Is photography a hobby or an obsession?
 

Having taken up photography with a Nikon E4500 (had to go in a corner of my workcase 50x100x75) I have now got to entry level DSLR with 1 decent lens and still clinging on to 6 year old powerbook & printer, and, most of the time determined that is as far it goes.

Have been popping along to Newent Camera Club and rather startled by the quality of what went up on the wall from what seemed to be a roomful of deaf old (even compared to me) bumblers. Got HC on photo quality in 1st comp, but "too much ink on the prints and too abysmal mounting to be placed higher".

So am I clinging to a ledge halfway down the cliff and likely to fall for a 40D, 2 more lenses, a new computer, modern tripod, decently lit studio, cutting table.....please do not send suggestions for ommitted items.....

for me its certainly in between them two.

Well Chris, I think it's obvious to me & most others that you've fallen 'hook line & sinker' for this photography lark; admit it, you love it. Your enthusiasm speaks for itself.
Blimey; one things for certain, we're all a long time dead!.. Don't feel guilty or weak that you've got this bug / obsession..go with it..if you've got the cash then make a splash..!!..enjoy yourself lad...don't hesitate any longer..go, go, go....buy, buy, buy....:D
Regards,
Al.

Mmm - well, buying and selling cameras and lenses is my only vice [the only one that costs any amount of money anyway!]. The obsession really comes with knowing I'm bound to see something unusual or good to photograph if I set out on my morning dog walk without a camera - and if I don;t add a long lens it will be too far away to capture. The money thing is the main problem for most of us I suppose - there's always a new camera or better/wider/longer lens out there! So, wanting the most up to date, pretty heavy duty/feature filled camera with the lenses I wanted at a good price second hand I got a 40D [regretfully selling all my Olympus gear - lovely lenses but to get the length I wanted in a 'good' lens it means spending over £3000]. Is this enough to satisfy my obsession? Who knows - I'd have rather gone Fuji [still a bit slow for birding I believe] or Nikon but the 40D was the right price and the lenses at really good prices. Must take lots of photos during the winter to make my mind up!

Sounds like you did well. As you got HC on photo quality, it also sounds like you'd get more mileage out of improving your printing and mounting skills before splashing out on "gear". Once the competition judges have said it's your camera that's letting you down, then it's maybe time to start considering lenses etc. In the mean time, take on board the advice and enjoy your photography - you clearly do.

D.

Well done with the HC. For what it's worth, I'd keep the 350D for now and get WA lens (ask Al Tee how he rates Jamie's Sigma 10-20!) and new computer.

I started out with the nikon 4500 too, and now have an entry level dslr. I daren't go along to my local photo club, I know where that will lead and I simply don't have the cash at the moment to support that kind of obsession (says she whose willpower crumbled regarding Greenbunion's 80-400 lens:rolleyes: ...). My other constraint is time. Maybe when I'm retired I'll let loose properly!

"My other constraint is time. Maybe when I'm retired I'll let loose properly!"
Time: probably the most important thing a photographer can have - after patience.

Like computers and HiFi I think there is too much talk about equipment. Each setup has its own qualities and you should work to maximize those.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/lomo/
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=lomo&m=text

There is an excellent article on this here:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad...-roaldi-w.html

It's a strange one for me, because I do sporting event photography, for which I earn money from.

But I'm doing fun and landscapes in my spare time and enjoying it so much more, I spend all my time wanting to improve this aspect of my photography and yes, it is becoming something of an obsession with me.

I have only been into photography for just over two years. It started as a hobby when I took early retirement but I fear it has now turned into an obsession :D

Hobby or obsession? Both. :D

My name is Rob

My obsession with photograph started 30 years ago.
My addiction quickly started to grow.
It first started with the mags.
Then the craving started.
Sweats were breaking out as I waited for the bookshop to open for the next issue of the monthly AP
This led to the hard stuff.
Caught peering through photographic shop windows.
Search through the mags for new venues to get a better fix.
Entering these premises and spending the Child Allowance to feed my addiction of sniffing film developer
I ended up exposing myself in public
They tried to get me join a club for my addition but I saw there were in a bigger mess than me.
This went on like this for 10 years or more.
It led me into sin and making graven images for all to worship
A flood in my darkened room made me see the light, help was able and I slowly become less dependent
But the odd urge was difficult to resist and I would find myself slumped in a corner with a disposable having a quick flash.
Three years ago some slease bag introduced me to the digital stuff
Ten time more addictive.
When you can't get the good stuff the withdrawal pains reduce to to fits of depression.
To see people so high and happy with their new gears drives you to crime to get a fix
I assaulted my lens 3 weeks ago and now I am imprisoned within 4 walls as a punishment
After I have paid a heavy fine to the repairman and served 100 hour of community service I will be allowed back into society

;)

superb! :D :cool:

a lanky Philosopher once told me,

"Jamie, if we do not have time, we make time"

He was refering to the massive job list he gave me, that he thought could be executed within 'no time'. I took this wisdom onboard and now use this system during my cigarette breaks.

i feel this wisdom, deserves, now, to be passed on. :p

Use this system at your own risk:rolleyes:

Why join a photography club? Especially when your already a member of the best photography club.




