Photographers need to be fit - how do you keep fit

[Longshots]

Its funny but I thought by asking the question, I was relating it to what I do, but anyway, glad to see the topic back on track

Funny also, that just tonight, I've got back from photographing a very large commercial building - a huge warehouse/business. And as I switched the timer on to ten seconds, quickly got down from the ladder, and knew that I had 20 seconds of exposure, that I needed to run down the length of the 850 meter building firing the Bron flashhead in my hands at every 100 metres or so, while carrying the 12 kilo battery pack, I had to smile at the comment that photographers didnt need to run fast - well I'm afraid thats what I was trying to say that I do, because at 55, and fast approaching 56, actually I do, which is what I was trying to say Hence why I try and keep as fit as I can

[Kafter244]

I'd love to see that warehouse shot Longshots!

[Sarge]

Apart from the obvious (walking) which comes with photography I ride regularly - more of a MTB fan but still like to put my road bike to good use. Other than that the odd run and that's about it.

(I hate walking though because it's so slow and you don't really go anywhere near as far as when you go for a run or ride. )

[zollo]

My favourite motto is "Never spend a long time listening to someone talk about something they have never done"
The commercial/wedding togs on here already know what it takes (fitness wise) others please read the ad I pasted from Seek.com 2 minutes ago and weep sorry to be quite blunt...
work.JPG

[kiwi]

I fail on the coffee making anyhow

[gerry]

I fail on the coffee making anyhow

that is absolutely classic - had me in stitches for ages!!

btw that ad could be exactly the same for fedex delivery van driver...and also i remember my job ad had something about being physically fit and I work in a office :P

[JM Tran]

My favourite motto is "Never spend a long time listening to someone talk about something they have never done"

haha I was gonna write that Zollo but I felt it would have offended certain individuals so I refrained, glad you did though.

btw that ad could be exactly the same for fedex delivery van driver...and also i remember my job ad had something about being physically fit and I work in a office

back in my uni days working at TNT, I sometimes assisted the courier drivers and they really do load a lot of stuff esp at the sorting and distribution centre all by themselves onto their vans for delivery, back pains and problems are common in the logistics field

[Scotty72]

My favourite motto is "Never spend a long time listening to someone talk about something they have never done"

I hope you are all right...

I'm guessing when the teacher at your primary school warned you to not play with guns, shoot heroine, play footy on the main highway and pick a fist fight with the local triad gang, you said, "I'm not listening to someone talk about something they have never done."



Scotty

[Speedway]

I keep fit chasing ISP's that keep telling me my internet connection is testing ok when it takes up to 2 minutes to download 3 emails (text only, no photos or attachments). The run-around they give you would keep anyone fit.
Seriously I don’t do anything specifically to keep fit, I am 67 and after many years needing a walking stick just to walk around the house I had a hip replacement 2 1/2 years ago. Last Saturday I spent 9hrs walking the infield of a go kart track taking over 1700 shots, I regularly get up before dawn and go for a 5-10km walk through the bush photographing whatever comes along. My camera bag weighs in at 13kg and I have carried that from the bottom to the top of Kathryn Gorge and back.I also know a few fitness fanatics younger than me that have passed away or are disabled due to stroke or heart problems, I also know a couple of farmers in their 90's that can still put in a full days work and they have never been to a gym or used any exercise equipment in their lives.
Keith.

[gerry]

My favourite motto is "Never spend a long time listening to someone talk about something they have never done"
The commercial/wedding togs on here already know what it takes (fitness wise) others please read the ad I pasted from Seek.com 2 minutes ago and weep sorry to be quite blunt...

My favourite motto is "Never spend a long time listening to someone talk about something they have never done"

haha I was gonna write that Zollo but I felt it would have offended certain individuals so I refrained, glad you did though.

and i think with that comment and mindset you have well and truly sent this thread into another level

I work in a industry not that different to this in terms of professional and enthusiats and whilst the ethusiats can be a royal pain in the rear one always maintains respect since there are some enthusiats out there who do the job with more passion and dedication and in some cases, better than the professionals.

