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CLEAR Temp: 45 °F Wind: WSW at 4 mph Friday, April 18, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend March 17, 2003 With technology’s help, a Rogue River photographer with failing eyesight maintains His wide horizons By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER — Skip Williams recalls a special day last December when he shot rolls and rolls of film of Seattle models, generating some of the best fashion shots he’s never really seen. "The pictures turned out great and the client tipped me $200," says Williams, 57. "I never told her I was blind." Despite a rapidly degenerating eyesight that allows him to see only vague shapes and shadows, Williams continues to snap away on commercial studio shoots using technological advances that allow photography to remain his life’s focus. Thanks in part to help from the Oregon Commission for the Blind, Williams parlays an auto-focus camera, a state-bought computer scanner, special magnifiers and his innate sense of picture composition into images that belie his disability. "There’s that intuitive sense I have of what I’m trying to capture," he says. "The bottom line is, if it’s good, it’s good. If it’s not, it’s not." Williams is a good example of how the Oregon Commission for the Blind can help blind and visually impaired Oregonians develop the tools necessary to find and maintain jobs, says Karl Baker, a commission rehabilitation teacher in Medford who works with Williams. "He’s done a great job of keeping his spirits up and doing his work, despite his deficiencies," Baker says. "I’m really hopeful he’ll be able to continue his career for some time. He’s got quite a niche." Williams suffers from advanced macular degeneration. The rods and cones that generate his sight are falling out rapidly, leaving only mild peripheral vision to remain. His impairment was diagnosed nine years ago, with his vision growing so poor that he quit driving in 1998 and was deemed legally blind three years ago. He quit doing wedding photography, concentrating on studio shots for magazines, pamphlets, newsletters and even business cards. But unable to see enough to even focus a camera, Williams was about to call it quits two years ago. He applied to the commission, which annually spends about $6.3 million of state and federal Department of Education money to keep more than 1,500 blind or visually impaired people working and living independently. The commission supplied him with a computer scanner, special glasses that filter out unnecessary light and other equipment. He does most of his photography in a Portland studio, then refines the images on his small computer at home. "This has extended my shelf life a few years," Williams says. "Oddly enough, I’m still getting great pictures." His wife, Shanin, who is a belly-dancing instructor, shuttles him to and from his assignments. Occasionally, he confesses his blindness, but only if it seems relevant. "I decide whether to take my cane out or not," Williams says. "When they see that, they know." He can only see shapes, and cannot tell the difference between a man and a woman until he hears voices. And though he’s been entrenched in the visual arts for 20 years, he doesn’t curse his blindness. "The biggest blessing about being blind is that it helps you with attachments," he says. "You have to stay in the moment, or you bump into the coffee table." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S