The unexpected encounter between the work of a photographer who sits too much and balance synergy

Jobs that involve sitting for a surprisingly long time

Everyone knows that a photographer's job is to take pictures, but few people know that they have to carry around heavy equipment. The camera and lenses alone weigh 2kg, and with other equipment they are constantly moving around with about 10kg of luggage, so many photographers hurt their backs and legs. Also, with the shift from film to digital, photographers are spending more time working on PCs, and many of them suffer from back pain and stiff shoulders. I am one of them. The job of a photographer involves physical labor and desk work, so surprisingly, it's a job that involves a lot of sitting.

I first came across Balance Synergy through a writer friend of mine.
When I heard that it was a Scandinavian design backless chair, I looked it up on the website and it looked like a very simple stool, but with a strange shape. I was also interested in it when I found out that it swayed a little. But honestly, my first reaction was, "What's the point of having no backrest?"

Simple and blends into your home

When it arrived at my house, there was no assembly required and I was able to use it right out of the box, so I set it up on the desk where I usually work on my computer. After much deliberation, I decided on a refreshing color like young leaves that would work well as an accent. It blends in with the Japanese-style home that was renovated from an old house.

How to feel gravity

For the first few days after I started using it, I couldn't decide on a sitting position, so I had to shift positions several times and adjust the height, which made me feel a bit uneasy. I thought I needed to get used to it before it stopped bothering me, so I started sitting a little bit each day. The first thing that the Synergy sitting method says is to "sit while feeling gravity," and I didn't know what that felt like. However, as my body position, which had been arched from my back being too straight, gradually shifted to my stomach, I began to feel as if I was being pulled downwards by the ground, and I realized that this was "gravity!" After that, I had to readjust my sitting position less often, and I was able to position myself properly.

The tension in your shoulders will naturally ease

And personally, I was impressed that I can work without having to tense my shoulders. I've always had to lean forward and tense my shoulders when working at a desk, so I would get tired quickly, but now I can naturally relax my shoulders and I feel like I can concentrate better than before.

A companion to make your time at home even better

Recently, I've been spending more time at home, so on my days off, I move it to the living room to read magazines and books that have piled up. It's not too heavy, so it's easy to carry around, and the height can be easily adjusted, so it seems like it can be used in any situation around the house. The land is lush and green, and the hot days are gradually increasing. With more and more things that look like they can make our time at home even better, we're looking forward to spending the coming summer. Even so, before I knew it, I was swaying back and forth naturally. This back and forth swaying is kind of addictive.

Miwa Togashi (Dashi Photo)
Everyday Photographer

Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1988
2008 Graduated from Nippon Photography Institute
In the same year, he joined Rio Creative Co., Ltd. and worked at Shueisha Studios.
2013: Worked as a photographer at Shueisha Women's Magazine Photo Studio
2015: Independent "Dashi Photo"
In 2019, we started our activities in two locations: Sumida-ku, Tokyo and Toyooka, Hyogo.