Living with Chronic Illness as a Photographer
Photography gives me a chance to express my thoughts, feelings, and emotions in creative ways. As a long-term photographer living with chronic illness, I have had to learn to find alternative ways of developing my skills and engaging with my craft. Living with chronic illness can present unique challenges for photographers; often, it can be difficult to manage pain or fatigue as a result of physical limitations. Despite these difficulties, I strive to use photography as a creative outlet and to document the important moments in my life.
I manage my condition by finding alternative ways to take photos. To work around my physical limitations, I have found that taking photos indoors or from certain angles provides the best results. I pay attention to my body, making sure to rest when needed and drink plenty of water. Above all, I enjoy experimenting with different techniques and camera settings to find the perfect shot.
I use photography to remain positive. Taking pictures provides me with an opportunity to capture aspects of my life I want to remember and celebrate, despite my illness. When I look through my photos, I often recognize successes I have encountered while living with chronic illness. This is my way of finding beauty in the struggle. Photography gives me peace and helps me remain hopeful, even when I feel discouraged.
Living with chronic illness is not always easy. I have had to make necessary adjustments to my workflow and routines to ensure I remain safe and don’t overwork myself. Finding creative outlets such as photography helps me appreciate that I can still create art, even if it’s in a different way than before my diagnosis. And although I can’t be in every place at every time, photography allows me to still appreciate the moments of my life.
