encikazman

100 Tips from a Professional Photographer

*of course i've edited some of it :)





1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn't mean that they're a good photographer.


2. Always shoot in RAW. Always. *JPEG also works great.


3. Prime lenses help you learn to be a better photographer. *not true at all


4. Photo editing is an art in itself


5. The rule of thirds works 99% of the time.


6. Macro photography isn't for everybody.


7. UV filters work just as well as lens caps.


8. Go outside & shoot photos rather than spending hours a day on photography forums.


9. Capture the beauty in the mundane and you have a winning photograph.


10. Film isn't better than digital.


11. Digital isn't better than film.


12. There is no "magic" camera or lens.


13. Better lenses don't give you better photos.


14. Spend less time looking at other people's work and more time shooting your own.


15. Don't take your DSLR to parties.


16. Girls dig photographers.


17. Making your photos b/w doesn't automatically make them "artsy"


18. People will always discredit your work if you tell them you "photoshop" your images. Rather, tell them that you process them in the "digital darkroom".


19. You don't need to take a photo of everything.


20. Have at least 2 backups of all your images. Like they say in war, two is one, one is none.


21. Ditch the neck strap and get a handstrap.


22. Get closer when taking your photos, they often turn out better.


23. Be a part of a scene while taking a photo; not a voyeur.


24. Taking a photo crouched often make your photos look more interesting.


25. Worry less about technical aspects and focus more on compositional aspects of photography.


26. Tape up any logos on your camera with black gaffers tape- it brings a lot less attention to you.


27. Always underexpose by 2/3rds of a stop when shooting in broad daylight.


28. The more photos you take, the better you get.


29. Don't be afraid to take several photos of the same scene at different exposures, angles, or apertures.


30. Only show your best photos.


31. A point-and-shoot is still a camera.


32. Join an online photography forum.


33. Critique the works of others.


34. Think before you shoot.


35. A good photo shouldn't require explanation (although background information often adds to an image).


36. Alcohol and photography do not mix well.


37. Draw inspiration from other photographers but never worship them.


38. Grain is beautiful.


39. Ditch the photo backpack and get a messenger bag. It makes getting your lenses and camera a whole lot easier.


40. Simplicity is key.


41. The definition of photography is: "painting with light." Use light in your favor.


42. Find your style of photography and stick with it.


43. Having a second monitor is the best thing ever for photo processing.


44. Silver EFEX pro is the best b/w converter.


45. Carry your camera with you everywhere. Everywhere.


46. Never let photography get in the way of enjoying life.


47. Don't pamper your camera. Use and abuse it. *unless you are a rich boy, then it is okay


48. Take straight photos.


49. Shoot with confidence.


50. Photography and juxtaposition are best friends.


51. Print out your photos big. They will make you happy.


52. Give your photos to friends.


53. Give them to strangers.


54. Don't forget to frame them.


55. Costco prints are cheap and look great.


56. Go out and take photos with (a) friend(s).


57. Join a photo club or start one for yourself.


58. Photos make great presents.


59. Taking photos of strangers is thrilling.


60. Candid>Posed.


61. Natural light is the best light.


62. 35mm (on full frame) is the best "walk-around" focal length.


63. Don't be afraid to bump up your ISO when necessary.


64. You don't need to always bring a tripod with you everywhere you go (hell, I don't even own one). *hell yeah, how do you hold your gear for 30 second exposure?


