Photographer Spotlight - Ok, I'M Humbled.

[Messenger]

I never would have guess they actually put it together, and posted my comments about ADHD.

http://lds.org/service/volunteer-and-contribute/create/photos/photographer-spotlight?lang=eng

[TAO]

Nice photos! That be pretty cool, that it is =). I'm glad they put it up that I am =D.

[Messenger]

Tao,

Dude, I really didnt think they would. Then when they sent me the email, I thought that they would have edited out that ADHD stuff, but they didnt. Maybe the world is really ready to talk about this sort of thing. Rethinking the whole thing.

Deep breath and a few tears in my eyes.

[Storm Rider]

Absolutely beautiful photos!

[Duncan]

I never even knew that section existed! ha! shows what I know...!

[Calm]

I'm not the least bit surprised. A recent feedback comment form that I filled out listed "disability/accessibility" or something similar as the top choice under the "suggestion" label. I really do think that the Church is trying hard to make use of all the technology and human resources available to reach out to all the Saints no matter what their needs are and figuring out how to do it best for the disabled/challenged is of top priority. There is just so much more knowledge and techniques that can be useful today in comparison to just 5 years ago, let alone 50.

Didn't I predict awhile ago that you were going to be one of the spotlight photographers?

I love your staircase picture. I am tempted to get it printed up and framed. I am assuming it being on the site means there is not a copyright issue for doing so?

[Calm]

I never even knew that section existed! ha! shows what I know...!

It's been going since June IIRC. I posted some stuff about it and other of the create pages when I stumbled across it in Sept. or Oct. IIRC.

[Calm]

Here is the original thread on the section as well as my post anticipating Messenger as spotlighted photographer:

Messenger had a previous thread about volunteering, but I can't remember if he talked about the website as well. My memory says no because I remember being so surprised about the site when I posted this thread.

[Calm]

I forgot to mention I really like how you handled the ADHD aspect, just a matter of fact treatment, not looking like a crusade or like it was an all consuming issue in your life. I think that kind of expressed attitude makes it more likely for people to accept it as part of natural, normal daily life rather than something so special that we give it our full intense attention for a few minutes out of recognition of that specialness but then get to ignore after that as something we don't actually have to deal with unless we've been assigned to do so.

I am lacking sleep so I don't think that is coming out the way I want it. Think of it as the difference between having a disabled kid in the classroom growing up with everyone else with her needs being met and joining in to the fullest extent of her abilities, not ignored or made a display of but accepted as opposed to being in a separate classroom with her needs being met but not seen as a regular part of the overall children's community, more of an attachment.

[Messenger]

I'm not the least bit surprised. A recent feedback comment form that I filled out listed "disability/accessibility" or something similar as the top choice under the "suggestion" label. I really do think that the Church is trying hard to make use of all the technology and human resources available to reach out to all the Saints no matter what their needs are and figuring out how to do it best for the disabled/challenged is of top priority. There is just so much more knowledge and techniques that can be useful today in comparison to just 5 years ago, let alone 50.

Didn't I predict awhile ago that you were going to be one of the spotlight photographers?

I love your staircase picture. I am tempted to get it printed up and framed. I am assuming it being on the site means there is not a copyright issue for doing so?

Cal,

Thanks for your comments. I'm thinking you are right about changes from even 5 years ago to now. And I am re-thinking my approach on how best to promote ADHD awareness. To be honest, and pointing out the obvious, my recent posts in other threads were frankly off target. I know there is a mission and an opportunity to promote ADHD awareness. Perhaps the best approach is a gentler one. ADHD and patience are like oil and water! But, I've overcome harder things, its not impossible.

Regarding the copyrights; all photos on any of the churches publications, including the website, are held by Intellectual Reserve but the photographer retains all of his/her original rights. All my photos are copyrighted before they go to the church, but I give permission to I.R. to use them as they wish. There is quite a bit of legal paperwork that a person has to submit with each photo, especially photos of people, children, and buildings. For example, I took some photos of an LDS sculptor’s work and it took about 2 months of letters and paperwork, re-editing, and more to finally get them submitted, only to be rejected by the church as unusable for their purposes. Also, what fellow photographers deem as exceptional, is often not acceptable by the church editors. Most photographers enjoy their own work to be a little more on the abstract side of things, where the church tends to not like that. Personally, I like photos with almost a dizzying perspective, such as "Spiral Staircase". But that one just barely got through the editors. I think because it is a staircase, with metaphorical meaning, they approved it.

My original digital images are 12 megapixels from the Nikon D5000, and support prints well over poster size. I haven’t had any problem making prints from that digital density to 8 X 10, 11 X 14 and even 16 X 20 print sizes, and could go much larger even though I haven’t tried it. The problem is the density of what you are having the prints made from. The church requirements are about 1000 X 1000 pixels for each image. This supports the church's needs in its publications. But a person would have problems going to a larger print than what would be used in a magazine because the image would start to pixelate.

