Is photography fun?

Quicksnapper

Quicksnapper

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Laughing with a friend the other day about a recent photographic "fail" (he managed to delete a load of shots from his camera before they were downloaded .... Don't ask!) he was philosophical about it and said "oh well ... good job we only do this for fun..."

It made me wonder ... Ok, if you're a pro photographer who does it for a living, then there's a commercial imperative to what you do which may (or may not) make it less than fun. But, for those of us who are strictly hobbyists and can pick it up or put it down as the mood takes us, I'm minded to ask ... Is photography fun?

Personally, it is when it's going ok and I like what I produce, but it's a frustrating PITA otherwise and I wonder why I bother.
 
Quicksnapper said:
Personally, it is when it's going ok and I like what I produce, but it's a frustrating PITA otherwise and I wonder why I bother.
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I think this is where I am at especially if I'm not on my own (and especially if the kids are around)

David
 
No. It's a pain in the arse, like most photographers:confused:
 
That's the great thing about a hobby. You can do it when the mood takes you and focus on the bits that you like.

If it really is a hobby then the only person not making it fun is yourself.

Having said that though, each person is different. Some might put pressure on themselves to get it spot on in the moment. Personally it becomes less fun for me when there an expectation to perform, like doing a specific shoot etc. So I avoid that and any shoots I have done are on the basis of they are free, as long as you don't expect amazing work (I would like to stress, before I'm jumped on, that I have little intention of promoting myself as a business. That model would leave a lot to be desired for everyone. Lol)... Because of this - yes, how I do photography makes it fun for me, that's not to say it has its frustrating moments though.
 
Its fun..... and when it isn't ....then I stop ...
 
Definitely fun, maybe sometimes a little frustrating but that is usually my own fault (not checking iso, deleting shots I want to keep). My 6 year old daughter is getting into photography a little and that is definitely fun passing on knowledge to her to and seeing her joy when she takes a good shot.
 
Photography for me is a hobby, nothing more, nothing less, albeit a hobby that I enjoy, and have done for more years than I care remember.

Alongside photography, I am a keen astro-imager, but again its a hobby.

I have spent a considerable amount of money on both hobbies, and my justification is that I enjoy them, and of course 'there are no pockets in a shroud', so they tell me. :)

I don't put myself under any pressure with either hobby, and while I will strive to improve, this is purely for self satisfaction. Although I will enter the odd competition at my camera club, I do so both for the fun element, and to be supportive as a club member.

Win or lose, its no 'big deal', as I said above, its a hobby, and I can't get obsessed with competing, as do some amateur photographers.

Too old now, but I did my competing in racing sailing dinghies for many years, and with that there was a defined finishing line. Unlike photography competitions, which are subjective.

Yep, photography, a great hobby that can be great fun, as long as you remember there is a lot more to life also.

Dave
 
I wouldn't count photography as a hobby, it's something I do when I am travelling so as to save memories for the future, the reason I am "in to" it is so that the photos (hopefully) do the locations and memories justice.

I don't go out and take photos for the sake of it but I do enjoy it when I do (largely because I'm in some foreign clime).

In general though I would put it alongside golf, if you watch most people play it you would say they hate it - they're not very good and why would you put yourself through all that pain, anguish and stress - yet millions of people do it.
 
Quicksnapper said:
Laughing with a friend the other day about a recent photographic "fail" (he managed to delete a load of shots from his camera before they were downloaded .... Don't ask!) he was philosophical about it and said "oh well ... good job we only do this for fun..."

It made me wonder ... Ok, if you're a pro photographer who does it for a living, then there's a commercial imperative to what you do which may (or may not) make it less than fun. But, for those of us who are strictly hobbyists and can pick it up or put it down as the mood takes us, I'm minded to ask ... Is photography fun?

Personally, it is when it's going ok and I like what I produce, but it's a frustrating PITA otherwise and I wonder why I bother.
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It's worth telling your friend he could have got those images back :) so long as he hadn't then started taking photos again with the same card (y)

Now to if its fun I don't think I could do it if it wasn't fun
 
fun and is a hobby for me mostly, I enjoy and gigs and commissions to, but if it stopped being enjoyable, and just a grind, well that's why I wouldn't wish to be a full time photographer
I enjoy it too much as a hobby
 
Making the camera go 'click' is fun.

Trying to make decent pictures makes my brain sore.
 
I'm an amateur in the strict meaning of the word - I love it! Like others have said, if it wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it. I enjoy pretty much all aspects of it apart from PP and that's easy to avoid - if a shot's crap, forget it!
 
