About

About

I was first introduced to digital imaging back in 1996 while going through rehabilitation at the Spinal injuries unit. I had a bad fall when I was showing off on a soccer post which left me paralyzed from the shoulders down. In the occupational therapy department of the unit they had computers which were setup with headsets that enable people with no hand movement to control the systems. The headset which is connected to the computer has a receiver box which sits on top of the monitor and on the headset there are three small boxes, one in the centre and one on the right and left, when the computer turns their head in whichever direction the infra-red picks up the movement and moves the screen cursor as needed. To left click there is a tube that is placed in the users mouth and when blowed into it clicks a switch. For the right click button there is a large button about 2 inches diameter which rests near your head or shoulder.

For typing there is a onscreen keyboard that can be moved around the screen and to type the cursor needs to be pointed at the appropriate key and then blow down the pipe to click the key.

Having a keen interest in art I was instantly attracted to the possibilities that the computer programs could offer. While at the spinal unit I used MS paint to dabble with the tools, after leaving the spinal unit after seven months of rehab I discovered Jasc PSP 6 and used this for a couple of years until I discovered Adobe Photoshop a couple of years ago and since then there has been no looking back. Learning Photoshop is a constant learning curve, once your familiar with the array of tools and what they can achieve there is still endless techniques that you can learn. The way I see it is the more techniques you have under your belt the more options you have for talking your projects.

The wealth of knowledge now available for digital imaging is amazing. There are numerous digital photography magazines which offer great imaging techniques. The best resource I find is reading books on digital imaging from people already making a living from their skills.

After learning and still learning new techniques I sent some of my work to competitions on digital imaging magazines and online contests. I was delighted to have my worked placed in a few top picks and win a few prizes in the process. The start of this year I decided to take the plunge and have a go at setting my own business up.

My other plans for this year are to learn Maya as I feel this will bring more possibilities to more work.

Regards

Ryan

 

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