Every once in a while, I injured my lower back. Years ago, I bought an inversion table similar to the one you see here.

Five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening hanging about like this angle you see here the lady doing is as far as I need to go.

You adjust the strap you see there, which would be tight to stop you from going perpendicular.

I went to a client’s office the other day with this lighting kit, plus a few other bags, and had to carry it upstairs and back down. In the process, my back went out slightly enough to be in pain.

After getting home, I went to the basement and got on the inversion table.

SURPRISE!!

Suddenly, the strap broke, and I went perpendicular with a jolt. Not a fun thing when you like to ease into this with a sore lower back.

Without that strap and being completely upside down with a sore back, it was impossible for me to write me. But, lucky for me, I had my phone on me.

The first call is to my wife, who is upstairs–NO ANSWER. She had her phone on vibrate and in her purse, so she didn’t hear my calls for help.

The second call was from my daughter, and I got her. She came down as my wife followed, and they pulled on their feet, and I could get out.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Every photographer will have a time when their safety straps [metaphor] will break. You will catch yourself upside down and unable to do it alone.

Who will you call? I didn’t get married and have a daughter, so one day when my strap gave way on my inversion table, I could call them and needed saving. I got married because I fell in love with my best friend. We had a daughter and love raising her. Sometimes I think she is growing us.

I joined NPPA, ASMP, CIP, Sports Shooter, and other organizations through the years for the same reason I started dating–I enjoyed the community and getting to know people with similar interests, and we could do life together.

I go to The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar and Southwestern Photojournalism Conference each year for similar reasons. I enjoy learning from my colleagues. I enjoy making new friends and the give and take we have with each other.

Through the years, my strap broke in some way in photography. So I reach out to my friends and get their advice and help.

Who’s your backup? Like I called my number one go-to in life–my wife, she wasn’t available. So I had to call my daughter. Time was the essence in the situation, with me being upside down.

If something were to happen to you, do you have a community to reach out to that is nearby and can help?

By the way, the best thing I have participated in through the years has been the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference, which is just a month away. So go and check it out and come if you can. Here is that link again for you http://www.swpjc.org.