Photography as a hobby

Whether one says it loud or not, one wants to be photographed. Ever seen people wanting to be “shot” if you take out camera and point at a group of people standing? Well most often than not you would find even the serious ones trying to say cheese silently so that they appear good in a photograph they would probably never see. It is often true for the tourists who take shots of people and often experience this feeling. I think everyone wants to be seen and captured no matter who is shooting and why. This allows a photographer, novice or professional, to find willing subjects at no cost, and no obligation of course.

When once asked why people photograph, Seth Resnick, an experienced and pro photographer replied, “You don’t make pictures for the average person. You make pictures for yourself.” And I think he is right in saying so. We photograph from our angle and our lens as it suits and pleases us.

Photography has been and is one of the widely adopted hobby by people of any age basically as a pastime and preserve moments of joy at family reunions, outdoor activities and while camping and fishing. Photography was once a very expensive hobby as first the cameras were very expensive to buy, and secondly buy and developing films required additional costs. Therefore hobbyists were very selective in shooting and in the process focused only on friends and families.

The yesterdays of photography, limited to its cost effects, made few good photographers as only people with money could afford the hobby. But today, with the availability of cameras in one’s cellular phone, the hobby is widespread. People, who would have otherwise never taken a shot in their entire life, are now able to photograph their families and friends and even make videos of the events.

The easy availability of a photography gadget in one’s hand has also allowed many people to go beyond shooting people and photograph nature, events and anything worth watching and seeing. And the good thing about photography today is that one doesn’t necessarily need a print out as the results can be seen instantly on the cell phone or a digital camera and can be viewed on a computer screen.

I have been photographing for quite a while now but haven’t leaped into the world of the professionals. I photograph as a pleasing pastime and hobby and love to share my photographs with friends and others. The digitization of photography has injected more fun into the hobby as one can take countless number f shots of a same subject or event and select the best result after sifting from the scores. The photograph above was taken by me awhile ago and is also shared at Flickr and part of the Explore.

The various software available, like the Photoshop and many others, allow adding extra effects and tones to make an otherwise poorly shot photo into a masterpiece.  I am sharing some of my photos here but my best selection is shared at Flickr, which provides a forum for all photography lovers to share their work for others to see and get feedback to improve upon.

I will continue to share basics of photography, tips for good photography and share others views and input on photography, which may serve as inspiration for the beginners or those wanting to get more out of their cameras.

My Novice Photography: Jalalspages (Flickr)