DaveS2 said:
I don't put myself under any pressure with either hobby, and while I will strive to improve, this is purely for self satisfaction.
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being under preassure doesnt have to be not fun.. I just covered one of the biggest games of the season for the local paper.. blackburn v burnley... i was under masses of preassure.. its not somehting you can do again if you miss the important stuff.. realy big build up for everyone including me... I managed.. I got the money shots.. the preassure went once i got them on laptop and saw they where ok


and... I had fun.. I really enjoyed it..

lets not assume being under preassure means its not fun :)
 
For me photography is a new hobby and I'm finding it fun because I'm always trying different techniques. It's especially fun when you nail them but with that comes the frustration of getting it right, and no that bit isn't fun.

I'm literally out just now having my second bash at star trails and I'm enjoying it knowing that it's gone well so far. Wether it will turn out right at the end or not to be honest I don't know yet, but it's a part of leanring.
 
CaveDweller said:
For me photography is a new hobby and I'm finding it fun because I'm always trying different techniques. It's especially fun when you nail them but with that comes the frustration of getting it right, and no that bit isn't fun.
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This, apart from the last bit. If I fluff it (leaving the lens cap on for example.....:banghead:) then I can take it again. Im learning with each shot I take and i looking at my flikr I can see how far I've come. If I start to not enjoy it and see it as a chore then I will give it up. I don't mind if i take bad photos in other peoples eyes, if I am having fun and am happy with them thats all that matters to me. Unless photography is your job, if its not fun its not being done right in my opinion.
 
SimonF01 said:
Beyond the need to earn money why would you do something that was not fun ?
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For the satisfaction and the pleasure that comes when you've achieved it? Like learning a language, or learning anything that stretches you. I don't find it fun learning word lists, declensions and conjugations; but I do find it fun being able to understand (however imperfectly) a Latin or Greek text.

Same with photography. I've attempted to learn a lot of things that frankly bored me to tears (figuratively) in the learning but have paid dividends in the subsequent application.

So, for me, photography isn't always fun - there are parts I don't enjoy doing or learning - but for me they are necessary to go through to reach the enjoyable bits. Without them, the pleasure would be diminished.
 
I would say interesting and enjoyable rather than fun - I don't get the same 'buzz' from taking photos as I do from some other current and previous hobbies (eg: going to a great gig, standing on top of a snow covered mountain in perfect weather conditions, kayaking down whitewater rapids, caving).

I take a photo sometimes and I think 'that's not too bad' which is satisfying, but I never take a photo and think 'that's amazing' - I think you can become your own worst critic and of course there will always be plenty of photographers who are so much better than you which makes your own efforts look poor in comparison. So it can be frustrating in that sense. I can also feel a bit self-conscious when out taking photos. But it's usually enjoyable and I usually get something I like and if I do lose my photo mojo for a short while then I just don't do it - no point in forcing yourself to.

I guess it takes more effort/ work and relies more on you 'performing' to the standards you set yourself than some things - eg going to a gig you just have to stand there and wether or not it's a good gig is not really up to you - or a good day in the mountains is usually down to the weather or the company or whatever.

But time always flies by when I am out taking photos so it must be fun. :)
 
I think generally we all find photography fun in one way or another or we wouldnt be on here for example,i am a true hobbyist in the sense that i will get more wrong than i ever get right(actually not sure if right EVER happens)but i think that is what makes it fun.

As someone else said "if it was super easy it wouldnt be fun".
 
Why would anyone do something as a hobby if it's not fun?
 
I certainly enjoy photography. I started doing landscapes about 6 months ago and have enjoyed every click of the shutter, in rain, hail, storms and a wind so bad I had to hold onto a tree to stay on my feet at buttermere. In fact, that wind was the morning that proved the worth of a mates 5D MK3 to me over my 7D as he got a nice sunrise image of the buttermere tree at ISO 10'000 and suitable shuuter speed for the wind and I didn't... and I even enjoyed spending nearly £3k the next week to solve the ISO problem I came across that cold windy day. Lol

But for me, photography has been far more than the images, it's been about realising the beautiful places I have close to me and ensuring I visit them personally and actually walk around them, not just look at them from a car or website. My personal challenge is to do them justice with an image that makes others want to visit them too. It's also got me walking miles every week in the fresh air and I've made some great new friends too... It really is all good.
 
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For me photography is a hobby just like my cars are. Most of the time both are fun (otherwise I wouldn't do it) both are expensive and both can be real pains sometimes but these times are far out weighed by the fun times.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Why would anyone do something as a hobby if it's not fun?
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Good question ... I've known people who do lots of different hobbies, ostensibly for "fun". Sailing, horse riding, hiking, golf, amateur motor sports and many other things .... And I have to say that to some, it goes beyond just fun. Some are obsessed beyond the point where it's fun, some keep doing what they're doing due to peer or parental pressure, some are so locked in financially they "can't" give up, some are aiming for a specific goal and keep at it no matter what to try to reach it, some are just addicted to whatever high they get from their pursuit, some are members of a club or group and keep getting dragged in (or just go along to socialise without having any real enjoyment form the actual aims of the group), some have arranged their whole lifestyle around their hobby that it would just be too difficult to stop - especially the case with horsey people.

