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Definitive Photography Beginner Guide

Hobbies truly afford you a wide range of benefits. There are abundant hobbies that people engage in daily that provide them with an escape from the hustle and bustle of their daily routines.

Though many hobbies can serve the mind well and even challenge the body, one of the most rewarding and gratifying hobbies to engage in and integrate into your life is that of PHOTOGRAPHY.

new adventure of photography, hobby, project, bored

In today’s fast-paced world so filled with challenges and never-ending stress, it can be remarkably difficult to find the time to engage in those things that you love most or things that can actually bring you relaxation and peace. Work, school, family, and nonstop responsibilities that occupy your time morning until night, virtually rob you of the opportunity to relax, unwind, enjoy a hobby, or just spend quality time with “you.”

Though many people have cherished hobbies that serve to relax their bodies and occupy their minds, they seldom have the time in a day to embrace them.

Hobbies can be very productive.

They are ideal for alleviating common feelings of boredom, relieving stress, and allowing you to give time and attention to yourself and to your interests. In addition, hobbies provide entertainment to both body and mind, and are a healthy way of dealing with life’s many challenges.

The time you spend engaging in your hobbies and your passions provides you with a healthy break from the day-to-day struggles and demands of life. They afford you the opportunity to set and achieve your own goals, explore and discover your creativity, and build your self-confidence.

Hobbies offer us a balance in life between work and life outside of work that allows us to develop and enjoy a healthy and satisfying life.

Hobbies afford you the opportunity to set and achieve your own goals, explore and discover your creativity, and build your self-confidence. Hobbies offer us a balance in life between work and life outside of work that allows us to develop and enjoy a healthy and satisfying life.

Certainly, photography affords us all of this and then some. From sunrises and sunsets, overcast skies and beautiful clouds, palms trees and ocean waves, the images that can be captured through an inspiring hobby of photography are every bit as sensitive and emotional as the photographer himself who so chooses to capture these heartfelt moments in time.

Photography Benefits

photography photo

Though I believe there to be many reasons why photography is a tremendous hobby, the biggest reason is just the simple capability to capture a moment in time as it happens. The photograph taken delivers emotions that only you can appreciate and memories that will never be lost.

Photography awards us with the ability to reconnect with our past, preserve our memories. This is done by bringing an event to life and capturing that which we want to remember in that exact moment in time.

The benefits that a hobby in photography affords us are many and include the following: 

  1. Challenging yourself – Unlike the challenges at your work that are typically stressful, you can set challenging goals you want to accomplish with your photography. Setting these types of challenges is quite empowering since you are free to take risks, experiment, try new things, and celebrate your accomplishments freely.
  2. Relieving stress – Photography helps make the worries of the day disappear and allows you to engage in an exciting and pleasurable activity. It can be a true form of relaxation and meditation that removes you from the demands of everyday life and puts you into an environment where you can experience rewarding photographs, activities, and accomplishments. It also allows you to experience a quiet of the mind and a de-stressing of the body all the while embracing the beauty that surrounds you;
  3. Alleviating feelings of boredom – For those rare moments in life when you genuinely find yourself feeling completely bored, a hobby in photography can provide you with a focus and an objective, all the while allowing you to be creative, challenged, and productive which certainly leaves no room for boredom;
  4. Improving your work performance – Believe it or not, but when you are successful with your hobbies you inevitably become more successful at work. Your hobby in photography requires decision-making, creative thinking, setting goals, and even interacting with others, all skills that are linked to success in the workplace. When we experience these skills in our hobby we tend to mirror the same successful results in our work;
  5. Creating social connections – There are many times that your photography will require you to interact with other people, whether they are targets of your photography or those who share your interest or mindset, which ultimately allows you to create healthy and rewarding social connections;
  6. Providing a true form of entertainment – Photography is not only rewarding but indeed is quite entertaining as well. Taking beautiful photographs that can be shared at a social event or gathering of friends and family is refreshing to those involved and serves to capture the attention of those you choose to share them with. The photographs themselves, as well as the stories behind them, can most assuredly entertain your guests, and your presentation and an array of photographs can be every bit as entertaining to yourself as they are to your audience.
  7. Money Making Possibilities – You can turn this hobby and make it into a successful business. Many photographers have turned this ability to capture the moment into a part-time side job, or full-time business venture. The choice is yours! You can sell photographs on websites such as shutterstock, become a photographer for weddings or events, or take great photos and freelance work for others!
    1. Start a photography business shooting events such as weddings.
    2. Sell stock photos
    3. Begin a career in photography for a magazine or other media outlet

With so many benefits to offer, photography is one of the most intriguing and self-rewarding hobbies today. How spectacular it is to see something heartwarming or breathtaking and with a simple click of a button and a focus of an eye, be able to capture its beauty for a lifetime.

