Mathematics – My Camera and Me!

Mathematics – My Camera and Me!

It’s International Mathematics Day Today and it’s got me to thinking how maths once stopped me from doing stuff. Especially when it came to learning my camera and building a business.

Hi, I’m Lee and I am one half of Welshot and I’m Dyscalculic. No, I’d never heard of it either until I decided to build a business. It’s a bit like Dyslexia but with numbers instead of letters and words and it sure does get me in a muddle sometimes, especially when it comes to using my camera and understanding those pesky apertures and shutter speeds which are all based around numbers and fractions.

Business wise, I found solutions and work arounds, look in my purse and you will see I have a special way of storing my money. I couldn’t do without our accountant who has helped me to build systems, procedures which we can both work with, or my business partner, the other half of Welshot, Eifion who has learnt that it’s less complicated to let me say “My side”, or “Your side” when it comes to me navigating when he is driving someplace new. I’ve also learnt to check, double check and triple check any of my admin when it comes to numbers and Welshot Members all know of my struggle, especially when it comes to timings at our photographic events… 😉

When it came to using my camera though, it was a whole different story – I would get frustrated, angry, anxious, upset, confused and, did I mention frustrated? In fact, I would get so frustrated that I stopped using my Olympus Camera and relied more and more on my phone. In short – I gave up doing what I loved to do because I’d lost all confidence and I didn’t know how to work my camera properly.

Learning To Use My Camera Properly

When you have someone by your side who is patient, understanding and is very good at explaining the workings of a camera, specifically when it comes to apertures and shutter speeds, in simple, in plain English, in ways that you can understand, photography suddenly becomes enjoyable again. Learning how to use the “Exposure Triangle” in a way that suits you, in a way you can understand and work with is a big part of what we do here at Welshot – and I know, because we’ve designed and built it for people just like me!

I know I am always going to struggle, but I’ve learnt to cope, I’ve built myself systems and processes, just like I have for those of all the business admin I do, and now I’ve started to pick up my camera more and more – I set aside time for my own continued professional development, yes I still get frustrated but I’ve learnt to take a breath, relax and think things through in a logical manner. I also know that if I want to try something new, which means I need to figure out the settings on my camera, or how to light my subject, all I have to do is ask for help – That’s one thing I’ve learnt over the years with my business partner, if I tell him what I am struggling with and what I want the outcome to be, then he will help me, but he will also let me make my mistakes and gently say to me, “Why not try it this way Lee” – Pinterest and Instagram have become our friends too, he just has to look at a photo and knows instantly how it has been lit and what camera setting used.

One to One Photography Training is Valuable

On the days that Eifion does the One to One Photography Training in the Welshot Creative Hub – I constantly hear these statements:

• I have learnt so much about my camera today
• Eifion is so patient, understanding and makes knowing my camera so much easier and less complicated than a camera manual
• I LOVE being able to practice here in the Welshot Creative Hub with Eifion by my side

People with dyscalculia are fast problem solvers, have the ability to think outside the box and can reflect on past experiences. This provides unique insight and methods for solving problems.

IDL Group and specifically about dyscalculia

lee x