A little over 2 years ago, I was living abroad and traveling with my family when all of sudden my camera broke mid-click.
The purchase of a new camera was a turning point, where my love for capturing family moments became a real hobby. Photography has filled up my already busy life in a wonderfully fulfilling way. Here are nine reasons why I think you should make photography your hobby also!
1. You can start from any level, at any age, with any camera
Taking pictures is completely personal. You do not need a fancy camera or a creative background to start taking pictures and making improvements. I’ve seen amazing photos taken with a phone camera. There are lots of easy and fun things to learn about composition, light, exposure, and editing that will easily and quickly take anyone’s photos up to the next level.
From a personal side, I never thought of myself as a creative type. I have always loved taking pictures, but it took me a long time to really adopt it as a hobby because I believed I wasn’t artistic enough. Photography has really helped me to discover and develop a side of me I didn’t know existed.
2. It’s a healthy challenge
There are endless ways to challenge yourself with photography; you can always learn something new. There is no shortage of new techniques, genres, projects, equipment, inspiration, and workshops to take in this field. I’ve spent more than two years devouring photography information and I know there is still so much for me to learn and try.
I also see every picture as a challenge. It is like a puzzle I get to solve. How do I use what I’ve learned to capture this moment in time in a more powerful way, making my viewer linger longer and feel more?
3. It helps you notice your world and stay in the moment
Photography makes me so much more observant and aware of the wonderful little things that surround me each day. I notice things like light, shadows, patterns, frames, and colors that I can use in my pictures. More importantly, I notice meaningful things like connections, expressions, gestures, feelings, and especially the small mundane things that I want to remember. It has even gotten me to enjoy things that I didn’t really love before.
4. It motivates you to experience more
With photography as a hobby, I always want to get the family out doing something. Even if it is just taking a walk or setting up a sprinkler in the backyard, I know that us doing anything together will give me opportunities to practice and capture great memories. Sometimes I feel a little guilty about my motivations, but I know that our whole family has gotten to experience so much more together because of my photography.
5. There are no restrictions
One thing I love about being a hobbyist is that I have the freedom to create the pictures I want without any limitations. Without the worry of happy customers, I can take the time to experiment with all sorts of techniques and learn in my own time.
6. It documents your family’s life
Photography helps you capture anything you feel is important to remember. One photograph is powerful enough to not only remind you of an event or detail, but can bring you right back to the feelings, sounds, and even smells of the moment. With every picture, you are telling your family’s unwritten stories and giving them that gift to keep and pass along.
There are also so many wonderful and creative ways to make those photos tangible for your family. I personally love having my web-based digital photo frame in our kitchen. It easily allowed me to load 10,000 photos that play throughout the day. My kids will stop and watch a few here and there and I love hearing the “remember when” conversations that follow.
7. It connects you with others
Everyone loves a good picture, so photography is an easy way to connect to people. I love to be able to share our lives through my photos. It is another way to stay in contact with far away family and friends.
I also cannot say enough about how supportive and inspiring I’ve found the photography communities, such as Clickin Moms and Instagram. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with those around the world who share the same interest in learning to capture their lives better.
8. Seeing your improvement will give you motivation
Photography is a hobby that you can make improvements quickly and see your progress easily. If you line up your photos next to each other from month to month, you will see those changes. In one year, those differences will be significant. Not only will you see how much better you are, seeing some of your favorites each month will give you that extra bit of motivation to keep clicking away.
9. It will bring you joy
Because of all the things I’ve listed above, photography can bring you so much joy. In the midst of a hectic day, there is just something satisfying about slowing down and intentionally focusing on what is in front of you. I feel like I’m filling up my own gratitude journal with every click.
I’d love to know, why do you think photography is a good hobby?
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