Posted by Photography isn’t what it used to be, where you insert a film into your camera and pray that you get the image right, while reading suggestions off a chart or a pocket photography guide. Today, with digital cameras being everywhere, from mobile phones to tablets, you can take a photo without ever having to worry whether it was right or not. You can check it out immediately after taking it.
Can photography be an easy hobby in this day and age or is it still something which needs a lot of skill? A bit of both, actually.
Cameras are Cheap – Anyone can Start Photography
The fact of the matter is that cameras are cheap nowadays. You can purchase a used camera for not a lot of money. On the other hand, every mobile phone has a built in camera solution which can take relatively decent photos. Yes, better cameras are still expensive, even used, but good equipment often retains its value.
But gear-wise, anyone can pick up a camera and start taking photos. The joy of photography should keep people busy, as there are so many different kinds of photos you could take, meaning different challenges, as well, for example, people photography.
Is Skill Necessary? – If so, How Much?
Like with any other hobby, skill makes it better, as well as yourself. Not only do you get confidence from being better, but you might even start selling some photos, not just end up publishing them online.
Photography takes practice, and by practice, using full automatic mode isn’t the best way to learn. Using the manual mode will teach you what not to do, and where can each setting be applied, as well as the limit of your camera. You might get a better photo, or at least, something you wanted, with manual mode compared to full auto. Skill can take you much further than a good camera would.
Share Your Photos – Get Feedback
If you want to improve as a photographer, you should share your photos on social media. You could even share it on some photography-specific sites, to get feedback from experts. This way, you can find out whether you got everything right, from exposure, to the right lens, not to mention the shutter speed and the aperture.
The more feedback you get, especially the constructive kind, the more likely you are to get better if you take it seriously and try to improve. Photography can be improved daily, as it doesn’t take long to try out new settings in new conditions.
This is what you need to know to start photography as a hobby. It is a very fulfilling hobby, so think about it if you have lots of spare time.