I will certainly think twice about posting in threads like this, even though I love to see great open and robust debates...

back in my uni days working at TNT, I sometimes assisted the courier drivers and they really do load a lot of stuff esp at the sorting and distribution centre all by themselves onto their vans for delivery, back pains and problems are common in the logistics field

yep i hear ya , uni days for me meant long nights in pubs and back breaking work in a cellar...no amount of fitness will help ya there (just someone else to break their back )

[JM Tran]

and i think with that comment and mindset you have well and truly sent this thread into another level

I work in a industry not that different to this in terms of professional and enthusiats and whilst the ethusiats can be a royal pain in the rear one always maintains respect since there are some enthusiats out there who do the job with more passion and dedication and in some cases, better than the professionals.

I will certainly think twice about posting in threads like this, even though I love to see great open and robust debates...

Oh geez, let me put it in layman's terms - would you listen to a general about warfare who has been there and done that or an armchair strategist who thinks they could do that? Would you listen to advice from a race car driver or from some Joe with a sportscar? I dont know, common sense dictates the guy with the experience tends to have.....that thing, I think its called experience. That quote by Zollo really does not get any more simpler than that. Otherwise I have to question your comprehension skills?

I keep fit chasing ISP's that keep telling me my internet connection is testing ok when it takes up to 2 minutes to download 3 emails (text only, no photos or attachments). The run-around they give you would keep anyone fit.
Seriously I don’t do anything specifically to keep fit, I am 67 and after many years needing a walking stick just to walk around the house I had a hip replacement 2 1/2 years ago. Last Saturday I spent 9hrs walking the infield of a go kart track taking over 1700 shots, I regularly get up before dawn and go for a 5-10km walk through the bush photographing whatever comes along. My camera bag weighs in at 13kg and I have carried that from the bottom to the top of Kathryn Gorge and back.I also know a few fitness fanatics younger than me that have passed away or are disabled due to stroke or heart problems, I also know a couple of farmers in their 90's that can still put in a full days work and they have never been to a gym or used any exercise equipment in their lives.
Keith.

Hi Keith, billionaire George Burns smoked all his life until the age of 95, does that mean that smoking wont affect your health and lifespan at all? Yeah I know some guys who have died young, blah blah blah. Yeah my girlfriend's grandma turned 74 two days ago and still works on her farm blah blah blah. But these exceptional individuals who have lived longer than some other individuals doesnt really represent the fact that maintaining a degree of physical and mental fitness still leads to a better lifespan than those that dont. Can you really argue with that fact?

I hope you are all right...

I'm guessing when the teacher at your primary school warned you to not play with guns, shoot heroine, play footy on the main highway and pick a fist fight with the local triad gang, you said, "I'm not listening to someone talk about something they have never done."

LOL! I dont know about you but the possession of common sense is inherent in most people. Scraping the bottom of the barrels with that analogy with the teacher there mate. Have some common sense, will travel! Otherwise, lets not degenerate into more farcical assumptions and bottom of the barrel analogies.

[Speedway]

Keith.

Hi Keith, billionaire George Burns smoked all his life until the age of 95, does that mean that smoking wont affect your health and lifespan at all? Yeah I know some guys who have died young, blah blah blah. Yeah my girlfriend's grandma turned 74 two days ago and still works on her farm blah blah blah. But these exceptional individuals who have lived longer than some other individuals doesnt really represent the fact that maintaining a degree of physical and mental fitness still leads to a better lifespan than those that dont. Can you really argue with that fact?

I agree JMT but all that physical fitness doesn't always work either, overworking and straining can cause damage too.
Keith.

[JM Tran]

I agree JMT but all that physical fitness doesn't always work either, overworking and straining can cause damage too.
Keith.

