Every once in a while I injure my lower back. Years ago I bought an inversion table similar to the one you see here.
Five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening hanging about like this angle you see here the lady doing is as far as I need to go.
The strap you see there you adjust and it would be tight to stop you from going perpendicular.
I went to a client's office the other day with this lighting kit plus a few other bags and had to carry it upstairs and back down. In the process my back went out ever so slightly. Enough to be in pain.
Went to the basement after I got home and got on the inversion table.
SURPRISE!!
Well all of a sudden the strap broke and I went perpendicular with a jolt. Not a fun thing when you like to ease into this with a sore lower back.
Without that strap and being completely upside down with a sore back it was impossible for me to right myself. Lucky for me I had my phone on me.
First call is to my wife who is upstairs–NO ANSWER. She had her phone on vibrate and in her purse so she didn't hear my calls for help.
Second call was my daughter and I got her. She came down as my wife followed and they pulled on the feet and I was able to get out.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
There will come a time for every photographer where their safety straps [metaphor] will break. You will be caught upside down and unable to do it alone.
Who will you call? I didn't get married and have a daughter so that one day when my strap gave way on my inversion table that I could call them and be saved. I got married because I fell in love with my best friend. We had a daughter and love raising her. Sometimes I think she is raising us.
I joined NPPA, ASMP, CIP, Sports Shooter and other organizations through the years for the same reason I started dating–I enjoyed community and getting to know people who had similar interest and we could do life together.
I go each year to The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar and Southwestern Photojournalism Conference for similar reasons. I enjoy learning from my colleagues. I enjoy making new friends and the give and take we have with each other.
Through the years my strap broke in some way in photography. I reach out to my friends and get their advice and help.
Who's your backup? Just like I called my number one go to in life–my wife, she wasn't available. I had to call my daughter. Time was of essence in the situation with me being upside down.
If something were to happen to you do you have a community to reach out to that is nearby and can help?
By the way the best thing I participate in through the years has been the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference and it is just a month away. Go and check it out and come if you can. Here is that link again for you http://www.swpjc.org.
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