Is photography one of your hobbies?

One of my first pictures (of my dog, Buddy)

I've started my love affair with a camera. Perhaps it's because I've been inspired by so many photographers in my day that I finally decided to pick up Sam's camera.

Is photography one of your hobbies? Or are you a photographer by profession?

What do you enjoy about it...and do you have any tips for people who are just starting out?

Tags: hobbies, photography

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Permalink Reply by James Lynch on August 25, 2009 at 4:33pm: I love to take photos. I try and have my camera with me where ever i go. I would suggest that you photograph things you enjoy (like with writing where you write best when writing about things you know or enjoy, photography is similar, you'll find the best photos you take will often be of things you know and enjoy). Practice plenty, get to know the camera and get comfortable and confident with it. Then your shots will come more naturally to you. Good luck and happy snapping!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by alice on August 25, 2009 at 4:36pm: Thanks so much, James! I totally appreciate your tips, esp the part about taking pictures of what I enjoy...that's great advice. :)

What do you like taking pictures of?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by James Lynch on August 25, 2009 at 4:51pm: I take pictures at sports events, i like to photograph street art and graffiti. Lately i've started taking photos of people; buskers, people in crowds. I love street scenes and dramatic skylines too. There is so much in the world to see and photograph, i know i miss a hell of a lot but i shoot plenty of decent pics too. I don't post too many of them here yet, i should probably add some more on here at some time soon!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by alice on August 26, 2009 at 4:00pm: interesting how you like taking pictures of graffiti...i agree, there is so much in the world to photograph!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Charles on August 25, 2009 at 4:39pm: Nice photo, Alice. I like light. I like how photos represent a person or some thing with just one image.

If you're shooting digital, my advice is shoot raw/tiff format & shoot like hell, edit all night before you show or share any photos, and show fewest of the same subject as possible. If you can, just show that one killer photo hide the rest. Jpg is the web-equivalent of photo paper, as raw is to film/slide/negative. Do a lot of walking. Listen to music. Eat different kinds of food. Pray. Photography takes a lot of time. You can shoot eight hours but only show one image.

the discussion of equipment comes up a lot among photographers. Crap or pro equipment doesn't matter unless you're doing commercial stuff where the expectation is for a 20+ megabyte image. remember--hendrix used the most common guitar in the world. but there's def a difference in high quality lenses.

A professor used to always ask us, what's the difference between a snapshot and a fine art photograph? Why should I look at your photo? What's the payoff? Like he was pissed off or something; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by alice on August 26, 2009 at 4:03pm: I've been reading about shooting in RAW..thanks for the advice.
i'm beginning to see the difference in high quality lenses. sam got a 50mm recently and i can't get enough of it!

wow your professor seems harsh - but it's good to ask questions like "why should i look at your photo"...makes you keep in mind the viewer's experience..; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gofaster on August 25, 2009 at 5:14pm: buddy is sooooooooo cute; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by nguyen duong on August 26, 2009 at 2:24pm: i've had the most joy shooting people and still life of vinyl toys and food. grab yourself a 50mm prime lens and play around with that. If you're on a budget get the f/1.8. spend a bit more for the f/1.4 or if money is no object get the f/1.2. these are great lens for shooting people and Buddy. Best of all, i love these lenses cuz i'm able to shoot in ambient or really low light conditions.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by alice on August 26, 2009 at 4:05pm: got the 50mm (well, it's sam's but i'm trying it out) - love your vinyl toy shots! i'm going to keep looking through your flick portfolio...

oh and btw - thanks for encouraging me to pick up the camera (our conversation during lunch stuck with me).; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kevin Chung on August 26, 2009 at 3:12pm: 7 tip for taking travel photos like a pro - Here's a great article on taking travel photography, but you can also apply to any kind of photography. I've just recently gotten into photography. You can see some of my stuff on Flickr.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by alice on August 26, 2009 at 4:08pm: awesome article! i'll definitely keep those tips in mind...also, checking out your Flickr page now...very cool...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by stephanie on August 27, 2009 at 10:19pm: No, i fill my memory with what i see . I did when my daughter was born now she does. Younger I wanted to become a photographer but changed my mind.I don't like having a photo taken of me.; ▶ Reply to This