HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – From shoots to edits, for the past six years, Nicholas Thompson has realized a passion for photography.
“I love doing my family shoots. I love doing the engagement sessions, but I like the creative art style of it [the most]. I like to look at photos, almost like Vogue, and say, ‘this is art,’” he said.
Looking at his glossy and gorgeous end products, you’d never know that Thompson is visually impaired.
“It’s called Retinitis Pigmentosa, also known as R.P.,” he said. “It’s the deterioration of the retina, and you lose sight. There are some cases with loss of sensory vision, or, in my case, peripheral vision. Basically, it’s like tunnel vision.”
He explained he lost most of his peripheral vision as a child. He would ask where certain items, like a pencil or crayon, were, and his family was confused as to why he could not see that they were just out of his line of sight.
He was diagnosed with R.P. at age 11. As many patients age, their vision worsens.
“Statistics say by age 40, you will lose eyesight,” Thompson said.
He said his own research shows there are some people who never lose their eyesight in full. He’s optimistic he will be one of them. He explained that as he has gotten older, he has only noticed small changes in his vision. Instead of trying to hide his diagnosis, he’s embraced it. It even inspired the name of his photography business: Impaired Lens.
“Sometimes I’m gonna have quirks and imperfect shots. They might be out of frame. I could cut their head off, some silly things like that,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll set my camera on the ground and [I have to say] ‘I don’t see the camera, ‘can you help me find it?’”
Despite any challenges, he creates masterful work. His goal is and always will be to bring joy to his clients.
“When I see that they like it, that lights me up, and then when theysee the final product, they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness!’ That definitely makes me happy,” he said.
To see more of the work done through Impaired Lens, click here.
The post Photographer’s rare vision disorder inspires business name, passion appeared first on WHNT.
