Photographing from a mobility scooter

Wednesday 23 September 2020, 20:10 by Juliette Gribnau | 4,999 views | 16 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

For fourteen years, I have no longer travelled by car, bicycle or horse, but by mobility scooter, and rarely without my camera (Olympus M5-III) with me.

The camera bag between my legs, a smaller bag with something to eat and a macro lens in the basket, along with a rice bag.

I rarely take a tripod with me. It is quite a hassle to set one up next to the mobility scooter. Instead, the handlebars give me enough support to prevent too much movement with the camera. If I want to work very precisely, I put the rice bag on the handlebars.

Usually, I drive, as I call it, wherever my nose leads me. I do have a vague plan of the area I want to visit, but just as often I stray from my plan halfway through because I see a path, sometimes a very bumpy one, that I have not been on before.

Because I look at the surroundings from a different height than cyclists or walkers, for example, I often notice different things. I can really enjoy verges.

I often drive along them at a snail's pace, looking for insects or other interesting macro subjects.

With this bumblebee, for example, whose beauty struck me, I try to work as precisely as possible photographically. I usually do this in M mode to get the exposure and focus as good as possible.

Sometimes it looks rather odd when I lean halfway over the handlebars to get as close as possible to my subject, especially when I use the small 60mm lens.

At other times, I am more fascinated by the natural aspect of the subject, especially when I see something I have no idea about, as in the photo below.

Is it a strange caterpillar, or perhaps a little snail?

With something like this, I pay less attention to the photographic aspects and more to capturing what it actually is. I usually work in A mode then, as it is quicker and at least I have it in the frame before it disappears among the grass or bushes.

When I get home after such a scooter trip, I still have plenty to do: look up the one photo whose subject's beauty is still firmly in my memory. Did it really turn out as I had hoped?

And on the other hand, solve the puzzle of the strange little thing I discovered. In this case, it turned out to be a slug caterpillar, the caterpillar of a moth. I learned something new again!

Another part of my interest lies with birds. That often calls for a different lens, although lately I have also been using the 40-150mm lens I use for birds for macro work, because I hate changing lenses!

Fumbling between my legs to grab around in the camera bag, and making sure I do not drop the lens I have taken off.

With the 40-150mm lens, I use the 2.0 teleconverter, because birds often see or hear me coming. Crunching wheels on gravel are less helpful than softly creeping feet.

So I need a lens with enough reach if I want to get a bird properly in the frame. Or, if the bird is sitting high enough, it sometimes stays there for me, like last week when a young kestrel was having trouble sitting in a young willow. And that is pure enjoyment for me!

If the weather is even remotely bearable, I often make trips of up to 60 kilometres. In a mobility scooter, you sit still, unlike cyclists or walkers, which makes it harder to keep warm.

Fortunately, I have extra-heavy batteries in my scooter. So most of my trips are within a 30-kilometre radius of my home. The photo below was taken by my girlfriend Tonny Hoevers.

Photo by Tonny Hoevers
Hopefully, there will be many more trips to come!

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About the author

Juliette fotografeert nu meer dan 15 jaar. Haar specialisme ligt bij natuurfotografie. Zij fotografeert vooral vogels en insecten vanuit haar scootmobiel tijdens de vele lange ritten door de natuur.

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16 comments

Walt wrote on Thursday 24 September 2020 at 20:59 | reply
Thank you for sharing your inspirational journey, Juliette
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

scoot-shooter wrote on Friday 25 September 2020 at 12:02 | reply
thank you so much Walt for your kind comment ! It is highly appreciated,
sincerely,
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

Martien wrote on Friday 25 September 2020 at 19:05 | reply
Hello Juliette, nice to read that I am not the only one who takes photographs from a mobility scooter. I also take a lot of photographs from my mobility scooter, but then football photography. I stand along the football field and take action photos of youth and senior matches. Furthermore, I have specialised in droplet photography. I have now been a member of a photography club for about 10.5 years and have been a member of the art circle since 7 June because my droplet photos are considered art. My photographer's name is scootshoot fotografie, so my website is also called www.scootshootfotografie.nl. Maybe nice to take a look sometime. Good luck with photographing from your mobility scooter.
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Saturday 26 September 2020 at 09:22 | reply
Hello Martien, how nice that you also take photos from your mobility scooter ! I know someone else who does that too, but more in my way: with wandering trips through nature. Droplet photography really is a field of its own, huh? I do photograph droplets in nature, but then motion blur is soon a disturbing factor. I’ll definitely check out your site !
By the way, it’s also nice that you came up with the same name as I did ( scootshooter).
Best of luck with your football and droplet photography !
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

Dies Groot wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 10:40 | reply
Awesome, seize the day !!
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 11:16 | reply
Thank you Dies, I certainly will, and with pleasure!!
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 11:54 | reply
Hi Juliette, I find your story a breath of fresh air to read. I think that, just like me, you have physical limitations. You use a mobility scooter to get around. Just like you, I don't get around by bicycle or car. I don't have a driver's license and cycling is no longer possible. I get around on a four-wheeled moped, also known as a quad. The major disadvantage is that I can't take it into any nature reserve because of the noise and CO2 emissions from the petrol engine. You are allowed to enter nature reserves with a mobility scooter, but the major disadvantage is the mobility scooter's range. You have to stay within a 30 km radius of home, otherwise you won't be able to get home. I find that a huge disadvantage. In addition, you also have to take into account the surface you are driving on and how uneven the landscape is. Going uphill uses more power, which does not benefit the range. The major advantage is of course that you are allowed to enter a nature reserve, as long as it is not too far from home. For me, a mobility scooter is not really a good solution. The nearest city to me is already 15 km away, and I also have to cross a few tough hills to get there. But I have a lot of respect for you. You show that there is no reason at all to sit behind the geraniums. You can take brilliant photos even from a mobility scooter. Above all, keep it up and enjoy it.
Translated from Dutch.

