With a keen eye, an apatite for discovery and some help from the right equipment, photography can be hugely rewarding. Gone are the days when great looking imagery could only be captured by professionals in the field; the advancements in digital photography now allows both amatuers and professionals alike to capture their most cherished moments in life. I’ve recently bought a Finepix S9600 (which I’ll probably write a personal review on soon) and I’m keen to explore its capabilities beyond its auto function, but for now here are some reasons that many people may decide to take up photography:
1. It teaches patience:
Not everything makes a great picture. Finding the scene that speaks to you is a personal journey and while you may spend many hours snapping not so interesting shots, you are constantly on the look out for that one great shot. Indeed you might look back on a days work and feel let down by the lack of quality images you have captured. These shots are not a waste of time. Think of them as trial runs. Don’t be discouraged by a lack of quick success. Photography is not something to be rushed, and it never should be. Savour the moment and know that it will happen. Enjoy the wait.
2. It will calm and relax you:
Amatuer photography is the antithesis of modern day life - everyone rushing from A to B, racing to catch a cab, bus or train. Worrying about deadlines that are forgotten about once they pass. Your only constraint is the light around you, and even then changing light can reveal new possibilites. Take your time when examing your subject, be it a person, landscape, building or plant. Dont feel rushed or tied to any external clock but your own; the world isn’t going anywhere.
3. Unlock your creativity
When an image strikes the retina of the eye the nerve impulses last about 1/25 seconds. This persistance of vision allows us to see the world as a continuous flow of motion rather than series of jittery images. This is also the only way we see the world naturally. Photography opens up other amazing possibilities. Techniques such a long exposure capture and exposure blending of multiple images produce surreal imagery that can provoke emotions of wonder and awe. Don’t be afriad of experimentation - if you don’t try you wont succeed.
4. Hone your attention to detail
We often go though our days simply doing the motions - familiar with both the present and future around us because we don’t look to see what else it there. Photography demands that one is curious about everything, it will challenge you to see the uniqueness and beauty in everything from the mundane to the wonderful. Don’t forget; mundane and wonderful needn’t be mutually exclusive, often it is the simplest of things that brings out our biggest response.
5. See the world in a diferent perspective:
We view our world from one perspective - our vision is elevated to about 5 - 6 feet off the ground. Many photographers starting out may take shots from this perspective but why not expand outside the box. Look up to the sky. Peer down to the ground. Orient your camera to view the world from the perspective of other animals! What would the world look like from the perspective of an ant on a tree, or a cat in long grass? Or a bird in the sky? (You may have to climb a tree for this one!)
6. Make some money
Stock photography businesses are a great place to start for any budding photographer to get their photographs noticed and it can make them a bit of money in the process. A good place to start is istockphoto. Becoming a member is free and you can immediately either browse existing photos or begin to upload your own for sale. It’s a quick and easy way to reach a very large target audience.
7. Success and satisfaction
That perfect shot can speak a thousand different words to a thousand different people and will last a lifetime.
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