Tammy Ruggles, 54, was born with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative condition that results in the deterioration of the retinas over time. At age 40, she was declared legally blind and subsequently lost her career as a social worker.
'It was my chosen profession, and I didn't give it up lightly,' Kentucky-based Tammy explained in a post for Vox. 'When it disappeared, so did some of my confidence and sense of identity. What was I to call myself if not a social worker?'
When she was a youngster, Tammy had been an avid fan of photography, picking up old Kodak and Polaroid cameras to snap shots of pets and family members with dreams of taking it farther.
But those dreams would be dashed as her vision deteriorated - she was unable to use the manually-operated cameras that were around in the age before digital photography, and her night blindness meant she would never be able to work in a dark room.
'So as a teenager I decided, regretfully, to put my love of photography in a box and leave it alone,' she said. 'I didn't feel bitter about it. It was just another adjustment I had to make given the vision problem I had.'
However, the idea remained in the back of her mind.
Over the years, Tammy read about great photographers and imagined the scenes she wished she could capture on film.
Then, in 2013, with no ability to drive, pursue her previous career or even to sketch pictures, she decided to go back to her childhood passion. With the advent of user-friendly digital cameras, it was more possible than ever before, so she ordered herself one.