Ad van den Boer wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 13:40 | reply
I have nothing but deep admiration for the photos I have just seen in this above-mentioned post, super good, chapeau!
I myself also only take photos from my mobility scooter because of my muscle disorder P.L.S. Doing this is simply enjoyable, especially in nature. It can sometimes be difficult, though! Class
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 14:33 | reply
If you have to use a mobility scooter due to a physical disability, that doesn't mean you have to stay sitting behind the geraniums. With all due respect, hats off!!! You show that you can also take brilliant photos from a mobility scooter. What I do see as a disadvantage of the mobility scooter is that you have a limited range. You have to stay within those 30 km, otherwise you won't make it home anymore. There is an advantage too. With a mobility scooter, you are allowed into nature reserves. I use a four-wheeled moped (quad). The disadvantage is that you are not allowed into nature reserves with it. The advantage is that you can go much farther from home. Possibly with an extra jerry can of petrol.
Translated from Dutch.

Dirk de Graaf wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 16:55 | reply
I Dirk de Graaf also take photos from my mobility scooter I have a height tripod that can go 7.30 up there I take great photos with it my Canon D 80 goes on it which I can then control with my IPad
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 17:16 | reply
Thank you Donald for your kind response ! And yes, I have the necessary physical problems which mean cycling, riding a moped or driving a car are no longer an option. And to be honest : I stayed behind the geraniums for 4 years because I thought I was much too young for such a mobility scooter ( I was 56 at the time). But how happy I am that I overcame my pride and started using the mobility scooter after all : a liberation !!
As for the kilometres : I have extra-heavy batteries in my scooter. In good weather I can do 75 kilometres, in cold weather it is less. Sometimes I have myself taken by the regional taxi ( the mobility scooter can come along) to a point that is a little further away. I can then roam around in the area there and return with my scooter ( or.... I have myself picked up again)
The big disadvantage of my wandering trips is : the bumps and potholes.... getting stuck means dusty sand or a puddle whose depth I cannot estimate. Well..... then I do sit there for a while !! Incidentally, the mobility scooter has a rescue service... they really always come and help you on your way. So..... who knows, maybe something for you too ??
and thank you for your compliment regarding my photos, as well as for your respect !

best wishes,
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 17:20 | reply
Thank you Ad for your nice response and your compliment. Great that you also go out with your mobility scooter, and even better to hear that you also take photographs ! it immediately gives you a reason to go out ! Keep going !!
greetings,
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 17:26 | reply
Hello Guest ! Thank you for your response and for your respect !. Yes I can imagine that a quad is a disadvantage for trips through nature compared to a mobility scooter. Indeed, the number of kilometers of range can be a disadvantage with the mobility scooter, but.... there is so much beautiful nature to be found in our little country that I have adapted to it some places are simply too far away, but within my radius of 30 kilometers I am far from finished discovering all the beauty that can be found in nature !
greetings,
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 17:29 | reply
Hello Dirk, how nice that you also take photos from your mobility scooter ! I myself am really an awkward klutz when it comes to working with a tripod, I have one, but use it very very rarely. Impressive that you can manage it, and I can imagine that, if you can operate your camera with an ipad, it must be doable.. great idea !!
greetings
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

Liesbeth wrote on Tuesday 29 September 2020 at 18:20 | reply
What a wonderful story! For me, it isn't just a nice story to read, I recognize quite a bit in it. Only you are a great many steps further than I am.
For a year and a half I have been using a mobility scooter and 3 months ago I treated myself to a very fast one that can take me far away, it is pure enjoyment.
I have an Olympus om-d e-mark-ii, a camera that little is said about and which I - although it is nice and small - find difficult to operate after the Canon, which meant that photography (also because of the circumstances) was on the back burner for a while. But now that I can get out into the polder so easily, I am trying to pick up photography again. Only, how do you do that on a mobility scooter, where do you keep all your stuff? I don't have a steady hand, how do I get sharp photos without my tripod? Practice makes perfect, I intend to persevere.
I am grateful for the comment about also going out without a goal. I read a lot of advice about "how it should be done" and it is often recommended to have a goal in mind, sometimes with the addition that otherwise nothing will come of it. When I was still a member of a photography club, I took my best photos when I forgot the goal, because I was drawn to something I liked, found interesting. And that is perfectly fine according to you.
So I am happy with your stories, a mobility scooter, an Olympus, nice stories and beautiful photos with that Olympus. You are an inspiration to me. I hope to read many more stories from you, I will keep following you,
Best wishes, Liesbeth Dersjant-Donker.
Translated from Dutch.

scoot-shooter wrote on Wednesday 30 September 2020 at 00:58 | reply
Hello Liesbeth; thank you for your response... and how nice that you recognize so much. So an Olympus user too.. an M5 II, which I also worked with for several years until recently... I'm still getting used to the Mark-III ! Nice that you have a fast scooter that can go far.. enjoy it ! I don't have such a steady hand either, which is why I use the handlebars as something to lean or support myself on.
And yes.... I recognize it : " suddenly being grabbed by something that catches your eye" and I think that is where my best photos originate. I have just been used to the Olympus brand for much longer... I started with the SLR E-410 from Olympus. By all means keep going in your own way, and besides reading about how things should be done ( actually NOTHING HAS to be done !) experimenting yourself is especially important... through your own "messing around" you often learn the most !
and above all : enjoy all the beauty your eye falls on and be happy with the little successes you achieve (you should know how many shots I throw away !!)
greetings
juliette
Translated from Dutch.

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