65. It is always better to underexpose than overexpose.


66. Shooting photos of homeless people in an attempt to be "artsy" is exploitation.


67. You will find the best photo opportunities in the least likely situations.


68. Photos are always more interesting with the human element included.


69. You can't "photoshop" bad images into good ones.


70. Nowadays everybody is a photographer.


71. You don't need to fly to Paris to get good photos; the best photo opportunities are in your backyard.


72. People with DSLRS who shoot portraits with their grip pointed downwards look like morons.


73. Cameras as tools, not toys.


74. In terms of composition, photography and painting aren't much different.


75. Photography isn't a hobby- it's a lifestyle.


76. Make photos, not excuses.


77. Be original in your photography. Don't try to copy the style of others.


78. The best photographs tell stories that begs the viewer for more.


79. Any cameras but black ones draw too much attention.


80. The more gear you carry around with you the less you will enjoy photography.


81. Good self-portraits are harder to take than they seem.


82. Laughter always draws out peoples' true character in a photograph.


83. Don't look suspicious when taking photos- blend in with the environment.


84. Landscape photography can become dull after a while.


85. Have fun while taking photos.


86. Never delete any of your photos.


87. Be respectful when taking photos of people or places.


88. When taking candid photos of people in the street, it is easier to use a wide-angle than a telephoto lens.


89. Travel and photography are the perfect pair.


90. Learn how to read a histogram.


91. A noisy photo is better than a blurry one.


92. Don't be afraid to take photos in the rain.


93. Learn how to enjoy the moment, rather than relentlessly trying to capture the perfect picture of it.


94. Never take photos on an empty stomach.


95. You will discover a lot about yourself through your photography.


96. Never hoard your photographic insight- share it with the world.


97. Never stop taking photos


98. Photography is more than simply taking photos, it is a philosophy of life


99. Capture the decisive moment


100. Write your own list. *too lazy to write it down

Ya, semalam, aku lihat, banyak gambar yang telah dicemarkan.
Yes. Picture speaks thousand words. Tetapi gambar telah dieksploitasikan.  Menjadi semakin teruk apabila gambar yang mempunyai jalan cerita yang tergantung. Hanya memaparkan apa yang tengah terjadi, bukan sebelum, dan bukan selepas. Ya, tiada kronologi. Maka muncullah si polan dan si polan menyebarkan cerita tergantung tersebut. Ada yang membuat andaian sendiri berdasarkan gambar. Mereka bercerita seolah-olah mereka mengetahui kesemua cerita-cerita yang berlaku.

Di sinilah Photojournalism tidak dipraktikkan dengan betul. Tiada code of conduct, tiada standard operating procedure (SOP).

Apa itu Photojournalism?

"Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (i.e., documentary photography, social documentary photography, street photography or celebrity photography) by complying with a rigid ethical framework which demands that the work is both honest and impartial whilst telling the story in strictly journalistic terms. Photojournalists create pictures that contribute to the news media."

Ya, photojournalism ialah satu set kompilasi gambar, yang menurut kronologi masa, dan juga jujur tanpa cenderung kepada mana-mana pihak.

Ini tidak, dapat satu gambar, habis dijaja satu dunia, terus menghukum tanpa menyiasat terlebih dahulu. Terus anjing sana pencacai sini. Di sini, fotografi telah menjadi satu medium untuk memecahbelahkan bangsa agama. Shame on you.

In the nut shell, picture speaks a thousand words and also tonnes of lies. Jadi, jangan mudah menghukum berdasarkan satu gambar. Selidik dahulu apa yang berlaku sebelum melompat ke dalam keputusan (jump into conclusion).

Jika tidak, ini yang akan berlaku.

Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8 ED... Akan tetapi.... Jeng jeng jeng...


Coffee mug, tadaaa :)

AMARAN KERAS: ENTRI INI DITULIS KETIKA AKU SEDANG LAPAR!!!

Fotografi, boleh menjadi satu bidang yang agak lumayan, dan mampu menjadi sumber pendapatan jika kena caranya. Aku ada seorang kenalan, yang cari makan dengan fotografi, mempunyai peralatan kamera bernilai RM 20,000 untuk mengambil gambar perkahwinan, dan juga seorang jurugambar yang mengenakan cas RM6000 untuk satu pakej fotografi untuk perkahwinan.

Namun, yang aku kesalkan ialah, etika ketika berfotografi. Yelah, kalau ambil gambar pengantin ni, macam macam jenis ada, ada yang baju ketat, free hair, baju nipis, macam-macam pesen. Posing pulak tak nak biasa-biasa, ada terguling-guling, ada panjat pokok, ada yang psomg dalam air la, pastu share photo dalam facebook, terbaik, orang ramai pun tengok dengan suka hatinya.  Dan yang duduk tertunggeng-tunggeng mengambil gambar nikah ni pun, turut ada saham juga, saham dosa. Rasanya berlambak ustaz-ustaz di dalam internet mahupun di luar sana, menyatakan hukum mengambil gambar sedemikian. Nak cakap tak tahu, salah sendiri la kan, sibuk sangat kejar duniawi, ekekekeke.

