Triggered

"I've been taking too many pictures," said no photographer ever.

And in truth, I've been taking a lot of photos over the past couple of months, compared with the first three months of 2026, but more to the point, I think I've been holding my camera too much.

Ever since I bought the Sony α6700, I've been wanting to learn as much about it as possible. I've looked at all of the menu settings and have customized them to my liking; or, at the very least, I've understood what they do and have left them alone, opting to leave them at their default settings.

I've watched countless videos about how to get the most out of the α6700, holding the camera as I've watched, pausing the video in places so I could look at whatever was being discussed with my camera.

There has hardly been a day that's gone by, since I bought the camera, where I didn't hold onto it at some point. I'm truly enamoured with this camera and am happy with my decision to go with it over the other cameras I researched.

But there is too much of a good thing. I have held my camera too much and I'm starting to suffer for it.

Image: Mayo Clinic.

I've developed trigger finger.

According to the Mayo Clinic, trigger finger—also known as stenosing tenosynovitis—is a condition where a finger becomes stuck in a bent position. It can occur more commonly in the morning and usually affects the ring finger, though it can affect any finger, including the thumb.

When the tendon for the affected finger cannot glide smoothly in the sheath that surrounds it, or if part of the tendon sheath becomes swollen or a lump forms around it, the finger tends to bend. When you straighten the finger, a snapping action occurs.

My trigger finger is pretty mild and started a couple of weeks ago (about a month after getting my camera). I'd wake up with my ring finger on my right hand curled and locked, and I'd have to straighten it with my left hand. If I relaxed the right hand, the finger would tend to curl and lock again.

As the morning progressed and I started moving around, my finger would behave normally. But the next morning, I'd awake to the trigger finger all over again.

Because it's mild, I don't experience any pain but there's a weird sensation that moves through my wrist and travels up to my elbow, and that sensation is amplifying. If it gets more serious, I'll pay a visit to my doctor.

My camera is the cause of this condition, I've decided. A few days after noticing my finger's behaviour, DW and I were walking around Bruce Pit, looking to capture pictures of birds. For my Sony α6700, I wear the strap like a sash, with it going over my left shoulder and the camera hanging off my right waist. I can walk hands-free this way, but I seldom do so unless we're walking without stopping to take shots.

I have a quick-release mount on the strap that allows me to remove the camera whilst leaving the strap around me. When we're looking for birds or other subjects, I carry the camera by its grip in my right hand.

Because the α6700 is so small, my pinky hangs below the grip so I curl it under the camera for more stability when I hold it. I think that by doing so, my middle and ring fingers grip the camera tighter so that I don't accidentally drop it.

On that walk around Bruce Pit, I could feel the stress in the tendons in my forearm and I realized that my ring finger was almost in a curled position. And, apparently, gripping something too tight can cause trigger finger.

Even though I put two and two together, I've continued to carry my camera in this manner when we are out bird-nerding. After all, it isn't hurting me and I'm aware of the condition.

But recently, things have since become worse. I'm still not in pain but I have an increased tingling sensation that runs from the base of that finger to my elbow that I feel all the time. When I type and that finger is semi-bent, it wants to curl.

So I've started taking preventive measures. I've put down the camera, deciding to take a break from going out to capture birds—at least, less often than I've been doing.

I've started taking anti-inflammatory medication: ibuprofen. It helps a little but not a lot.

I've also started sleeping with my finger in a splint, to prevent it from curling at night. This is more helpful than the meds, so I'll continue to do so until I notice a marked improvement.

If it doesn't get better or if I start to experience pain, I'll go to my doctor.

Who thought photography would be detrimental to my health? But I'm not going to stop because the benefits to my mental health far outweigh any discomfort, so I'm not about to give up anytime soon. Or ever.

Happy Monday!