photography

i just read a blog post by mandi tremayne at mcp actions that has perfectly put into words what i have been feeling for awhile.

i love photography. i love to take beautiful pictures of my kids. i love to learn and grow and develop my talent. i'm completely flattered when someone likes my pictures. but i'm not a "professional photographer" nor do i think i'm good enough to be one.

this is my hobby. something that i really enjoy doing. something i can easily do while being a mom. something that i want to be better at. but not something i want to make into a business.

"the journey of learning, the fun of taking our camera everywhere we go, snapping those one in a million shots of our kids, and the newfound love for things we used to ignore like a beautiful sky or the gorgeous lighting that sunset offers, is more than enough."

i have been struggling with the whole "going pro" issue. people telling me i should charge, lots of other "photographers" are doing it (some better than me, some not), to help pay for my hobby. i meant it as a hobby and i want to keep it that way. for me, making it into a business would add a lot of stress and take away the enjoyment of creating.

i realized that i have stopped taking pictures. my camera sat in my closet the past few months except to take pictures for other people. there wasn't much joy in photography for me anymore. too many expectations and too much pressure. and not enough pictures of my family.

so, after reading this and deciding that i'm okay with being a "hobbyist photographer" i pulled my camera out this afternoon and took a ton of pictures of my kids. no expectations. no pressure. pure enjoyment. and i took some really good pictures and a few bad pictures. and i loved it!

i especially love what she said about spending money on photography (just like any other hobby, ahem, golf):

"I feel like I can buy things for myself, here and there- a new lens, actions, and so forth, because it’s my hobby, and it’s something I care deeply about. Like any hobby, you can put money into something without strings attached that you must recoup what you’ve spent. Why? The fun I’ve had learning, plus the learning I know I still have to go, makes the journey completely worth it."

and now i think i am finally at peace. i can truly enjoy photography and i can continue to learn and get better and not make a single penny if i don't want to. it's my hobby and i love it!

*p.s. this is written purely from my own feelings about me. it does not reflect how i feel about other photographers. i know plenty of photographers trying to make it into a business and i say go for it! good luck! and i truly hope you succeed. it's just not for me.