3 minute read
Cheeky Tui
Photographing these native birds helped Rex Auty recover after his stroke.
"A stroke is like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, I really did not see it coming," Rex says.
He describes going to bed one night in February 2016 as usual.
When he woke up, he could no longer use his right side. "Somehow I got downstairs to my partner Carole’s bedroom, switched the light on to wake her, and realised I could not talk."
Carole instantly understood what was happening and rang the ambulance. By the time it arrived, Rex could no longer walk or talk.
He was whisked to Whangarei Hospital.
Over the course of his recovery, Rex regained these abilities, although with limited functionality on his right side.
This meant he couldn’t hold a glass of water with his right hand, let alone use his camera.
As photography was a huge part of his working life as part of his career in marketing, this discovery shook Rex to his core. "It was a big moment as it meant I could not do a simple task, and they do not make left handed cameras!"
When Rex returned to work, he’d have to take a power nap every day to recharge his brain.
And there were other challenges. "There are a million little steps that make up one normal step. Walking my dog for 3km a day was a goal when I got out of hospital and this taught me to walk again and have space by myself."
"I still remember throwing my shoes at the garage door and yelling at the top of my voice when I could not tie my shoelaces after five minutes of trying (I never got velcro shoes, as that would have felt like giving up)."
Short-term memory loss is very hard to deal with, he says - a simple example being leaving the keys in the front door and being away for five hours.
Over time, Rex's brain started rebuilding his memory banks.
Being able to sleep as required helped with this, as well as spending time outdoors. "The deck of our house with the birds darting around was my happy place, as my brain felt 'fried' from my work and I needed to settle everything down again." A bird bath and sugar feeder were added to the deck to encourage visits from flocks of bird species.
Rex also embarked on changing all his camera lenses to ones with image stabilisation capability, and he slowly learned to take sharp shots again.
This period sparked a rebirth in Rex's photographic knowledge as he retaught himself techniques using modern photographic equipment. "I regained confidence in my general manner and realised I had to keep trying
Patience was needed as Rex recovered from his stroke and re-learned how to use photographic equipment.
Rex Auty
at everything. It was very good for my brain to relearn photography as it is quite technical and you can see the results straightaway." "Although it’s only part of my journey, the stimulation (and despair) of taking the right shot has really helped my overall search to extract maximum potential from my new brain."
It’s also led to the creation of his book,
Tui In Our Garden, a beautiful record of the birds who helped Rex during his rehabilitation journey.
Rex even named some of his tui friends. "I have seen four tui together at the same time as hearing the distinctive call from their sentry posts." "Whether this changes every year with the parents kicking out the youngsters after awhile, I don’t know!"
READER GIFTS FROM REX Tui In Our Garden is a collection of beautiful photographs of the tui who regularly visit photographer Rex Auty’s Paihia backyard. The book also describes the plants and insects they snack on, the various stages of a young bird’s life, as well as information and tips about photographing birds (without overloading the reader with too much technical jargon).
Capturing the images took Rex months of patience, given wildlife aren't easy to get into line for a perfect shot!
Rex's book is a great resource for bird and photography enthusiasts, as well as being a lovely reminder that beauty can be found in our own backyards.
Purchase on TradeMe for $24.95.
You'll find Rex's book Tui In Our Garden for sale at www.trademe.co.nz for $24.95.
4 copies to be won! Entry form p8.
