Is Photography your Hobby, Passion or Profession.

It’s primarily a hobby, but from time to time it becomes a passion. I would never have the courage to try to make it a profession.

I’ve been shooting photographs since 1968 when I acquired my first SLR. over the years I’ve upgraded cameras and lenses and now use a Canon 80D. I seem to have focus issues since I now have an eye disorder that makes the world fuzzy, and I would like to figure out how to resolve those issues. I had hoped an autofocus camera would take care of it, but it only seems to have added to the frustration. I long for the days with my old AE1 Program and a split image focusing screen.

I feel your pain. I had a lot of issues up until cataract surgery about 3 years ago. Couldn't believe how much brighter the world was, whites were actually white....not yellow. LOL Basically fixed everything except close up vision, still need glasses for that only. Now however, I suspect that I may have scar tissue intruding, had it about a year ago, but they were able to use a laser to clear it away. The joy of getting older.

Regardless of your eye issues a couple things that might help. Go to a tripod, use the Live View. Most cameras will let you zoom or magnify the image so you can then focus on a specific point in manual. Or another other option is to adjust the viewfinder or diopter for your particular vision. Finally you can rely on the auto focus. I've had to do all three at one point or another.
 
It’s primarily a hobby, but from time to time it becomes a passion. I would never have the courage to try to make it a profession.

I’ve been shooting photographs since 1968 when I acquired my first SLR. over the years I’ve upgraded cameras and lenses and now use a Canon 80D. I seem to have focus issues since I now have an eye disorder that makes the world fuzzy, and I would like to figure out how to resolve those issues. I had hoped an autofocus camera would take care of it, but it only seems to have added to the frustration. I long for the days with my old AE1 Program and a split image focusing screen.

I feel your pain. I had a lot of issues up until cataract surgery about 3 years ago. Couldn't believe how much brighter the world was, whites were actually white....not yellow. LOL Basically fixed everything except close up vision, still need glasses for that only. Now however, I suspect that I may have scar tissue intruding, had it about a year ago, but they were able to use a laser to clear it away. The joy of getting older.

Regardless of your eye issues a couple things that might help. Go to a tripod, use the Live View. Most cameras will let you zoom or magnify the image so you can then focus on a specific point in manual. Or another other option is to adjust the viewfinder or diopter for your particular vision. Finally you can rely on the auto focus. I've had to do all three at one point or another.
Thank you for your comments.

I had cataract surgery 2 years ago almost to the day. I can testify to how much better I see as far as brightness and purity of color. Before everything was a dingy drab yellow.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the end of my vision issues. I have keratoconus in both eye. I wear hard scleral lenses to help, but they only partially correct the problem. Keratoconus is like astigmatism on steroids. When I look at the moon at night, I see six distinctively sharp images of the moon, all overlapping in an asymmetrical pattern.

The keratoconus makes focusing very difficult. I pretty much have to set the camera on a tripod and use live view zoomed in to manually focus. I can’t do that for any type of shot that isn’t static.

But, I keep trying.
 
I can’t do that for any type of shot that isn’t static.

Over the years, Face Detect focus has become my best friend. :allteeth:
 
Hobby. I don't think I have a natural eye for photography in the way I need to in order to be successful. I also don't really have the patience to learn the technical know-how to be a well-trained professional. Absorbing information is a little difficult for me and can take me a really long time, so I tend to only focus on learning what I need to in the moment to get an outcome that I'm happy with.
 
Hobby since the mid-70’s when my Grossvater gave me his old Agfa half-frame 35mm. It’s become more of a passion since the start of lockdown. Post processing and just looking at photos has replaced gaming for me.


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As I read the comments to some of the post, I am sometime taken aback or confused by the intensity of some of the comments; though I find most quite interesting. The comments often express viewpoints I had never thought of.

In my view; digital, film, post processing, dark room, fine lenses and technical skills are simply various ways to make good pictures. However, I find all this comes second to content.

I attribute this to the fact that I am a photographic hobbyist. I enjoy tinkering with pinhole cameras, my old cut film and 35 mm cameras, as much as my far easier to use digital.

This raised the question in my mind, how many people reading the board find photography to be their hobby, their passion or their profession?

This is not a quiz, just shear curiosity. :) :)

Me I do it as a hobby. I like to capture beautiful moments with my mobile, and I edit them later to relax and see them from a different angle.
 
Therapy. No sense in trying to make it a business.
 
It's a hobby. I just started getting into photography. Hopefully in the future it will became a side gig
 
It's a hobby. I just started getting into photography. Hopefully in the future it will became a side gig
95% of people who want to become paid photographers would find better luck in earning a living as a gigilo.

takes a bit to much in the modern climate to become paid.
 
I never thought of becoming a gigolo, but I do not think my wife would have approved. :) :)

I did however briefly consider becoming a country music star. (a right fine banjo picker) However, this lost out to 33 years of engineering.

My career paid for a lot of my hobbies.
 
I never thought of becoming a gigolo, but I do not think my wife would have approved. :) :)

I did however briefly consider becoming a country music star. (a right fine banjo picker) However, this lost out to 33 years of engineering.

My career paid for a lot of my hobbies.
Its just that the idea of becoming a paid photographer is sort of like all the old job advertisements back in 2001 to 2015 i ever saw for residential construction jobs

must own crew cab pickup with extended bed and cap, and own all tools needed for the job, including specialty tools.

and the cost does seem the same really to have the toys needed to be considered good enough to be labeled a photographer.
 
95% of people who want to become paid photographers would find better luck in earning a living as a gigilo.

takes a bit to much in the modern climate to become paid.

I'd mostly disagree with this. It depends on your definition of photography. If you limit the field yes, but it's a big world out there. Last time I checked there are still many job opportunities for photographers in forensics, medical and product. Newspapers, magazines and online media still hire photographers. I see ads every so often for school/sports photographers. Depending on the field and "other" supporting experience they pay anywhere from 30 to over 100k a year.

Photography is no different than other fields of employment, not everyone can be a famous fashion photographer, but that doesnt mean you can't get paid as a photographer.
 
I have the feeling that Smoke is right. When we think of being a photographer it usually engenders pleasant thoughts of what we would like to shoot. Not the fact that the job often dictates the location and shot.

A wildlife photographer is probably not dreaming of sitting in a office, reviewing his latest photos of the concrete structural details for the containment areas, for wildlife preserve contract they just landed. Or, tracking through some mosquito infested swamp to show the damage being done by some little known boring insect. But someone was to do it.

These are the extremes of course, but few folk have the luxury of turning down work.
 
As I read the comments to some of the post, I am sometime taken aback or confused by the intensity of some of the comments; though I find most quite interesting. The comments often express viewpoints I had never thought of.

In my view; digital, film, post processing, dark room, fine lenses and technical skills are simply various ways to make good pictures. However, I find all this comes second to content.

I attribute this to the fact that I am a photographic hobbyist. I enjoy tinkering with pinhole cameras, my old cut film and 35 mm cameras, as much as my far easier to use digital.

This raised the question in my mind, how many people reading the board find photography to be their hobby, their passion or their profession?

This is not a quiz, just shear curiosity. :) :)
For me - the first two. I am a tinkerer who loves gadgets and gear, but I also have a creative streak. Photography scratches both of those itches for me.
 

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