I'm getting painfully real here today…I love photography, but there are times that getting out to photograph are especially difficult or not even doable for me.  If you are someone who deals with one or more health conditions that limit your activity, I’m sure you can relate.  I won’t list all of mine, but a major one is Hypothyroidism, with it’s many, sometimes debilitating, symptoms.  I began doing a lot with my diet last fall to help with this condition, through 316 Health Solutions, and many of my symptoms have improved or gone away.  I highly recommend checking out their website if you have thyroid and/or adrenal issues of any kind.  Dr. Bryon Coker and his wife are an amazing and caring Christian couple who love helping people on their healing journey.

I have trouble with extreme temperatures and have a very limited window of comfort where temperatures are concerned.  At times my legs feel so heavy and weak they feel like I have cement blocks attached to my feet, making a hike or even a 1-mile walk difficult, if not impossible.   Other times, my fatigue is such that I can only dream of going out to take pictures.

There's a saying I've been using lately that helps me put things into perspective and prioritize..."I can only do what I can when I can do it."  This phrase has helped me not beat myself up when I can't go capture a sunrise or sunset due to my symptoms at any given time. My health and getting enough sleep are high on that priority list for me, even higher than my photography business.  I know God wouldn't want my to get down on myself, so I just ask, "What can I do right now?  What's realistic?  What's best for my health?  How can I do enough, but not so much that I set my health back?  So, what do I do to overcome when these symptoms flare up?  I improvise.

I photograph the outdoors from inside my home. Any window in your home may have potential for this type of shooting.  Some things to consider are: the size, direction and quality of the light outside, functionality, (can it open? can you remove the screen?) and the view looking outside.  Some windows have an amazing view outside all the time, but sometimes it's the light and weather that makes the outside view amazing.

I took this image during this past winter of 2016/17, one of historic snowfall in much of the USA, my own town included.  On this day, I was up before sunrise, which is difficult enough for me, but it was also bitter cold out, as you can tell by the icicles.   I was too tired to bundle up and go out to take images, but my heart yearned to go out as the warm, morning light lit up the outdoors as seen from our master bathroom.  Determined to capture this beautiful morning, I decided to capture the scene from indoors, where it was nice and comfy warm.

Another place in my home from where I often photograph the outdoors is my laundry room.  I call it my “blind” because it’s on the second story and only has one fairly small window through which I can photograph things in our backyard, including the birds without bothering them.

To see some of the images taken from my “blind”, read my blog post, Frosty Morning, HERE.

Do you have a health condition?  Let me know how you overcome your obstacles and still continue to do what you love.  I’d love to hear about it!