Nak bergambar untuk kahwin tak salah, asalkan pakaian okay, posing pulak tak melampau sangat. Nak tergolek-golek sangat, boleh, tapi pastikan jurugambar itu daripada mahram kita, contohnya.

Aku bukan apa, cuma sedikit ralat. Ralat dengan bakat dan juga skill yang ada, digunakan untuk mengambil gambar-gambar sedemikian. Apa salahnya kita buat syarat kepada pelanggan, jika mahukan khidmat kita, wajib berpakaian tutup aurat dan tidak berposing berlebih-lebihan. Mungkin rugi la sedikit sebab pelanggan tak suka, tapi apa salahnya rugi sedikit asalkan rezeki itu halal, ye dop?

Lagi satu, kemunculan trend baru, trend semua mahu jadi model, model wannabe atau model fesbuk. Model ini biasanya dirujuk sebagai talent, atau bakat dalam bahasa melayunya, bakat celah mana aku pun tak tahu, tayang muka dan bodi je lebih. Macam-macam pesen, ada yang rasa muka photogenic, free hair terus, ada yang konon-konon stail muslimah, dengan shawl-shawl pe kejadah semua. Yang bajet model pro tu tok sah cakap la, pakaian main orang bagi je, ketat sana sini, pastu buat muka kelat, bajet photogenic habis. Yang bajet muslimah pulak, dengan bajunya terang benderang, bibir merah menyala, mekap 1 inci, xde hal, muslimah punya pasal, padahal tabarruj. Pastu buat fan page buat blog, lepas femes tayang muka ni, berduyun-duyun orang like gambar, lawat blog, secara automatik dapat buat duit juga, femes lagi, silap-silap haribulan, keluar surat kabar, femes you.

Trend macam ini yang aku ralat sebenarnya, semacam ia adalah perangkap samar dalam fotografi. Yang terperangkap, orang islam juga. Berfotografi itu baik, asalkan tidak tersasar dari landasan yang betul. Suka aku melihat prinsip Ustaz Azhar Idrus dalam berfotografi, apabila ada orang bertanya, kenapa selalu upload gambar-gambar pokok, bangunan, dia menjawab'' dah daripada tengok gambar-gambar perempuan, baik kita tengok keindahan alam, dapat juga mentauhidkan diri kepada Allah''.

Namun, aku yakin, kesedaran itu kian tersebar. Baru-baru ini aku berkunjung ke satu forum fotografi, dan salah satu threadnya ialah mengenai outing sambil berbincang mengenai batas-batas berfotografi dalam Islam, yang aku rasa sangat baik, dan wajar diteruskan.



Aku cuma insan yang kerdil dalam fotografi, cuma aku terasa ralat apabila fotografi itu seakan disalah gunakan, dengan mengikut hawa nafsu yang tidak ada kesudahan. Apa yang kita dapat dengan gambar-gambar sedemikian, kepuasan orang puji gambar awek duduk libas rambut di pantai itu cantik? femes bila dapat jadi model fesbuk dan blog?

Apa yang pasti, banyak lagi keindahan yang tuhan ciptakan di alam ini, selain dari kecantikan lenggok  badan seorang yang bergelar wanita.

Ok bai, aku nak makan.

Lepas isu AUKU, sekarang isu PTPTN pulak. Nak mansuh PTPTN katanya. Aduiii... Ni bebudak U baru siap berdemo pasal nak mansuh PTPTN  pulak.

Tang mansuh aku tak setuju sangat, tapi kalau berdemo untuk tambah allowance aku setuju. Macam RM2800 budak pt dapat setiap sem, kerajaan top up la rm 1000 ke, rm 500 ke duit poket, seiring dengan kenaikan kos sara hidup di bandar atau luar bandar. Ni yang dapat JPA pun selalu pokai masa awal sem, budak ptptn lagilah pokai, mak bapak kena top up setiap bulan lagi. Yang kaya tak pe, yang miskin, lagilah kesian.