Incase your wondering, it's this one.

Thank you all for the delightfully wide spectrum of replies.

I liked Duncan's advice and pleased to find a heap of Daler card, a dedicated 45deg rule mounted cutter etc came to less than a 20 pack of A3 paper and I may still have a drawing board and T square in the shed

Derek's climbing pics show one the difference between mild addiction (tho sorry about Rob's slightly worse case) and true obsession and addiction usually ending in death

I would have thought a decent philosopher would have been able to persuade you that time is a false artifact of the human mind, Jamie

Although WPF is an excellent club for computer displayed pics, which may also stretch to projected ones, printed pics seem to me an almost totally different world which one can only learn by looking at and comparing prints. The other thing I remain mystified over with WPF is why folks vote for particular comp pics, sometimes it is obvious, sometimes a complete mystery. A live judge explains a bit about what is grabbing him/her and one may not agree, but at least a point of view is explained. We get that to an extent on comments

yeah, he was not decent.. i shouold really try remember them all, it would make a good mind boggling post!

My name is Mike: I'm a photographer. There, I've said it, and getting out in the open helps. Perhaps we could have regular meetings to give each other support in our addiction.

I would say for me, its a fine line between the two

For example, cars are my hobby and my obcession...everytime I get money, I think about what project I can buy to start something new, or what I can buy to get my current car up to show spec (long way off)

With photography, I love it, I love experimenting with different styles of photography, but much like my car, I keep finding myself with money and instantly bouncing on Ebay fighting with my conscience as to whether I should buy myself something for the car or a new lens......

Just to add, theres a Canon 50mm prime F1.8 on its way hahahaha

I think photography is more an obsession than hobby, it's certainly all consuming......must improve, must try this, must try that... You know what I mean, I'm sure. But!! I read in digital photo mag this month a so called head to head thingy they had, and it was comparing entry level DSLRs against the top of the range jobs. I was somewhat surprised at the summary with regards to image quality. According to the wizard doing the test there was not too much difference in the image quality. I was assuming that the top model would give far superior results, but apparently not. Just a thought before you take the plunge. A good lens on the other hand..................

Dean.

Yes but it's the ability of cameras to take things more easily and quickly as you go up the range, that can make all the difference. Why only today I managed at least 30 rubbish low light shots of Greylag geese landing at 6fps with my 40D - with a lesser camera it would have been more like 15 at 3fps for me to delete!:D :rolleyes:

I suspect you need an across-the-board test rig, ie camera, lens of equivalent quality, prints at A2 or larger & of course most on-line things do not show tests on reasonable size images (imaging-resource being a notable exception). Its certainly a waste of time having expensive lens on entry-level camera to print A4s, my 350D with the kit lens is fine for that.

As for the frames/sec thing, if you are going to compare 40 rapid takes of basically the same thing to find the best, then you need a really fast computer and fancy software to make it worth it

hence my ledge half-way-down-the-cliff analogy

Welcome to the club Chris, It's been my obsession for 50 years, mind you I did start young :)

My only regret is that digital wasn't around when I first started, all those 100s of lonely nights in a darkroom, Far better sat in front of a PC with photoshop

Can be quite an annoying obsession!!!.Several years ago,I was happy just trundling around with a pair of binoculars,bird watching(NOT twitching or ticking!!!!) but now I fell compelled to try for a reasonable shot of the bird(s) I have seen,and feel the day has not been successful unless I have at least one decent shot.I have spent several sessions during the last 4 days,trying for a shot of a Grey Wagtail.He is there in the river,but as soon as the lens rests on the harbour wall,off he goes.But that is the fun of photography,esp wildlife ,makes the moment memorable when does manage the elusive shot,a great feeling.

Well I made £40 off of 11 jpegs on a disc last night... that could become quite an obbsession.

Hobby was before obsession and involved spending lots of cash on different cameras as I climbed the ladder towards my hearts desire, and that is now obsolete.

Obsession was forming and running a works Photographic Club.
Obsession was doing the works photography as well as my normal day job. Money made here funded polaroid film for club use in my Bronica.
Obsession was processing 30+ Cibachrome prints a night to meet a publicity deadline ( 3 am finish was nothing unusual ) and all done in a bit of capped drainpipe and rolled on a bench. ( could not afford a Jobo unit ).

That obsession led me to taking up model engineering as a hobby to give myself a break. Power on and I was away, power off and go to bed. Clean up tomorrow ......... very attractive.

Now photography is just a hobby, and being digital I don't have to spend ages mixing chemicals, worrying about temperature control, or spending time at the sink washing out a drum after each print.
Press a button and the darkroom is live, switch off and its done.

Chris, Well done on the HC, and on the subject of kit I would strongly agree with Duncans post.

Don