None of that is to say that they're wrong. It's personal choice. But, I agree, I only do hobbies I enjoy and have fun with, but some folks don't.

So, I think there are loads of people out there who pursue hobby activities for loads of different reasons.
 
I think its difficult for photography to be truly 'fun'. Whether you do it as a hobby or as a profession, its likely that you have invested more than just money to enable you to do it. Lots of activities that people take part in that would be considered fun, can be things that are outside of the norm (for most people). Paintballing, abseilling, canoeing, shark diving for example. I consider all of those things to be truly fun, as they are not something that I can do all of the time, and because of that, I havent invested anything of myself into them.

I like the solitude of photography, and love going out on my own for the day with a bag full of kit, and trying to put everything in to it. So, its also an emotional investment ive made in photography (passed to me by my Father), that I havent made in other activities/hobbies.

*Edited to say, I havent actually been shark diving, but have always wanted to :0) *
 
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everything is fun to try and get better at

people try, fail, and succeed to get better at anything to show themselves off to others- whether it's cutting hedges into shapes, starting fires, whittling sticks, drawing, spinning a hula hoop or dancing, people just love to get involved with something and see themselves improve, it's human nature

also people like to collect things, especially shiny things

people like technical things (people also like to collect technical things)

it's easy to get into, difficult to master (like flappy bird!)

it gets people to slow down (well, some people...) and appreciate things

it gets people out the house- i.e. there's a reason to go climbing up that big hill, something to commemorate the ascent with (a photograph)

it can be done anywhere, any time, and it works as a joint or solo effort

it expresses creativity

it captures a slice of time, how we looked, how things were, people we've lost



whether that's fun or not I don't know, but i'm not sure it's fun for me- I've been through the 'seeing and appreciating' stage and now the more time I spend behind the viewfinder the less time I spend actually seeing, most of the time now I just pay attention to light, if there's a camera in my hands I feel a responsibility to impress both myself and others, went to a party the other day and everyone was given disposable cameras, for a start I hated the lack of controls, but I really hated the amount of effort i'd have to put in to use the camera properly- so without a professional or personal obligation (like say digital rev pro tog cheap camera challenge) I turned the camera down
 
When I started photography in the 70s it was for enjoyment, then in the mid-80s I had three years where I turned semi-pro (portraits and weddings) while managing a camera shop. It stopped being enjoyable. Around 1988 I sold everything and gave up photography (and the job), and didn't take another photograph for nearly twenty years.

Now I have started again, but I wouldn't say it was fun. I do it now because I want to use photography as a way of expressing myself, so I see it as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. There are other things I do for fun.
 
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Pookeyhead said:
Why would anyone do something as a hobby if it's not fun?
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Not all the aspects of the hobby may be fun. I cycle and I like to cycle fast and I suppose I find it fun in beating other people.
To be able to do that requires training (to the point of being sick at the top of a climb for example), riding in zero degrees and so on which can be anything but fun.

Have done it for 20+ years.
 
I can't like posts on my phone, but well said me James and fair point Ernesto
 
I think it's great fun.

It's a hobby for me. I've always been "sciency" from school age, rarely doing anything arty or creative.

Photography allows me to apply my scientific nature to something creative.

It's a hobby that has an end result (the picture) but I like the process as well. Thinking about the light, DOF, focal length. Then there's the PP. I'm a pure LR user but will want to learn photoshop one day.

I love taking portraits and it's gratifying that the grandparents have a few blown up pics on their walls of my two.

There's new challenges in the hobby - this year I'll aim to actually shoot some landscapes/architecture/macro having mainly shot portraits so far.

I also like that although it's a hobby, as I mainly shoot the kids, it doesn't take me away from them. Also they're interested and they both have their own cameras!

So in short it's fun, allowing me some creativity in my otherwise scientific life!

S
 
ernesto said:
Not all the aspects of the hobby may be fun. I cycle and I like to cycle fast and I suppose I find it fun in beating other people.
To be able to do that requires training (to the point of being sick at the top of a climb for example), riding in zero degrees and so on which can be anything but fun.

Have done it for 20+ years.
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But.. overall, you enjoy it. I remember once shooting in -35C in Alberta: It wasn't fun at all. However.. if someone said "Do you enjoy photography" the answer is yes, and would be even if I lived in Alberta and regularly had to endure the winters there. If someone said to you, "Do you enjoy cycling", you'd say yes.
 
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