Earlier this spring (2024), I got a power wheelchair. It was amazing how much independence and life events I missed out on because it was too inconvenient or hard to push me around in my transport chair. Since I have had it, I have been able to go bowling, go to the store, and go to the park with my nieces (my favorite!) 

 After I had had the chair for a while, I started thinking of how enjoyable it would be to figure out how to make an attachment that would allow me to use my camera with my chair and be mobile simultaneously.
I did some research and found two companies that made attachments for wheelchairs. One was in the USA and the other in the Philippines. I contacted both companies and opened a dialogue. They were intrigued and eager to take on the challenge. However, the devices they were coming up with just seemed very complex and expensive. 

I was visiting with my friend Kevin one day, and I told him what I was working on.  He was fascinated and asked if I could send him the emails of my conversations. He shortly stated that he was pretty sure he could create something much simpler for me and would get back to me. After several months of tinkering around with several ideas, I am excited to share with you the attachment Kevin came up with!

I tested it out this morning with my good friend Ashley, and it was super easy to use! Not only that, but it safely secured my camera.  Thank you for empowering me and gifting me this genius attachment, Kevin! 

The Neewer arm attachment I was formally using, as seen in the images above, turned out not to be the best solution. In fact, during a shoot with a friend, I actually had the arm snap off. Luckily, I caught it quickly enough to catch and spare my camera! I learned that this small attachment was not meant to endure friction and was made for small monitors.

It was back to the drawing board.

After consulting and seeking advice from my photography guild, I was advised to take a look at the Manfrotto 244 Variable Friction Arm with Bracket. I learned that it was built to handle friction and that it was actually used by many NFL photographers and videographers.
I ordered a model and have been using it to this day with no complaints. It is very sturdy and can be tightened so it barely moves.
The only slight downside is that because my powerchair is made out of carbon fiber (to keep the weight down), the arm that holds the camera does dip ever so slightly. Other than that, we are good to go. Hope these findings help and inspire others to get out there and build something awesome! :)