I agree with that, but we are/were discussing fitness as a whole including stamina and endurance even mentally. I value mental endurance much more than any physical attributes. A clear mind at all times will always function better even under duress and fatigue.

[Xenedis]

The amount of chest-beating and (verbal) sparring in this thread might have actually caused an increase in some people's fitness levels...

After four pages of posts, I think that all I can deduce from this thread is that:

1. you don't need to specifically be very physically fit for many forms of photography, but it can help;
2. physical fitness in life, generally, is a good thing;
3. my dad is bigger than your dad; and, somewhere in there,
4. I, <name>, do/do not keep fit by <activity/lack thereof>.

[Dylan & Marianne]

"Never spend a long time listening to someone talk about something they have never done"

I'm not sure about the word Never in that quote - but I certainly put more weight on hearing someone talk about something they have done.
eg. I would put more weight on the reformed alcoholic telling me about the dangers of drinking rather than some of my super sheltered inner suburb friends.
on a lighter note, I would put more weight in a world champion starcraft player telling me how to create a build order rather than a theorycrafter who has a <20% win record on battle.net :P

er, oops , veered off topic again !

[virgal_tracy]

I am coming into this late but I'll add my 0.02c worth.

PErsonally I train for football (soccer) twice a week and play on Sundays. Even in these days of interchange I still invariably play 90 mins every game. Quite often this can be the day after a 10-12 hour wedding. I run 3 x week, love to get out on the MTB and play with 2 kids under 6 so my general fitness is fairly good but could still be better.

For weddings I will generally shoot with 2 camera bodies hanging off a BlackRapid dual shoulder harness and regularly would get sore shoulders. The more I did of this the less soreness I would get. Conditioning for what you are doing is very important. While general fitness is wonderful specific fitness is so much better.

I am fortunate to have a background in exercise science and as has been mentioned in a previous post (sorry to the original poster for not quoting) different sports and fitness regimes do not always translate to other activities.

The best example that I was taught was talking about endurance. Take a 120kg weightlifter and a 60kg african marathon runner. Who would you say has the better endurance? If you were to send them both on a 20 km run then the marathon runner wins hands down. Ask them to carry 20 x 50kg cement bags to a 2nd floor on a building site and who do you think will accomplish the task first?

General fitness is good for life, specific fitness is better for your work role.

[zollo]

I'm not sure about the word Never in that quote - but I certainly put more weight on hearing someone talk about something they have done.
eg. I would put more weight on the reformed alcoholic telling me about the dangers of drinking rather than some of my super sheltered inner suburb friends.
on a lighter note, I would put more weight in a world champion starcraft player telling me how to create a build order rather than a theorycrafter who has a <20% win record on battle.net :P

er, oops , veered off topic again !

I'll just quickly clarify that the only reason I posted that quote (its not mine btw) was to help clarify that those who work in the commercial photography "should" know what it takes to work in the industry a bit more thoroughly than those who dont. There were some arguments put forward that claimed fitness is not necessary at all for photographers and some that may have put it down as discrimination almost, yet clearly, the commercial shooters on this forum arent't the only ones who think fitness is a must. So at the end of the day Longshots title for this thread is completely accurate "photographers need to be fit" maybe he could /should have inserted commercial or full time working photographers etc etc once again sorry if it came across a bit blunt
and to clarify myself further I do not think you have to be superhuman fit to take a photograph on the weekend I'm more talking about full time stuff

[Bear Dale]

Zooms.....the reason for fat photographers.

Sign the petition. Help your fellow photographers reduce their earthly footprint.

www.savefatphotographersandbanzoomlenses.com

[Dylan & Marianne]

lol jim, that web address looks interesting but I can't access it!!

[Scotty72]

If any industry (be it photography or generals in the military) only ever listen to other 'experts' who think like they do, that may explain why this country is stuck in an innovation black hole.

Without outside influence, you simply get inbred opinion.