Tapi, tapi dan tapi, jika ptptn dimansuhkan, kiranya bunyi macam sedap la kan, pendidikan percuma, yuran kerajaan cover. Ok, yuran kerajaan cover, habis duit poket, duit buku sapa nak cover? Lagi, yang kaya tak apa, yang miskin tapi anak 3 orang dekat universiti, tak tambah dekat sekolah lagi,macam mana? 

Dermasiswa, zakat, biasiswa? Boleh ke dorang cover untuk semua pelajar? Kaya sangat bunyinya. Even sekarang pun nak dapatkan bantuan pun sudah susah, masing-masing mula kedekut disebabkan ekonomi kurang stabil.

Lagipun, kalau bagi pendidikan free sekalipun, aku rasa bebudak kita lagilah naik lemak. Ye lah, benda free, apedehal. Yang kena bayar sekarang ni pun ramai bebudak uni yang take for granted. Main motor, main awek, main pe kejadah lagi sampai kena tendang, pastu mak bapak yang kena bayar balik ptptn, pun depa tak heran, inikan pula free, homaigod.

Lagipun kenapa perlu percuma sangat, padahal kita guna untuk masa depan kita jugak, bukan untuk orang lain. Kereta, rumah, henpon, kamera, semuanya mahal-mahal, boleh beli, tak merungut, tapi untuk pendidikan, aih, nak free? Tak terfikir ke yang rumah kereta ape semua tu datangnya daripada pendidikan, dan apa salahnya kita labur sedikit untuk pendidikan, untuk masa depan kita juga.

Lagipun, ptptn sekarang ada buat skim pinjaman-biasiswa. So that, jika sesiapa yang dapat upper class degree, tak perlu bayar ptptn. Tak ke pendidikan percuma tu namanya, cuma ye lah, kita kena work on it, atleast boleh juga jadi sumber motivasi untuk tingkatkan pointer, dan juga secara automatik, bila pointer tinggi, senang la sikit dapat kerja tu, paling kurang.

Jadi, aku tak nampak kenapa perlu mansuhkan PTPTN? Perbaiki mungkin boleh, tapi mansuh? Aku rasa, no, no and no. Ini hanya retorik politik sahaja yang bagi aku bullshit, seterusnya menggadaikan masa depan mereka yang kurang berkemampuan.

Banyak lagi benda yang boleh dijadikan isu untuk diperjuangkan dan dimasukkan ke dalam manifesto mereka, seperti masalah perundangan, masalah moral remaja, masalah penagih dadah, masalah tax import kereta terlalu mahal, tol, masalah lens terlalu mahal tapi kenapa politician gemar menyasarkan kepada isu pelajar sebagai modal pilihan raya? Kerana mereka sedar, kuasa yang ada kepada mereka yang bergelar pelajar, iaitu STUDENT POWER. Heh! 

Hari itu, rabu, 11 April 2012, sekembalinya aku di kampung halaman, namun tanpa sempat aku merehatkan badan, aku diajak oleh emak, untuk ke kebun getah nun terbiar di Pasir Puteh, untuk mengukur tanah katanya.

Walaupun sedikit kepenatan kerana tidak mempunyai tidur yang cukup, namun aku gagahi jua. Lantas aku menyambar beg kameraku, manalah tahu, kalau-kalau terjumpa ray of light dalam kebun, cantik juga.

Dalam lingkungan pukul 10 pagi, kami sampai bersama dua orang juruukur dengan dua Pajero, satu abang aku punya, dan lagi satu, juruukur punya.

Tanpa membuang mangsa, aku terus buka beg kamera dan terus, SNAP SNAP dan SNAP. Tapi, dia punya binatang parasit, iaitu pacat, jangan ceritala beb. Macam gampang. Sampai sekarang pun dia punya kesan gigitan tak hilang lagi, dah lah gatal. Aku fikir, daripada derma darah dekat pacat, baik derma darah dekat b.e, dapat juga duit, wakakakka.

Lama selepas itu, kami keluar dari kebun getah itu disebabkan beberapa hal, meninggalkan juruukur melakukan tugasnya.

