Here at Light Stalking we have a wide range of photographers with an equally wide range of experience. One demographic that is always welcome here is the newcomer to photography and in particular those contemplating taking up photography a little more seriously.
Many people catch the photography bug from shooting with smart phones on compact cameras. These days it has never been easier to take a great picture, and that first amazing shot is often all that is needed to hook you into this amazing hobby. So today and with apologies to some of our more experienced members we are going to give you some good reasons as to why you should take up photography.
It’s Technical AND It’s Creative
We all have both a technical and creative side to our brains. In some people it's more creative, in others its more technical. This is one of the things that makes photography such an appealing hobby. Some of us will sway towards the creative side of photography, letting the camera do the technical work. Others will be absorbed by the nearly infinite number of possibilities we can achieve with our camera’s controls. For many, it will be a subtle mixture of both.
Add into this equation the idea that we can create stunning art without needing the extraordinary dexterity of other more manual art-forms and we have the perfect pastime.
Indoor and Outdoor
There are not too many pastimes or hobbies that we can do indoors and out. Photography is one of them. Bad weather is no barrier to the keen photographer. They can either embrace the rogue elements or stay inside and shoot. There is so much we can shoot inside – macros, pets, food, plants, with a little imagination we can happily shoot away indoors until better weather arrives.
Even if you run out of ideas to shoot, there are so many books, videos, and sites such as Light Stalking where you can look for inspiration and to learn new things. Photography is truly a life long learning process.
Photography Can Be Both Solitary and Social
Another great thing about photography is the way you can choose to do it alone or as part of a group. Creativity can abound from both. Working solo we will often find our mind wandering creatively, visualizing things that could look great in an image. If we spend time with a group of photographers, we find that we share our creativity, bouncing ideas off of each other. The beauty of this, of course, is that we can choose both. We can go out alone, or we can join clubs or photo walks to enjoy photography in the company of others.
Relaxing and Rewarding
One of the things that may have got you considering photography is having taken a great image with a camera phone. Great shots make you feel great. You have expressed your creativity and can share it with your friends and family. Taking that further by getting into photography fully you will find that getting great shots is like a drug, you just want to do more and more.
Photography is also a very relaxing pursuit especially if you go off alone. With just a camera, a location and a subject you can free your mind from day to day stresses and focus on the sole aim of getting a good photograph.
Photography Is Inexpensive
I won’t use the word cheap because photography is not cheap. However it's relatively inexpensive compared to other hobbies. If you are contemplating it seriously there is no need to jump in at the deep end and invest in expensive professional level equipment. Digital photography has been around long enough for there to be some absolute bargains in the secondhand market. Start with a camera and one lens and see how you get on.
Many of us already have the equipment we need to display and share our shots. A basic laptop and an internet connection are all you need to get your images up for all to see. If the photography bug really bites then you can upgrade equipment as your budget allows.
Many of us seasoned photographers can trace our love for it back to a single shot. An image that we took that so enchanted us and our peers that we were compelled to carry on. Some of us went on to do it professionally, others kept it purely as a hobby. For all of us, photography has become a part of our lives, a way to express ourselves, our thoughts and our moods through the power of a single image.
Why would you not want that in your life?
