Blind photographer gets new way of seeing

28 Sep 2012, 7:03 pm   -   Source: AAP

A legally blind Melbourne photographer is using a new device that when connected with an iPhone app prompts him to change the camera settings.

Melbourne man Andrew Follows picked up a camera only four years ago, yet in that time he has overcome more challenges and achieved more than your average beginner shutterbug.

Born legally blind, he is carving out a successful career as a photographer, now with the aid of a new device that allows him to control his camera settings even though he can't see the full picture he's trying to capture.

While he has to blow up his photos on a computer or television screen to see them, photography has given him entry to a whole new world.

"I take a photo and put it through the TV or computer, and I get to see the different shapes and colours. It's a new way of seeing," he said.

The newly developed device called Camera Audio Assist gives him the ability to control and easily change camera settings, such as shutter speed and aperture, allowing Follows more freedom to shoot outdoors.

He is also now able to indulge his interest in night photography.

"What my eyes can't see, the camera can do at night," he said.

Born with the inherited condition retinitis pigmentosa, Follows is legally blind in his left eye and has tunnel vision in his right.

His constant companion is his guide dog Eamon, who Follows says has given him the independence to get out of the house and into photography.

Even though he had shown his work in Melbourne and overseas and was passionate about photography, he was still hampered by the inability to move freely with his camera.

After being approached by Follows, Melbourne's RMIT University and Dr Glenn Matthews, a lecturer at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, developed Camera Audio Assist with help from camera company Nikon.

The small USB-like device plugs into a digital SLR camera and can communicate via wi-fi with an iPhone app that gives voice prompts whenever camera settings are changed.

Prototypes are now being tested, and new features may be incorporated such as Bluetooth capability and a display screen.

Follows has begun workshops teaching photography to the vision-impaired, hoping to open the way for others to follow his lead.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube