I have this passion for photography, but i'm still an amateur, how about you?
By weirdo55
@weirdo55 (77)
Philippines
January 5, 2010 2:17am CST
I have this desire to become a great photographer one day but I'm still an amateur and I'm not really good at it yet. I want to learn more about how to take good pictures. I have always been an admirer of photographs taken by people who love taking photos. Those photos just shows the passion of the photographer and i hope one day I can be as good as any professional. I can appreciate a great photo when i see one. and i can;t help but be more passionate about learning more. Unfortunately, I don;t have one of those nice cameras yet. But i'm hoping someday I will. How about you? What do you think about photography? Would you consider it as a hobby/past time or something you do out of passion? would love to hear about your ideas and tips if you may :)
11 responses
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
5 Jan 10
Don't limit yourself by thinking that a high end expensive camera will turn you into a great photographer..The Camera's a tool,it's the creativity of the person behind the camera,not what they're carrying,that counts! You can make some wonderful photos with any simple camera,just choose your subjects well,get good lighting (or work with shadow too..),use good or unusual angles for your subjects,and get the timing right..If you have the attitude of a Professional,You may well get there! Processing the photos is part of the magic too..
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
7 Jan 10
The other thing being,by definition A Professional makes their living from what they do..You can remain at an "Amateur" Level in whatever interest you may have,and still be highly skilled at it..
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
Hi shepherdspy! Thanks for the encouragement :) I do agree with you on that. It's not in the tool itself but the beauty of the pictures you take depends on the one looking behind the viewfinder :) cool. Now it's up to me (along with my other aspiring photographers) to broaden our perspective and increase our creativity :) Thank you so much. You have no idea how much you've encouraged me with your words. :) God bless you!
@mjcookie (2271)
• Philippines
5 Jan 10
Hi weirdo!
I love taking pictures, but guess what, I don't even own a camera. LOL. Weird, but I know that I love taking pictures because when I had once (just my phone camera before), I spent my free time taking pictures of everything. I get so into it that I lose track of time doing it. I, too, am not professional, but I do appreciate candid photography a lot, especially those that involves nature, like insects, sunsets, dogs, flowers, and cats. If I'd be a photographer someday, I would specialize on wildlife photography. That would be very fun and exciting.
There's this show in Lifestyle Network called DIY Photography (I guess, I forgot the title but it goes something like that :D), and it's a really helpful show for those who aspire to be a professional photographer. I watched a few episodes of it when we still had cable TV and it was really comprehensible and friendly. You don't have to have an SLR camera right now because they used a digital cam once. It just has to contain good, helpful features to enhance your photos.
Good luck with that. Pursue your dreams. :D
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
Thank you so much mjcookie! :)
and yes, i do believe that for starters, you can use the point and shoot camera. I actually just recently got my point and shoot. previously, I also used my camera phone. :) The pics I took were not of the same quality as I do now with the P&S due to the limited megapixels and features but it was always fun to take photos of anything and everything. :) I like it when simple things like leaves or lil' insects turn out to be really pretty in the picture :) It's like showing the beauty of simple things. And like you, I've always been interested in wildlife photography. when I was a kid, I used to dream that I'd be one of the photographers of National Geographics or Discovery Channel, lol. but who knows :) WE should just keep on practicing and never stop taking photos! keep lovin' what you do! ^_^
@udnisak (609)
• Australia
5 Jan 10
i also want to be a good photograper one day.. i dont have any idea to earn money throught it.. but i would like to take photos as a hobby.. like yourself i also have always been an admirer of photos taken by ohters.. it always feels good to look at a nicly taken photo.. like the old saying one photo worths thousand words..
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
Yes indeed udnisak, a picture is worth a thousand words :) It's nice to know that there are a lot of people who are into photography. :) yet, it's also common for people to think that it's not very practical because you can;t get money out of it. but i believe that if it's your passion, you'd still go ahead with it. besides, if we're talking about passion, it shouldn't be done to get profit but should be done because you love doing it :) with that said, there are a lot of photographers that get good money out of their photos. but you have to be a professional though. it's a long way to the top and it is quite an expensive hobby. but anyway, thanks for sharing your comment :) keep the love for pictures! ^_^ God bless!
@julporps (11)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
Hi there! its nice to know that there are people who are very much passionate of photography. Like you i am also an "addict" of this hobby. I started out using the old camera( with film) then next with a very basic digital camera,which saves a lot because you dont have to develop the film inorder to see the picture. One thing I can share with photography is that you dont really have to have a very expensive camera to capture a beautiful moment, you need to learn to play with the lighting, composition of the subject inorder to capture it well. It's more of a trial and error thing.
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
:) hi julporps :) i agree with you on that. I'm actually using a simple point and shoot camera as of now and indeed, it's all a matter of how you compose your shots :) And of course, the best way to learn is to keep on shooting and learning how to improve your photos every time you take them :) nothing beats experience as a teacher ^_^ Keep on taking photos! Never stop being passionate of what you do :) God bless on that! ^_^ thanks for the tips!
@awang52 (2)
• Malaysia
7 Jan 10
Hi,
I just bought myself Olympus E-620.Well, I'm not a photographer but I'm only a man that carry camera.I shot like a tourist..you know what i mean??.Maybe that's help a lot..shooting & practice.I don't do much editing on what i snap ..i love the originality.Again, to me even as an amateur is not an over night and it's take time.
Learning process is most important & get to know more about the camera we use is most important.
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
9 Jan 10
yes, that's true awang. it's very important to know the camera you're using so that you can make most of what you got. i totally agree with you that it takes a lot of practice and patience if you want to be good at something ^_^ keep on taking those photos! ^_^
@bgangelrs (49)
• Bulgaria
12 Jan 10
Photography is my hobby too. Last year I bought an Olympus E -510. Before to buy my camera I read many reviews and finely i decided to take it. Well it is not the best camera in the world but I am still amateur so for me it is good enough. Now i take pictures of anything that crosses my way but my favorite topic is humans and nature.
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
24 Jan 10
cool! :) well, like they say, you don;t need to get a great cam to be a great photographer... at least you get to do what you love - taking picture :) i hope you enjoy your new camera! and i think it was wise of you to look up reviews about the cam.. i think that's very important in buying new stuff, especially when it'll cost much. it's always better to do a lil' research here and there from experts :) enjoy!
@soulist (2985)
• United States
5 Feb 10
I love taking pictures no matter what it is. I love playing with the colorations in my photo editing software, though I admit I am having a hard time with photoshop. I may just play with it a little more. I love seeing somehting and stopping to take a picture. Thats how I decorate my house: with my own photos.
@mylesnarvaez (5451)
• Philippines
5 Jan 10
hi! i haven't taken photography as a hobby yet, but whenever i have a camera with me while on travel or during family events, i try to take a good photo because like you, i also appreciate a good one when i see one.
photos capture a story for a moment in time. that's why many say that a picture is worth a thousand words. for me, it speaks about a moment out of one's life story and it either captures a character or emotion of the subject or the person behind the camera. i'm fond of vivid colors and the way people smile. a photo can bring lots of memories and great reminders.
when i take a photo, it's usually about subjects i'm particularly interested in. and views or moments that simply say "i have to capture this one!" photography is not just a passion but also an art. the artistic way you capture a subject will be reflected in your photos... so just shoot away and find your niche.
hope that one day you realize your passion and dreams. goodluck! 
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
Hi! i totally agree with everything you said. A photo does capture a moment of ones life that's why I see its value. And yes, I do believe that photos taken reflect the character of the photographer. Their photos will show things in their perspective. Oh and who can ever deny the memories that flood when you look at a particular photo, good or bad, it all comes back :) thank you so much for taking time to comment. and have a good one! take more photos and keep those precious memories close to you! God bless! ^_^
@obe212003 (2299)
• Philippines
5 Jan 10
when i was younger, i was really into photography because capturing images of life really fascinates me especially images of everyday life captured at a very distinct time projecting a different artistic perspective that one sees, especially candid portraits of people in their natural moods. Composing a picture is like trying to create a painting of what you want to look at and somehow would make you feel good.
@weirdo55 (77)
• Philippines
6 Jan 10
:) good point obe212003. I do believe that taking pictures is trying to show the world how you see things in your perspective. And great pictures never cease to amaze me, like how the photographer could capture the subject's emotion or character through that shot :) Keep the love for photography! :) and never stop appreciating pictures for they say a lot about both the subject and the photographer ^_^ God bless :)
@wickedlove (326)
• United States
24 Jan 10
I think I am in between amateur and professional. I have taken two years of classes in digital photography, and I know my way around a camera. I own a cannon 30d along with a tripod, two lens, and an off camera flash. This suits my needs so far, and I love it. I shoot friends and family for discount prices, so I also make some income with it also.
@benz87333angel (104)
• United States
15 Feb 10
Photography is a hobby for me. When I first started taking pictures I would roam my families land (250 acres) and just take pictures of wildlife. I would take them of trees, ferns, rocks with moss on them, birds, a deer and now an then a bear at a far distance. Then I started to travel a little and my camera was my side-kick. I really have a thing for waterfalls and have been capturing them on camera. When I get back from a trip I go through my pictures and print out a couple. Some I give to my local small country stores to hang up. I remember this one picture I took of water rushing over a rock. I just snapped the picture. Well, when I developed it, it looked just like a chipmuck formation out of the water. I had a guy buy that print from me, he was amazed. I would tell you to go out and enjoy yourself when taking pictures. Try to do different angles. If I could stand on my head and take a picture I would cause I have never seen anyone else doing it that way. Be creative and always be on the look out for something interesting to take a picture of. Good luck with your photography!
