Photography: The World's Most Misunderstood Hobby

By Cole ??????


I know, as a photographer, that there are countless of misconceptions
non-photographers (and in some cases, even photographers) don’t seem to
quite grasp. From the hundreds I could list, I have narrowed the list to
5 of the most exasperating misconceptions about photography.

#1 - Photography Is Easy

Nothing frustrates me more than when people claim photography is easy.
Sure, it’s easy to take a picture; however, being a photographer is more
than just taking a picture. It’s an art. It requires experience and
skill to take a high quality, visually appealing picture. As a
photographer, you must understand how lighting works, when to actually
take the picture, and MANY more variables to take good photographs. It’s
not as easy as what most people think: taking a ‘selfie’ and chucking a
quick filter over it on Instagram.

#2 - "Your camera takes great pictures!"

No, it does not. I take the great picture – my camera is merely a tool
that allows me to execute my skills to my highest ability. This is
another thing that irritates me. Sure, most of the time, they mean it in
a positive way, but I can’t help but take it as more of an insult than
anything. It’s essentially dismissing the years of experience, the
amount of practice, and my overall skills in photography and claiming
that my camera is the mastermind behind my photographs. So please, if
you’re one of those people who think the camera itself is the reason for
professional photographs, refrain yourself from speaking.

Can I also just add, that the higher the price of a camera does not mean
your photographs will be better? You can give an amateur a really
expensive, high standard camera, and it does not mean their photographs
will out-perform a professional photographer with a low-budget camera.
That said: if you know how to use an expensive, high quality camera and
all of its features exquisitely, then maybe this point is not applicable
to you.

#3 - Nikon Is Better Than Canon

Saying Nikon is better than Canon is like saying apples are better than
oranges. It’s a complete misleading way of thinking in terms of
photography, and similarly to the previous point: you should refrain
yourself from speaking. Basically, Nikon and Canon are (can be) both
excellent camera brands. However, one might be more suitable for one
person, and the other might be more suitable for the other person. The
camera choice is all relative to the camera owner. It depends on what
exactly you want to do with the camera, and what you want to achieve.
Maybe the person making certain claims simply had a negative experience
with one of the brands – which is not to say you will have the same
experience at all.

Instead of taking someone’s word in regards to which camera is better,
you should instead do something cool, and that’s called research. The
strange thing about research is you can develop your own perspective of
which camera is better, and maybe come up with your own conclusions.
Research includes looking up reviews of the camera you find appealing,
and compare the camera with other cameras you might also have an
interest in. You should also take into consideration of the price, and
see if the price of the camera justifies its features.

#4 - Age Is A Barrier To Success

This is simply far from the truth. Just like music: there is no ‘expiry’
date to being a successful photographer. In fact: how old do you think I
am? I could be 90 years old, or I could be 16 years old. I’ll tell you
right now, that I’m neither of those ages, however, I am somewhere in
between.

Basically, this point is to disprove the misconception that age is a
barrier to success. I know people of all ages, sexes, races, etc. who
are extremely passionate about photography. All those things are simply
unimportant to their success as a photographer.

#5 - Black And White Images Are Better

Finally, we have come to my favorite point of all: black and white
photos. Now, don’t get me wrong, black and white photos can work really
well, but it does not instantly make them professional. It depends on
the photo itself, and how the black and white has been executed.
However, nothing irritates me more than when people throw on a black and
white filter, and call it photography. There is far more to photography
than people understand. If you’re one of these people – who think a
black and white photograph is simply superior, and every other
photograph is inferior, I want you to do something for me. Google:
“black and white photography”, click “images” and then compare the
first result to your black and white image(s). This should, probably, prove my
point that black and white does not necessarily make an image better
than colored.

Conclusion

There you have it – some of the most “you-are-blatantly-misled”
misconceptions that a photographer will hear throughout their
career/hobby as a photographer. Let’s hope this article can make an
impact towards these almost insulting misconceptions.

About The Author

Cole is a writer/photographer who owns his own laboratory... I mean...
website at http://considerphotography.com/ which is chock-a-block full
of information about photography, particularly to those who are
‘amateurs’. To find out more about him (if you actually care) and
photography in general, click that link.

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