If you want more information on the printing, I'd be happy to talk about it further - you can send me an email at readypro@hotmail.com.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Messenger

[bluebell]

[Messenger]

I forgot to mention I really like how you handled the ADHD aspect, just a matter of fact treatment, not looking like a crusade or like it was an all consuming issue in your life. I think that kind of expressed attitude makes it more likely for people to accept it as part of natural, normal daily life rather than something so special that we give it our full intense attention for a few minutes out of recognition of that specialness but then get to ignore after that as something we don't actually have to deal with unless we've been assigned to do so.

Cal,

I appreciate your perspective. I would probably add that it actually is an all consuming part of my life, maybe not others, but it is mine. I’m sure most people don’t mind being educated from afar. And that’s probably how this is going to start. But the fact is, it’s a disability and legally defined as such. The big difference, I don’t have a wheel chair that you can see, but the number and difficulty of the challenges are probably on a par with it.

To mix in the positive, there are some really great things about ADHD. Multitasking is one of them. Any career choice that has to deal with many non-human variables is a good choice. On the negative side, I think we’ve proven on this forum that what many perceive as a character flaw, lack of patience for example is directly related to a symptom of ADHD. When we want to be a part of a task, we look at small chunks with short timelines and then move on to the next task. In life, that’s harder to do, especially when dealing with human interaction on a complex scale. So, those that we live with and work with, understand this by giving us short duties to perform. If you were to ask me to write a book on ADHD, it would never get done. But if you were to tell me to write stories about my experience with ADHD sorted by grade school, Jr. High and high school, I could do that. I could never be a bishop, but would make an excellent councilor. Another symptom is risk taking. In many jobs, risk taking is rewarded. Several years ago I took a close friend of mine out ATV riding on the Oregon Dunes. He was a newer rider, with less experience than me. He rode to my right and just about 3 feet behind me. I decided to climb up a rather steep dune and he followed. The dune was much steeper than I thought, and I had to increase the throttle to maintain enough momentum to clear the edge at the top. My buddy backed off, and I heard him fall back. As I continued, I imagined shape of the dune from memory as a flat top after the edge I was approaching. It turned out to be a razor edge instead, which was just as steep on the other side. As I cleared the top, the sand dune quickly gained distance away from me and left me 30 feet in the air. As my momentum slowed, the force of gravity overtook my ATV and I rapidly dropped towards the downside edge of the dune. It was a hyper focus moment, which is a symptom of ADHD. It’s where multitasking switches instantly to one task. Somehow, even with my eyes closed, I managed to attain the correct orientation angle to match the dune and I landed ever so gently. Later my buddy and I looked at the tracks I made on that side of the dune. I was airborne for nearly two stories before I touched down near the bottom of the dune. It took about two hours of break time to get my mind to un-focus from that. If I had continued to ride, I would have not been thinking about other challenges and it would have been unsafe. This morning, I am hyper-focused on the article, and have taken 3 hours off of work. But it will pass.

How and when people choose to get out of their current comfort zone to learn more about it is up to them.

Mark M

[Calm]

Cal,

I appreciate your perspective. I would probably add that it actually is an all consuming part of my life, maybe not others, but it is mine. I’m sure most people don’t mind being educated from afar. And that’s probably how this is going to start. But the fact is, it’s a disability and legally defined as such. The big difference, I don’t have a wheel chair that you can see, but the number and difficulty of the challenges are probably on a par with it.

It is the same way with my own disability. It rules my life and affects all of my relationships and pretty much every minute of my day determines what I can and can not do. But I have found out that providing that level of information and concern when dealing with others does not lead to my needs getting met better, does not lead to them wanting to learn more and does not lead to them adapting their lives so that mine becomes easier. What it tends to do is to overwhelm them and then they judge that it will take too much effort for either them or me before they can get to a point where they can help me out and so they give up and back out of any real relationship....without giving me a choice in the matter of whether or not I want to make a commitment.

Better is to simply act matter of fact about my situation, not talk about it in terms of what I need or my limits, but simply describe a very limited story of how I 'work' within the relationship with them, something that requires no change on their part beyond understanding. At that point, they become more comfortable, don't feel pressured and are willing to continue to work with me. And as they become more involved with me, their understanding grows and they find on their own workable ways to mesh their lives with mine. In the end we all benefit, I get interaction with people who want to interact with me instead of feeling obligated to do so, who effectively interact with me, who understand the issues to the extent they can deal with and I get to contribute to their lives at a level I can do it because the situation is not set up in a way where I am most likely going to fail due to unreasonable expectations nor do they take the easier approach where they think they are protecting me by withdrawing all requirements from me, but what it ends up being is leaving me isolated and unable to contribute even in my limited way.

