thanks for reading my post. I look forward to more constructive advice.

Whilst not exactly a learning difficulty, I personally suffer from narcolepsy, and can definitely relate to using photography as a means to ward off depression issues.

I also find this forum to be both interesting and good willed. The people who are on here seem to be genuine, and interested in other people developing their work. One of the things that makes me glad I shoot Pentax

Hi josiahk thanks for your reply. What is narcolepsy if you don't mind me asking? I have curvature of the spine so when I take pictures, I often have to strighten them because they are not always level. It's very educational this forum and I have learnt a lot, Pentax is great althrough not advertised as much as it should be. All Nikon or Canon.

I had a look at your Fliker picture, I like your shot of the bee, how did you get that? OK take care and have a good day

Hello Auratodd
all i can say is there are many people with learning difficulties and as i have a form of Dyslexia and I work as a photojournalist for a news paper I would never be ashamed of that so to say or admit that you have learning difficulties, you should be proud to admit it and then you can get help.
i dont have depression as i am very happy with what i do and i have meet some very nice people on this site that help me for one.
I do take crap photos which i do a lot of the time i get some help by others, like some i could say dave storm puma jim larry and others from the site, i never let it break me or let it put me down all I can say is be happy have fun with it and keep working at it as it will come.
so keep your chin up as we all are still learning

Hi Richard thanks for your kind words, even David Bailey had to start somewhere. There is help now for people with learning difficulties, there are also some metal health people out there who take good pictures. I just wish pentax was advertised more

Thanks AuraTodd.

The bee picture was taken using a 100mm macro lens. I was leaning against a wall for stability, and the bee was bobbing about on the plants growing on top of the wall. I took a few, but most were not sharp enough as I didn't have a tripod or anything. That one was basically a lucky shot, but I believe that sometimes you can make your own luck, especially if you are willing to keep on trying.

Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that effects many things, but most visibly the ability of the body to regulate sleep/wake patterns. This means uncontrollably falling asleep with little or no warning at any time of the day or night. Another symptom is cataplexy, which causes the spontaneous loss of muscle control when experiencing strong emotional reactions, such as laughing. The condition is quite rare, but there have been a few documentaries on tv about it over the years you may have seen. If you want to know any more about it, there is a website for the UK charity that aims to help sufferers, you can find the website here.

i dont i like it the way it is its ours and no one can have it i tell you no one lol as you can tell theres now work today as iam sat at home driving my lady friend mad lol.

i like pentax just the way it is i think that if it grows the quality of workman ship could fail like canon as nickon as there build quality is 2nd and 3rd to pentax build toughness so if pentax when as these did we could look at cheaper builds. so i say leave it as is

if its not broken dont fix it

I don't have learning difficulties - in fact, I got nicknamed "the professor" at school! Even now, if I'm interested in a subject, I love to "scratch below the surface", always asking why a thing is as it is, etc.

In 2002, I was involved in a serious car accident - one that almost ended my life. I suffered from severe anxiety, through to the most deepest, darkest thoughts (I'm talking suicide here), and found that I had to keep switching medication in order to cope. I was so bad, I was also drinking copious amounts of alcohol along with the depression (not a good thing to do, I know!!), but thankfully the one thing that I found extremely therapeutic was to pick up my camera, and head off somewhere, whether here in the UK, or overseas (I used to do a lot of travelling in my job). My photographic skills(?) are next to zero, but as long as I get a sense of "inner-being" from what I'm doing with a camera in my hand, I don't really think about what others think about my photos.

When I was much younger (early teen years), my dad had a severe stroke that left him paralysed, and I had to help with things such as dressing him, and at the earliest stages of his stroke, wipe his backside (literally) for him, so I totally empathise with the caring profession. It's from this experience that I learned to try not to judge people by their perceived disabilities, but to try to make them feel part of wider society.

All I'm trying to say to you is: If what you are doing makes you happy, then who are others to knock your efforts? The best judge of your abilities and shortcomings is yourself!

Good luck, and keep your chin up, Louise!!

Same here, I love to get out there and see things instead of on TV I would love to go to York and see the cathedral, I may get the chance in July if I am lucky, or not... Has anyone been here?

josiahk I had never heard of Narcolepsy, I have visited the website and it looks very interesting.

Here is a link to five famous people who have my condition, scholiocis. King Richard the 3rd had it obviously...

http://www.lovelyish.com/730165734/5-famous-people-with-scoliosis-and-including-...

And famous people who have Narcolepsy http://sleep.lovetoknow.com/Famous_People_with_Narcolepsy

Hello Louise - I have been very touched by some of your posts. I think you are doing fine!

Some folk are thick skinned, and have an insensitive way of expressing opinions. And they are just opinions, after all. We all have different ways of looking at our world, and different things that we see. For my own part, I now realise that I have absolutely no 'artistic' talent at all, and I photograph things that I like, in order to record them. I'm a retired scientist, so that's the way my brain is tuned. Others see beauty in strange things, and they like to develop that way of looking at their world. There is no excuse for slagging off the work of others, just because it may not fit into one's own slot.

I'm glad that you like rats. I like them too. I don't want them inside the house - they destroy things and are a nuisance, but I don't mind them out of doors. Our home is in a village, and we sometimes get brown rats come and eat the bird-food we leave behind the house. When they get to be a nuisance, I catch them in a live-trap and take them to the top of a nearby hill, and turn them loose where there is a bit of a rubbish tip, that will usually have some discarded food for them to eat.

Be kind to animals, too!

Best wishes,

Martin

Your welcome David

My friend has learning difficulties which are a bit more pronounced then mine, she used to like showing her pictures on another photographer site. Then a man wrote a torrent of abuse about them and her social worker got involved and threatened to report him to the moderator as the comments were quite vicious and uncalled for. In the end the moderator removed this member, he’s probably joined another photography forum now so be aware.

This really upset my friend who is agoraphobic as well, and uses her pc a lot as she hates going out. This experience knocked her confidence.

For me, does anyone know if there is a GCSE exam in photography?

OldTaffy I had a rat called Sandy which developed a tumour on her stomach, it grew so big I took her down the vets on the intention of putting her out of her pain. Turned out that she was in labour and gave birth to (don't know their proper name) kits, pinkies or just generally babies! I rang up my mum and she said 'are you ok now Sandy's in a better place? I said 'well she needs a bigger cage!! Sorry useless info har har.

Not sure about a gcse but there is an as and a level, which isnt as scary as it sounds. I did AS Level and most of the work is about your own discoveries, why you like certain photographers and their work. The AS levelmis very much art based rather than academic based.

As for health issues I suffer from depression and have type 2 diabetes, my depression was helped by a very good councilor rather than drugs, unfortunately my diabetes can now only be controlled by drugs.

I think the reason no one talks about mental issues is that for the majority of sufferers they are not visible and its not really a question you ask people is it? Hey do you have a mental issue? Doesn't really come up in general conversations. When i first found out I had diabetes I felt I had to tell people and wish I hadn't, afterwards I couldnt eat a bag of crisps without being quizzed by well meaning people about what I should and shouldnt be eating which after a couple of days got to be annoying so stopped telling people and very few people now know about my condition which is how I prefer it and helps me forget about my troubles if people dont talk about it.

I find photography a good excuse to get out the house and helps me focus on something else and helps keep the old black dog, as stephen fry calls it, at bay. It seems to work for me