Sekembalinya kami ke tempat tersebut, kami mendapati Pajero milik juruukur tersebut sudah tiada. Agak menghairankan kerana tugas mengukur masih belum siap.

''Takkan sudah balik'', getus abang aku.

Rasa bersalah mula bertapa di hati, kerana meninggalkan juruukur tersebut tanpa memberitahu terlebih dahulu, mungkin mereka fikir kami sudah balik.

''MATI!!'' Jerit seorang pakcik berhampiran di situ.

Kami hairan, kejadah pakcik ni, tiba-tiba jerit mati, buat lawak apa.

''ADA ORANG MATI!'' Sambung pakcik tersebut.

''TU,  kawan yang bawak Pajero tu mati, ada kat bawah sana!'' Sambungnya lagi.

Sah, juruukur itulah yang dimaksudkannya. Tanpa membuang masa, kami bergegas ke tempat kejadian, dan melihat mayat terbujur kaku, biru pucat mukanya. Innalillah, sebak terasa di dada, baru sebentar tadi kami bersalaman, mendengar dia berbual dengan emak dan abang, kini dia sudah tiada. Allahuakbar, begitu cepat nyawanya diambil.

Tak lama selepas itu, anaknya datang selepas dihubungi, menangis ditempat kejadian sebelum ditenangkan oleh orang ramai, dan sejurus selepas itu, polis datang mengambil butiran peribadi arwah.

Disebabkan keadaan berbukit, aku dan seorang pakcik terpaksa naik ke atas van polis, untuk memegang stretcher mayat ketika mayat dihantar ke hospital, takut menggelungsor kata polis. Bermacam perasaan bermain di hati, terpaksa ditelan. Nasib menyebelahi aku ketika di pertengahan jalan, kami berselisih dengan kereta sanak saudara mangsa, dan mereka menawarkan diri untuk menggantikan aku memegang stretcher tersebut.

Di bawah merupakan gambar-gambar yang mempunyai cerita, cerita yang akan terus segar di mindaku...

Bagi mereka yang biasa dengan kamera dan lensa, kamera dan lensa yang besar bukan satu kemestian untuk mendapatkan gambar yang menarik. Namun bagi mereka yang 'noob' terutamanya mereka yang bergelar 'gearhead', peralatan kamera yang besar mampu membuatkan mereka kelihatan hensem dan tampan di kalangan mereka yang noob.

Namun, jika benar peralatan yang besar itu mampu menjamin kehenseman tubuh badan, kenapa tidak menggunakan lensa ini, Nikkor 6mm f2.8 fisheye. Dengan berat sebanyak 5.2 kg, lensa ini ialah lensa paling lebar (wide) di muka bumi ini dengan reka bentuk yang tidak masuk akal. Dah macam reflector dekat simpang jalan pun ada.
Nah!

Gitar, benda yang aku sangat bengang. Susah nak belajar, macam DOTA. Bukan bidang aku mungkin. Tapi ada benda lain yang boleh buat dengan gitar. Gambar gitar.
So i've managed to shoot this guitar with close up filter i.e Raynox with no flash, with aperture wide open f1.8, and post processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5 plus Topaz Lab plug-in.
So, literally, i quite satisfied with the outcome *syok sendiri*

*extra info: low key ialah teknik pencahayaan, yang biasanya menggunakan satu atau lebih sumber cahaya sama ada dari kiri, kanan, atau belakang untuk mewujudkan kesan dramatik dan kontras yang rendah. Gambar dibawah bukannya contoh yang hebat, cuma more or less sahaja. Kredit kepada gitar rumet, wakaka


 
 



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Kelakar bak hang, IRONY...


Kata-katamu sungguh retorik, moga sama-sama dapat hidayah ye :)

p/s: profile picture merupakan gambar sebenar, bukan gambar artis dari internet, dan hanya pengajaran semata-mata :)

1. Capture a memory that you can have forever 

With a photo you can capture a moment, and have it forever. I think we take that idea for granted, with photography being so ubiquitous these days. But seriously just take a second to appreciate that. If you did that in Ancient Greece they’d call you a sorcerer. Or a god.

