Photography is one of the best hobbies you can choose. Whether you are looking for a new pastime or you need more reasons to justify your photography obsession, this post can help.
Here are four reasons why photography is one of the best hobbies for anyone:
- Photography can be done anywhere.
From still life indoors to people walking on the street to the small wonders of nature, everyday life offers an endless source of photo inspiration. The flowers in my backyard, my goofy dog, and even my bookshelves have made great photography subjects when I couldn’t leave home to take pictures.
And, you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment to get started. Most smartphones come with excellent digital cameras and basic editing tools built-in. Be sure to check out my tips on getting the most from your smartphone camera!
- Taking photos for fun relieves stress.
Taking photos can be a great stress reliever. Nothing gets you out of your own head faster than looking through a lens. Getting behind the camera forces you to be in the moment and observe what is around you. Anxiety over impossible deadlines, paying bills, or the dumb thing you said at work gets drowned out by focusing on capturing the scene in front of you.
For me personally, relieving stress has been the biggest benefit of taking up photography. If I’ve had a bad day at work, heading outside with my camera helps me leave the stress behind. There’s something about capturing a breathtaking sunset, an expansive sunflower field, or the delicateness of a magnolia blossom that helps me put everything in perspective.
- Images give you a way to express yourself.
Humans are creative beings and we all have stories to tell. Photography is a fantastic way to express yourself and tell these stories. Color choices, framing, lighting, composition, and editing are just a few of the tools you can experiment with to give others a window into how you see the world.
I tend to have a positive outlook on life and I enjoy spreading happiness and cheer. This worldview is expressed in my photography through bold, brightly colored landscapes and images that capture small moments of joy.
- It pairs well with other interests.
Like fine wine pairs with cheese, photography goes well with so many other hobbies, skills, and interests. Whether you like to hike, write, or travel, photography can enhance your existing passion or talent.
Photography has been the perfect companion hobby for one of my other hobbies–writing. Writing has been a lifelong hobby of mine, but I was finding it challenging to find a regular outlet to exercise my writing muscles. I was also having trouble finding new ideas for things to write about. My photography explorations have inspired writing prompts. Sharing my photography has also given me the chance to build new writing skills through drafting captions, alt tag descriptions, social media promo text, and blog posts.
Similarly, if you travel, birdwatch, or hike for fun, photography can help you capture and preserve the sights you see.
For the photography lovers out there, what reason would you add?
And for those who want to take up photography but haven’t yet, what’s stopping you?
Great post! I would also say it builds confidence. I love looking back at my photos from and seeing how much I have improved and continue to improve!
Ooh, that is a really great point! It definitely does build confidence to see how much you’ve grown. Thanks for reading.
😉