Is photography just a hobby?

I think photography can definitely be more than a hobby, but it's not for everyone. I've always been told that I should be a photographer. I tried it for awhile with a company and got screwed over. Not that every place is like that, but it's hard to find something that really pays well. Especially with the price of gas now, I'm not into driving. Photography never seemed like that important of a job to me either. Yes, capturing memories is important, but a lot of people don't pay for it anymore. And I can't see photographing models being very important at all. I think as digital technology gets better and better, even if people aren't great at photography, everyone is going to think they're a photographer at least (sort of like word processing... how many people really have a job doing that now?). This is not to say that I disrespect photographers or would be totally opposed to being one, but I'd rather have a more meaningful job personally and keep photography as my hobby. Plus, I never want photography to cease being fun, and when I worked as a photographer it almost did stop being fun for me, but mostly due to money issues and the fact that I'm still suing the company I worked for.

I think the main reason you're seeing more and more photographer hobbyists is mostly due to digital photography. Digital cameras are becoming more and more affordable. And digital photography is much quicker and easier than film. To be a photographer, you no longer need a darkroom. Now all you need is a computer! I think that makes photography a lot more appealing to a lot more people. So because of this, I think the hobbyist to professional ratio is increasing. That's why you're seeing more photographer hobbyists than professionals. I think professional photographers are still just as present as they've ever been. There may be a shift in where these professionals work though. I know if you want to photograph for magazines, it's a lot harder to get a job than it used to be. Many magazine publications used to hire whole teams of photographers. Now many of them only have one staff photographer. However, I do believe there are more wedding photographers now than there have ever been! I do believe there will always be a need for photographers, there will just be many changes about what types of photographers are more in demand.

Photography will always be a hobby to many people. Only those who have a vision and dare to reach out will make it a profession. There are many good professional photographers out there. Every picture they take has a story. That is also why many amateurs prefer to be hobbyists rather than professionals. In years to come, nobody can tell. Digital cameras are getting cheaper in price by the day. Most everyone can have a high-end digicam if he/she would be patient and wait for a while. As long as one is able to control and know the process of 'darkroom digital photo' processing, he will be in demand .

I have a friend who do photography just for fun as his hobby. I think some people which have some extra cash do this as a hobby. and some people who made a name on this business do photography both for leisure and for income.