2. Notice the details

Photography changes the way you see things. It’s actually quite an incredible transformation to experience. Suddenly you notice light, shapes, colours, textures, people, bulidings, trees, flowers…Everything around you looks different when you start to see the world as a photographer.

3. See The Beauty In The Every Day

Once you start noticing details, you inevitably start to see how much beauty is all around you. Every day is filled with it—in the most ordinary or unexpected places. When you start to derive happiness from seeing some particuarly awesome light, you’ll realize that photography has changed your everyday experience.

4. Live In The Present

And to round out this theme, photography, through it’s ability to help you see details and notice the beauty around you, helps you to truly live in the present. When you shoot you have to be aware of everything if you want to capture it. You can’t be thinking about the movie you watched last night, or what you’re going to have for dinner. Photography focuses you on the now, which is incredibly valuable!

5. Forget Your Worries

Photography is something you get immersed in (see above!). You lose yourself in shooting, and all your worries and daily stresses just melt away.

6. Share It With The Important People In Your Life

One of the top ways people got into photography was through someone important to them. People credited their mother, father, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, sibling, friend and even great-grandparents. Photography is a passion that you can share with the important people in your life. You can pass it down to the next generation, and spur their love of this amazing art.

7. Document Your Family

And the MOST common reason folks got interested in photography was because of family—particularly having their own children. Photography is a way to document the lives of your kids, and that alone is worth learning all you can about it. One day you may also be documenting the lives of your grandkids!!

8. Capture The Amazing Range of Love And Emotion In Kids

Whether they are your own, a friend’s, or a client’s, kids are an amazing photographic subject. They see the world differently, and often express a lot more love and emotion than adults. Being able to capture that is both a fantastic photographic challenge, and a profound learning experience.

9. It’s A Creative Outlet

Everyone should have a creative outlet. There’s no use pulling the excuse that you’re “not creative”. Anyone can push the button on a camera, and point it at something they think looks cool. It’s honestly that simple to be creative.

10. Make Art

And the result of that creative act? You can create art. That just flat out rocks.

11. A Great Challenge

Now, there is actually a lot more to photography than just pointing the camera at something and pressing the button. That’s where you start. But learning to become a great photographer is a serious challenge. You’ll always be learning something new, have new directions to explore, and new challenges to face. And that’s a good thing! This is a pursuit that you will never be bored with.

12. Share Your Perspective

Everyone sees things differently. Put 100 photographers in a room and you’ll get 100 different photos. The way you see the world is unique, and photography lets you share that perspective with others.

13. Express Yourself

Your unique perspective can go further than just showing people how you see a scene. Photography also lets you express yourself—your opinions and beliefs. You do this by choosing what you photograph, and how you represent it. This aspect of your photography is ever-changing as you change. You get a sense of what a photographer is like as a person by looking at their body of work. This part of photography is absolutely fascinating as a viewer, and fulfilling as a shooter.

14. Tell A Story

Photography is a fantastic story-telling medium. Whether you’re telling a story with one image, a sequence, a series, or an entire portfolio, the possiblities are endless. Just ask yourself what story you want to tell, and photography can get you there.

15. Capture An Adventure

One very common way people get interested in photography is through travelling. Who doesn’t pack a camera with them on a trip? The more you practice and learn about photography, the better you’ll be able to document your adventure.

16. The Best Souvenir

Photographs are the best souvenir from your travels. They are personal, beautiful, and have a story behind them. The trinkets you buy in markets inevitably break, or clutter up your home. A stunning photo on the wall is personal art that puts a smile on your face as it reminds you of that exciting adventure!

17. Take You Somewhere You’ve Never Been

Maybe you haven’t been to an exotic locale, but photos can practically transport you there like a Stargate. They can show you the people, the food, and the sights. Or maybe you want to share your own travels with friends and family. They get to come along with you when you take awesome photos!

18. Get Close To What You’re Interested In

Photography is a fantastic gateway into anything else you’re interested in. Really fascinated by the music world? Become a music photographer and you’ll get to meet the musicians and observe the inner workings of the industry. We are really into coffee, and got to spend an entire day touring a local coffee roastery and shooting it. We loved the experience and they loved the photos—win-win all around.

