James and his DIY Camera Rig
A still from the BBC's documentary on photographer James and the invention that changed his life. BBC
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Sometimes simply being able to operate a camera can bring joy to a photographer. A 22-year-old with a terminal and painful disease that robbed him of the use of his fingers can now operate his beloved DSLR thanks a custom-made rig designed by a generous engineer. We learned his story from a brief video by the BBC, the U.K.’s awesome public media company.

His rig was designed by an engineer named Jude Pullen, who used a 3D printer and some spiffy electronics and software to give James control of both his camera and zoom lens from an iPad. Watching the photographer suffer from epidermolysis bullosa may be tough, but the way he lights up with joy at being able to take pictures on his own is pure magic.