Melissakis, H.'s photostream

Among my many challenges since becoming disabled more than a decade ago is the trouble I have breathing; this along with other complex and mostly inherited disorders which need to be managed carefully make life difficult. When I have trouble breathing I spend a considerable time outdoors so a friend gifted me with a digital camera last Christmas and suggested I take it with me at all times out on my meanderings. Thusly, I have been taking photos for just a short time now, mostly I take photos of what‘s around me. As I need support and assistance with every aspect of my life, there are special challenges that come with chronic illnesses like mine so taking photos has served as a past time which has added a little therapeutic release. I don’t identify myself as a photographer, not that I didn’t grow up around the art form. My older sibling was an amateur photographer, while I was the resident artist preferring to paint and draw. I always enjoyed taking photographs and consider myself a photography enthusiast. I’m not sure how much I picked up way back when I was helping my sibling out as her model, or when for a short time I was a photographer’s assistant. As I cannot paint or draw anymore since becoming severely disabled it‘s been fascinating to see what I can do with my simple camera, and to come here and enjoy other people‘s wonderful creativity.