By Nyang’au Araka
The beauty of photography is that it captures images, sights, sounds and events better than any other device.
A good photographer documents the world through the lens of a camera with a keen eye for detail.
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The advent of digital photography has revolutionalized this critical skill, with more people having access to cameras.
A mobile phone alone is several devices in one, since it’s not just a device to connect one to others.
Some phones have exciting features including cameras that take stunning pictures and videos.
Perhaps this is good news to people who are left handed since the traditional still and video cameras are not user friendly for them.
Most left-handed persons are likely to struggle with the design of most cameras.
The grips, buttons, and dials are mostly arranged for right-handed users.
This leaves the left handed awkwardly contorting their hands or fingers to adjust the camera to desired settings.
One is forced to hold the camera in unnatural positions just to press the shutter button, which often leads to missed shots or uncomfortable shoots.
This, to a large extent kills one’s creativity.
When one is needed to take quick shots, he/she may end up fumbling with the camera’s dials in a desperate attempt to adjust the exposure.
In that moment, the perfect shot slips away.
Probably there are millions of left-handed people around the world who experienced these difficulties and limitations.
Left-handed people are left to adapt, sometimes awkwardly, to products built for a right-handed majority.
Other items that seem to disadvantage such people include scissors, writing desks, and can openers.
Left-handed people have to adjust their natural movements to make them work.
But photography is different because it is an art form that requires full immersion and ease of use, where every second counts.
Left handed people may not be considered or valued as a user with unique needs.
John Abenga, a Nyamira resident who admires photography is left handed and this discouraged him from the job.
“My parents were not keen to support me venture into photography because they have never seen a camera for people who are left handed,” Abenga recalls.
He is now a teacher and is happy because he can take pictures using his smartphone.
Even so, he wishes there were cameras that embraced their natural orientation.
An online research by this writer shows that some left handed photographers have gone as far as customizing their gear.
Some pay extra for accessories or modifications just to create a more comfortable experience.
“I think there is a market for cameras designed specifically for left-handed users,” Abenga says.
There is argument that cameras should be ergonomic for everyone, no matter their dominant hand.
This includes intuitive button layout that mirrors a natural left-hand grip, a reversed control panel, and a mirror-image body design.
This can help left-handed photographers shoot with ease and confidence.
Well, if there are cameras for left-handed users, then the makers need to make a lot more publicity.
