How did you know?

[Serenity]

That Photography was your passion, and what you wanted to do for the rest of your life?


I guess I started pondering about this recently because all I can ever think about is photography, I have such passion for it. Just one day I picked up a camera and knew that's what I wanted to do. I'm always finding ways to improve and get better and put a more creative spin on photos. I'm so excited about learning and opening up more doors for a more indepth future. As I sit here at my full time job working at a Real Estate office I'm not as happy as I once was with being here because I know it's not what my future holds. So it makes me feel like I have ants in my pants becasue I'm eager to get going.

So what's your story?

[toverman]

Have always loved making pictures, either with a crayon, pencil or a camera.

This is an unsolicited piece of advice: if photography is really your passion, make sure you have a few others (you probably already do). You don't want to burn yourself out! Photography is just ONE of my passions, and I'm always looking for something else to learn or occupy my time. Kayaking, maybe.

[DeLeon]

Originally Posted by toverman

.... if photography is really your passion, make sure you have a few others (you probably already do). You don't want to burn yourself out! Photography is just ONE of my passions, and I'm always looking for something else to learn or occupy my time. Kayaking, maybe.

I like to build model rockets...and then take pictures of them!

[Serenity]

OH FUN! Do you ever shoot them off? There are lots of other things in life I love to do, I'm pretty involved with family, one day hope to have a baby. I use to be really involved with extreme sports, but after ankle surgery last night that toned me down a lot. I don't want to be 60 and in a wheel chair because of longing injuries.

I just meant how did you know this is what you wanted to do for a living? A lot of people here do that, some keep it part time, some keep it as a hobby.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by Serenity

That Photography was your passion, and what you wanted to do for the rest of your life?

Most people don't hold one profession their entire life. Its unusual. I always thought was odd when I was younger, but I noticed as many of my friends turned 30 they were unhappy and changed vocations. So, you dont have to feel like its forever is what Im saying.

I love art. I love to paint. I love old stuff. Old stuff = photographs. I also like instant gratification - no waiting 3 months for a painting to be finished. No paint all over the place with canvases around the house. Photography was a practical outlet for artistic creativity. The business side is challenging, and I like a challenge, so we took a whack at it.

That sounds boring. The short version is I was more likely to earn a livelihood from photography than from painting.

[JohnT]

When I was young child, I loved drawing, painting, and other arts & crafts. I wasn't coordinated or talented enough for sports, and I just seemed to have more of a creative bent than some other kids. When I was 14, I got my first SLR (Minolta SRT-101) and two lenses for Christmas, and that was it. I knew photography was my art. I shot for my HS yearbook and newspaper for a couple of years, then got distracted by stupidity. Although I got away from it for several years, I still enjoyed viewing and studying beautiful photographs. I got serious about it again four years ago, and here I am today trying to build a business of it.

BTW, I've held several jobs in my life. Just couldn't seem to settle down with any one thing.

[erisian pope]

I bought a 2mp digital camera to take pictures of my various plants (I grow ... well "fail to kill" ... succulent plants) so I could post them to GardenWeb to get help identifying them. I dropped and killed that camera and spent a year cameraless. I got a new camera for xmas 06 (05?), returned it for store credit, added a couple hundred bucks of my own, and walked away with a Canon Powershot SD550 (7.1mp camera). I still wanted mainly to shoot pics of my plants. But with 7.1 megapixels at my disposal, I started photographing EVERYTHING. I loved the macro mode; I loved the colors and sharpness I could capture (2mp to 7.1mp is a pretty decent jump!)... I was hooked.

7 months ago I bought a used 20D and a 50mm lens (as per advice from here - a single prime lens only!) and started to learn the DSLR world. I now carry a brand new (to me!) Sigma 105 (love that macro!) and a Tamron 17-35 and an appetite for image creation that seems unending.

I still grow the plants, but have quit adding to my collection. My porch is full. Thankfully, my harddrive has plenty of space left.