We all know the emotions that come into play when we look back upon photographs from our past. Our memories are triggered, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and the stories that existed behind that precious moment in time all come fluttering back.

How true it is that “a picture speaks a thousand words” and indeed with a hobby in photography, you will never run out of words.

How to Get Started in Photography

There are many ways you can get started in photography! Many local schools and colleges offer special courses or lessons on photography, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn on your own either!

Many friends of mine have photography as a hobby and love every moment of it. Some have even turned this passion into their own side business, and you could too!

Have your friend take you on a photo shoot! You can help them with the process and learn something about photography in the process.

You also may want their input on photos you’ve already taken. If you have a collection of shots you’re particularly happy about, grab them for a few minutes and ask their opinion of them. They will be your most honest critique and will offer great advice.

Acquire Decent Photography Equipment

Look, it’s fine if you want to take your smartphone and turn it into the best photo taking device there ever was. However, if you want beautiful pictures, you should probably get a decent camera to back up your aspirations of being the next Ansel Adams!

Take a look at Amazons best selling camera!

Digital SLR’s

Digital SLR’s are exactly what you’re thinking they are. They’re a digital camera that can be customized for your personal photography needs.

These cameras are the best of the best, and you’ll have a leg up in your photography ventures if you get one! They can be customized with many different lenses, filters, stands and tripods to make every picture taken into a masterpiece!

Highly recommended if you want to take photography as a hobby seriously. These cameras will allow you to make plenty of adjustments according to your preferences.

The downside to these cameras are also what make them special: sophistication.

These cameras are very sophisticated and will take plenty of time to learn and become comfortable with. If you master your camera, it’ll be worth the trouble in the long run!

Point and Shoot Cameras

These cameras are also digital cameras, but come in smaller sizes and are much less sophisticated in design. What you trade in the luxury of customization, you gain in mobility and ability to carry this camera where you need to.

These cameras are able to be kept in a pants pocket easily, which makes easily taking them to sporting events, kids concerts and other kodak moments times of life!

Point and shoot cameras are also extremely easy to use! Within an hour or two, you’ll have mastered all the different abilities of the camera. These cameras are extremely similar to the camera on your smartphone, so these types of cameras are not exactly necessary if you have one of these phones.

Miscellaneous and Optional Photo Equipment

  • SD or Memory Card for your digital camera to store photos
  • Tripod to help with great still shots
  • Camera bag for storage and mobility
  • Camera strap for safety and ease of use
  • Extra Batteries
  • Filters
  • Different lenses

Learning Photography: Online Guides

So you’ve got your equipment and a desire to take your hobby of photography to the next level. Let’s learn how to take this passion and turn it into something great!

Photography Lessons on Udemy

Udemy is the worldwide leader in online courses. They offer many courses that will help get you started in learning photography!

They have both free and paid courses, but trust me they are well worth checking out if you want to learn to take this hobby seriously. YouTube will also offer videos and tips on how to get started with photography, but Udemy will take your skills to another level!

Other Photography Guides:

Convinced to Begin Photography When You’re Bored?

In a world so filled with challenges, hardships, and nonstop stress, how refreshing, how enlightening, how fruitful, and how rewarding it is to engage in a splendid hobby that not only comforts you but teaches you much about the beauty of the world that surrounds you.

If you find yourself struggling with boredom, overwhelmed with all life’s tasks and challenges, eager to feel accomplished, and yearning to know the meaning of success, then find the time and make the time to engage in a healthy hobby. From this devoted writer to those in search of a perfect, passionate hobby – second to my writing, photography would be my hobby of choice!!

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