Re: [Leica] Shooting question - an Operating Room

[tedgrant@shaw.ca]

Steven Blutter asked:
>>>Shooting question - an Operating Room

> Hi everyone,
> I've been given an assignment to shoot a surgeon in action in the O.R.
> (which I've never done)
> 
> Other than the obvious (scrubbing in etc.), what other problems 
> should I
> anticipate?
> 
> -Do I have to have the equip. sterilized?  Bagged?  (if so what 
> bag - how do
> you change rolls?)
> 
> I have a meeting coming up & don't want to be completely unprepared.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Steven Blutter<<<<<

Hi Steven,
You don't have to scrub as you're not operating on the patient. All you should have to do is change street clothes to greens or blues or whatever colour the OR clothes are.

Given this is your first time doing this don't worry about your clothes other than knowing you'll strip down to your skivvies and into OR garb. They'll guide you with the clothes and over booties to cover your shoes.


No you don't have to do any sterilizing or covering your camera gear and changing film is just the same as normal.  You may find you'll have to leave your bag outside the OR, maybe, however sometimes you just plunk it down inside the door and that's OK. If the bag and what to do with it hasn't come up ask the head OR nurse or the doctor what you can do with it.

Usually head OR nurse will tell you what to do and kind of guide you through a couple of what to do and what not to do.

But the most important thing is:
"DO NOT TOUCH THE SURGEON NOR ANYONE ELSE INVOLVED DIRECTLY AT THE TABLE WITH THE PATIENT." And I mean don't get close enough for your clothes to touch them!!!!!!!! Even though you're in greens or you could find yourself in deep do doo and out the door. O any of the small tables used to hold the trays of tools and bits&pieces.

Apart from common sense of not touching anything in the room or trays on roll about tables, just be comfortable. Best bet, stay away from the doc doing the cutting and use longer glass to reach in for whatever it is you need. 

If you need a little height there are small metal stools about to stand on. If you don't see one ask the "Run about nurse" as I call them, you wont miss her or them as they're on the move keeping all the bits and pieces flowing during the operation.

I'd not worry too much about anything as the OR head nurse will explain things to you and all you have to do is, what she says. And before you move any time, look around yourself to see that you are not going to touch or bang into anything. You may find yourself walking a bit sideways to slide between things, but move carefully and you'll be cool.

If you're shooting B&W use Tri-x or Tmax @ 800 and you'll be flying with available light as it's highly unlikely you'll neeed flash at any time.

Colour might be a bit different, but I'd shoot Fuji 800 negative whatever it is and you can do available light, as long as you know you'll have some colour balancing to do in photoshop.

But in all my years of shooting in OR's about the world I've never used a flash at anytime... cause if you can see it, you can shoot it. And trust me you'll see it quite OK ! :-)

I hope this helps, just stay relaxed and cool, as it'll be a neat experience.

ted




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