Working in a digital darkroom is less hazardous than dealing with some of the chemicals found in a traditional wet darkroom, but it\u2019s not without a few risks of its own. Sometime digital imagers become so mesmerized by a monitor filled with high-resolution images that they get lost in a project, and keep on working past the point of mental and physical fatigue, striving to create \u201cthe ultimate image.\u201d<\/p>\n
Too much of anything–even digital imaging–can be hazardous to your health. I\u2019m not just talking about Repetitive Motion Syndrome (RMS) and problems related to using a mouse and a keyboard. There are other potential problems lurking. I\u2019m not a doctor and don\u2019t even play one on TV, but would like to pass along a few tips on how to make using your computer a more healthful experience.<\/p>\n
The eyes have it<\/strong><\/p>\n Vision is one of the biggest health issues facing digital imagers and others who spend all day looking at computer screens. If you wear glasses, when was the last time you had an eye exam? A prescription that results in even slightly blurred vision when working at your computer can cause problems, and if you have a previously undiagnosed vision problem, it will only become worse with increased computer use.<\/p>\n Due to the natural aging process, you may have presbyopia, which causes eyes to lose their ability to focus on near objects. If you are farsighted, computer use forces your eyes to work harder than normal in order to focus on the screen. All this additional work causes eyestrain and fatigue. Even with a current prescription, contact lens users might experience dry-eye problems, and should consider using products such as artificial tears to keep their eyes moist and healthy.<\/p>\n Prevention tips from the experts<\/strong> Here are some tips about the ergonomics of vision and computer use that have been suggested by the American Optometric Association (AOA) and other medical and scientific groups:<\/p>\n Monitor your monitor!<\/strong> Some flat-panel LCD monitors have a soft plastic surface that virtually eliminates glare. Flat-panel screens have other advantages as well, including less power consumption and radiation and a smaller desktop footprint. Samsung\u2019s 17-inch SyncMaster 173mw is an LCD monitor that provides a 16:10 aspect ratio, 1280 x 768 resolution, and a 500:1 contrast ratio that ensures crisp visuals for computing applications.<\/p>\n Something’s in the air<\/strong><\/p>\n In the bad old days of computing, the first air conditioners many employees encountered were the ones the company installed to keep the computer–not the employees–cool. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends that office climate should be kept between seventy-three and seventy nine degrees during the summer and sixty-eight and seventy-four degrees during the winter. A relative humidity between thirty and sixty percent is also recommended. Because of Colorado\u2019s dry climate, I installed a humidifier in my home\u2019s furnace to add humidity.<\/p>\n Stretch and excercise<\/strong><\/p>\n Before pounding on those keys and grabbing that mouse, take a few minutes to stretch your hands to warm them. During the winter, my former home office was so cold\u2014would you believe 58 degrees! \u2013 that to keep my hands warm I had to wear the same fingerless wool gloves I use for photography outdoors during chilly weather.<\/p>\n Take alternative task breaks throughout the day. To maintain a low stress level, muscle recovery needs to take place throughout the day. San Francisco\u2019s Occupational Medicine Clinic recommends a ten-minute break at least once an hour and a computing day of four to six hours. The British Association of Scientific, Technical, and Managerial Staffs recommends a thirty-minute break with a maximum of two hours at the keyboard. Taking breaks not only helps keep you healthier, but also makes you more productive. If you work until your muscles ache, you\u2019ve waited to long.<\/p>\n Exercise is not just a good idea; it\u2019s something you should do each day. Put down the M&Ms and Mountain Dews and go outside and take a walk. If you\u2019re in pain, see a doctor promptly. While you\u2019re there, ask for a recommendation about an exercise program or health regimen. Just because you don\u2019t eat junk food, doesn\u2019t mean you have a healthy diet.<\/p>\n Joe Farace is Colorado-based photographer\/writer who has written or edited 24 books and 1300 magazine stories. His newest book is The Advanced Digital .Photographer\u2019s Workbook from Focal Press. > www.focalpress.com<\/a>< Please visit his websites at www.joefarace.com<\/a> and www.joefaraceshootscars.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Using a computer doesn’t have to be a pain. Sometime digital imagers become so mesmerized by a monitor filled with high-resolution images that they get lost in a project, and keep on working past the point of mental and physical fatigue, striving to create \u201cthe ultimate image.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":154,"featured_media":17715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[639,17815,645],"tags":[655,883,2131,505,799],"class_list":["post-7174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","category-news","category-photography-645","tag-adorama-655","tag-digital-imaging-883","tag-health-2131","tag-lcd-505","tag-monitor-799"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
<\/p>\n
\n