Anyway, just something that has worked for me and from what I've seen in other disabled people, has worked for many of them. It is not an approach that should be used in every situation, but is generally the one I start at as most likely appropriate for most relationships outside of work.

Edited January 10, 2012 by calmoriah

[Messenger]

i think the question is what angle do you take to teach. First of all, I dont think its up to me. Nor do I think I guage my intensity on how I think I'll be percieved. I've taught plenty of people both professionally and voluntarily, and I'm comfortable giving that to Heavenly Father to let me know when to back off. Reproving others with sharpness and showing an abundance of love afterwards is well known. The fact is, Im over 45, and there has to be many like me in the church that could be inactive, or otherwise in unfortunate circumstances because they dont know they have it, and nobody has helped them to discover it. I really dont care to place the blame in the past, but I think we need to educate ourselves to help people understand that ADHD is treatable, but we have to recognize and discover it first. I cant see how we can do that unless other people help them to discover it.

Again, this is the big difference between ADHD and something like being in a wheel chair. You dont know someone has it and symptoms are often mistaken as a character flaw.

As far as other accomidating me in my everyday life now that I know I have it, there really isnt anything to accomidate. There are somethings in church, I'll have a hyperfocus moment and i cant conduct. Thats not a really big deal. That also happened when someone asked me to give the opening prayer. Again, in a hyper-focus moment, I declined and he didnt react well. I really didnt care how he reacted, because i know what the real problem because I have the knowlege, he does not. But, had I not known I had the problem, I might consider him correct which would have forced me into a situation where it might have been damaging. So the real problem isnt how to deal with it after you know it, its discovering it so that you can deal with it.

The only other accomidations that I can think of is simply letting the bishop know and the people you share a calling with. The idea here is that when you have to leave, you have someone that can take over if need be.

Looking back at the other posts about people reacting incorrectly, especially the sleeper hold event, Im not sure thats an accomidation thats akin to ADHD, but more just common sense. Perhaps thats what should send up a red flag for someone to get some help. Often times people think they know what the problem is, and react incorrectly. Wouldnt it be nice when something like that happened, that someone else recognized it, let the bishop know, and have them see LDS Social Services. Then POOF! Discovery!!!! LOL. It seems like such a simple step doesnt it? Somehow it was missed with me - again not blaming anybody for not discovering, but trying to fix it so it can be discovered. In the end, the only person that suggested I might have it was my son. I went online, took the test and I was off the chart. Saw a doctor, he agreed, took the meds and much better. However, now over 45 years old, looking back at 3 missions, 4 mission presidents, 4 colleges, 1 marriage, two kids, and 4 careers, 1 false arrest, 5 speeding tickets, (you get the idea) ..... perhaps discovered a bit late? LOL - Really I am laughing, and grinning from ear to ear! Why? Because Im still here! LOL

I just have to figure out a way to get people to make that connection to the bishop, then to social services. The question is .... how do you do that?

Edited January 10, 2012 by Messenger

[Kenngo1969]

I think it takes enormous courage to be vulnerable enough to share our ... vulnerabilities. (It's often hard enough to do with friends and family, let alone doing it publicly.) Kudos to you, Brother.

[katherine the great]

Very cool pics. Congratulations!

[Pahoran]

Very well done. What was the temple in the day/night photos? Was the spiral staircase from the same one?

Regards,

Pahoran

[Messenger]

I think it takes enormous courage to be vulnerable enough to share our ... vulnerabilities. (It's often hard enough to do with friends and family, let alone doing it publicly.) Kudos to you, Brother.

Kenngo,

Thanks. It does. As far as publicly putting it out there, I thought long and hard about the comments I made when the church asked me those questions. But, If I didn't discover mine, nobody else would have. How can I not serve Heavenly Father by trying to help others find theirs now? I mean, simply knowing, has not only allowed me to forgive others for their reactions to me, Its helped me forgive myself for reacting incorrectly in the first place. Thats a lot of years of bad experiences to be gone. Seems to me the courage it takes to face the public is a small price to pay for trashing the guilt and hard feelings of 45 years. I'm sure you would do the same with faced with similar circumstances.

Mark M

Mark M

I

[Messenger]

Very well done. What was the temple in the day/night photos? Was the spiral staircase from the same one?

Regards,

Pahoran

Pahoran,

Thats the Rexburg Temple in both photos. I thought the rear angle in the daylight was unique. I took that photo two years ago and to my knowlege nobody had done that angle before that.

The staircase is not from inside the temple. Photos inside the temple or inside the chapel of a meeting house are not allowed. Thats from a mansion where I worked for two years as an electrican in Big Sky Montana.

I have more photos located on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nemesis2020