19. Make You Feel Emotion

Photos make you feel. They can produce every emotion, from happiness, to sadness, fear and excitement. There is so much contained in one small frame—learning to produce them, and read them certainly opens you up to feeling.

20. Can Make Other People Feel Emotion

Your photos can make people happy. They can make people sad. Through simply showing your images you can evoke an emotion in someone else. With the internet you can affect so many people at once. Photography can really connect people in that way.

21. Can Make Other People Think

With your images you can also make people stop and think. Just a glance at a powerful image can stop people in their tracks. Some images can change the way you view the world for the rest of your life. Strong stuff.

22. Capture the Essence of a Person

A photo can capture the essence of a person, sometimes in just one frame. This is the goal of master portrait photographers everywhere, and an enormous challenge. But when it is achieved, it’s an incredible thing. Sometimes it takes a series of photos to express the nuances of that person, but either way photography has a way of showing those subtleties that can be hard to describe in words.

23. Remember Someone Who has Passed Away

After someone has passed, photos of them become treasured items. Without getting too morbid, everyone will die, and photos are potentially the best way to preserve the image and spirit of a person.

24. Learn More About Yourself

Photography involves a lot of introspection over the course of a career. The deeper you get, the more you realize that it’s all about what you are interested in, how you feel about it, and what you want to say to the people who view your work. As you shoot, you learn more about yourself, what you value, and how you see the world.

25. Preserve The Big Moments

Life is filled with “big moments”. Births, graduations, weddings, first steps—these are all moments that should be documented for family history. And a lot of the big moments aren’t times when you’d hire a professional photographer. Learning more about photography prepares you to capture those big moments for yourself.

26. Enjoy Photos And Memories with Loved Ones

Imagine you’re sitting around a big box of photos with friends and family. There would be a lot of talking, laughs, stories, jokes, and maybe even a tear or two. It’s an amazing way to connect.

27. Enjoy The Work of Other Photographers

History is filled with incredible photographers. The more you learn about photography, the more you appreciate their work. What makes Annie Leibovitz’s work so great? Why is Ansel Adams such a big name? Learning more gives more enjoyment.

28. Shoot Anytime, Anywhere

Photography is so accessible that you can shoot at any moment. You might not always be able to pull out a canvas and some oils to paint with, or grab a guitar and start to play if a creative urge strikes you, but a camera is so small and portable that you can shoot anytime, anywhere.

29. Connect

Photographing someone is an intimate experience. You connect with people in a completely unique way with a camera in hand and your full attention on them. It’s easier to talk, easier to just look at them—seriously, it’s cool. It’s especially wonderful when you photograph someone you love.

30. Capture a Feeling, Not Just An Appearance

Photographs can show more than just how something looked. They can capture how something felt. Especially if the photographer felt it themselves.

31. Help People See the Beauty In Themselves

It’s a funny thing. A lot of people I know think they aren’t photogenic. And a lot of photographers I know believe that everyone is beautiful. Photographers (especially the great portrait photographers) know how to see the beauty in someone that might not even see it themself. To show that to them in the photos is an incredible gift.

32. Document History

The present is the history of the future. You never know when you’ll be right in the middle of a world changing event, and your camera will create the record for generations to come.

33. It’s Really Damn Fun + Exciting!!

A lot of these reasons are pretty heavy on the emotion, but photography is also just really damn fun and exciting! Shooting is a blast, and can often get the adrenaline pumping like crazy!!! It’s a trip.

34. Cameras Are Mechanical Art

Gears, dials, shutters, lenses—cameras are seriously cool. There are so many types: film, digital, instant, toy, point and shoot, SLR, TLR,  rangefinder, medium format, large format to name a few. And a lot are gorgeous machines. It’s a blast to learn more about them, and appreciate what they can do!

35. Make Others Happy

Photos make people happy. Whether you captured a great portrait, snagged a shot of a special moment, or took a few photos to help a friend’s new business, photography can spread a lot of joy. That’s awesome.

36. Brings Families Together

Having photos taken as a family can bring you together. The act suggests that you want to remember each other, just because. And the resultant images show the love you share. An excellent reminder on those particularly cranky days.

