I have enjoyed photography most of my life. Sometimes I made money, sometimes I did not. I put thousands of hours into a photography website that has not made me a dime, yet still it consumes me, often filling my every waking thought. So the question arises, why do I put in so much time on something that has not made me rich, or well known, or even supported my family?
The answer to that question, like most, is probably different for each of us. But if you are at a point, or ever get to a point where you find yourself asking "why bother"? Maybe this list will help spark an answer for you.
1. Photography can relieve stress. It gives you the excuse to be outdoors, to hike, to explore, and to fill your lungs with good, clean fresh air. As you concentrate on other things, your own problems just seem to fade away.
2. Photography expands the imagination. It can be your muse, your inspiration, even a starting point for other creative endeavors. It helps you to see the world and people in a whole new way.
3. Photography can be a spiritual experience. The rush of climbing a mountain or the magic of capturing baby's first smile helps put the world in perspective. Touching the hearts of others is great . . . but touching your own, puts you on the path to eternal enlightenment.
4. Photography is a means of communication. Yet more than that, it is a means of acquiring information. Documentation, entertainment, and revelation all come from being able to "See" another point of view.
5. Photography can touch the hearts of others. Whether you are trying to raise money for "starving kids" from Africa or trying to save an "endangered species" in Alaska, nothing can win people over faster than great photography.
6. Photography can be a great career. Imagine being paid to go to far off places, to meet beautiful people, to see things most people only dream of. To get to that level, I need to know all I can about the art. So whether I have reached there or not, I need to keep learning more.
7. Photography can build self esteem. Compliments on your work, feedback, input all let you know you're doing something worth wild. When you can take someone who feels like a "nobody" and make her look like a Goddess, there is no greater feeling in the world (for both of you)!!
8. Photography offers you the chance of immortality. Photos on the cover of Life, Time, or National Geographic magazines can be seen by Billions of people. If you can move their editors, you can move the world.
9. Photography can unite your family. From baby pictures to high school dances, to marriage and beyond, nothing helps you relate or draw closer to someone than seeing what they've been through. It helps you hold onto the memories when everyone else is gone.
10. Photography is my gift from God. It is my responsibility to use the gifts I have been given. It's what I do, it's who I am. Like most gifts from God, its purpose is to be shared with the world. How can I share what I don't understand? How can I make my talents grow without actively seeking out more knowledge and better understanding?
Obviously this listed is influenced by my own beliefs and life experiences; however . . . making a "Top Ten" list of why YOU love photography, might just be the greatest gift you could give yourself this holiday season. Give yourself a reason to believe you can succeed and you will.
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