37. Capture The Personality of Your Pet

Pets are an important part of your life too! And they all have personalities of their own. Photos let you capture them in all their glory, to share with the whole world!!

38. Take Better Family Portraits Than You Had

Maybe you grew up with awkward family photos, and don’t want to put your own progeny through that. Learning to take great photos can help kids actually enjoy the process (it’s true!!).

39. Take Better Photos for Yourself

A lot of photography is shared, and that’s awesome. But there’s something to be said for taking great photos just for yourself. No one else sees them, comments on them, or has to like them. It’s rather freeing.

40. Capture Raw Emotion

People are incredibly interesting. And emotion is a part of that. Seeing how the face changes during a laugh, or how body language reflects mood are all fascinating studies, and photography helps you capture that.

41. Freeze Movement

Photos have the incredible ability to freeze movement. From shots of Olympic athletes, to the ever-hilarious jowling, and stuff exploding, photos show us the world in a way our eyes can’t see.

42. Bend Reality

Along those lines, photography can give you a different look at the world. Time lapses, HDR shots, light painting and more. Photography is just as good at bending reality as it is at capturing it.

43. Enjoy Infinite Possibilities

There are literally infinite possible photographic subjects. Literally.

44. Enjoy The Process

The process of photography can honestly be super enjoyable. Shooting is obviously a blast, but there’s more to it! Sorting and editing your images is an essential part of the process, and doesn’t have to be painful. The more you learn about it, and come to understand the *why* behind it all, the more you’ll enjoy it. It’s like spending some personal time with your photos!!

45. Healing. Therapy. Meditation.

Photography can be all of those things. It can get you through the hardest times in your life. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the original responses. This story popped up multiple times. It’s amazing.

46. Create Something For Your Kids When They Are Older

Photos gain in value with every single day. Not many stocks can boast that. Each passing day brings you farther from that moment, but the photo holds it in place. Your kids might not appreciate all the photos you take of them right now, but when they are grown up, those images will be incredibly valuable.

47. Surprise Yourself

When you shoot a lot you’ll always surprise and amaze yourself. As long as you are always pushing yourself, you can be sure that photography won’t ever get dull! You’ll upload your photos and suddenly say “Wow! I can’t believe I took that!”. It’s really cool.

48. Witness Love

Photography brings you into a space where you get to really witness love. It’s amazing. You might not even notice when you’re shooting, but, looking at the photos afterwards, you spot that smile, that look in the eyes. You’ll see how much parents treasure photos of their kids. How an image of a loved one makes someone smile. It’s almost like photography gives you a pair of magic glasses and you put them on and all of a sudden BAM! You can see love all around!!

49. Help People

There’s something pretty special about being able to help people while doing something you’re passionate about. Photography is like that. Through volunteering you can give something of immense value to those who will really appreciate it.

50. Experience Different Emotions From The Same Photo

Photos have real depth. They can elicit different emotions from you at different times. As you change, your perspective changes, or the world changes, a photo can mean something profoundly different. It’s fantastic to experience.

51. Travel In Time

Photographs let you travel through time without the use of a DeLorean. They can bring you back to a moment that you experienced, and you can remember just how you felt. Or they can bring you waaaaay back to a time before you were even born. Then you can wonder about how others felt!

52. Communicate Across Language and Culture

Photography is like music. There are no language barriers or culture barriers. You can communicate with people around the world with an image. And you can connect! Once you start getting your work out there, you’ll be amazed at the connections you make because of it.

53. Make Money

Oh yeah, and you can potentially make money from photography! Pretty nifty, earning money from something so cool. But hopefully you can see that this is just one small reason to become a photographer. Even if you never make a dime at it, it’s definitely a worthwhile pursuit!!

54. Develop A Love for Life

After all these reasons, this one should just make sense. With all the beauty, joy, love, connection, variety, history, adventure, movement, emotion, and awesomeness that makes up life, how could you not be stoked to get out there and experience it?? With camera in hand, of course. 



Sorry for a long post, it is just a copy paste anyway, but it is a great article though.
Credit to: PhotographyConcentrate