Introduction
Photographs enable one to store memorable events and places. Despite having other hobbies, photography is my favorite. At the age of five, I was interested in photographs, and by the time I was eight years old, I had learned how to use a camera. A series of steps made it possible for me to master this hobby. Perseverance, community engagement, and creativity constitute the guiding principles that propelled my journey from amateur to an accomplished photographer, as evidenced by my steadfast commitment to learning from setbacks, active participation in a supportive photographers’ community, and innovative approach to post-processing techniques.
Perseverance and Determination
First, perseverance and determination were the key factors in mastering photography. For instance, ideal performance comes as a result of desire and perseverance.1 Whenever I made poor shots, I made sure I learned from them to perfect myself. Additionally, I set aside some time to shoot, edit, and learn, consistently sticking to this routine. Further, grit is a valuable concept that enables one to focus on a goal for some time.2 In my case, grit enabled me to focus on my hobby and become a perfect photographer. Despite having responsibilities, I never changed my daily photography routine, which saw me master photography and turn it into a money-making hobby. Thus, if it were not for the perseverance and determination that resulted from grit, I would not be a good photographer.
1. Jesus Alfonso D. Datu, “Beyond Passion and Perseverance: Review and Future Research Initiatives on the Science of Grit,” Frontiers in Psychology 11 (January 27, 2021): 1, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.545526.
2. Datu, “Beyond Passion and Perseverance,” 1.
The Power of Community
Secondly, joining a community of photographers boosted my experience. In the case of sports, joining a group of like-minded individuals gives one a sense of belonging, boosting self-esteem.3 In my sophomore year of high school, I joined up with a group of friends who were into photography, and through all our projects and competitions, we helped one another achieve recognition, making the hobby more satisfying. Through this tie, I learned more about the attributes of natural and artificial lighting in photography, making me a much better photographer. Hence, photography is not just about the craft but the camaraderie that comes with it.
3. Brandon Mastromartino and James J. Zhang, “Affective Outcomes of Membership in a Sports Fan Community,” Frontiers in Psychology 11, no. 881 (May 8, 2020): 3, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00881.
Being Creative
Lastly, mastering photography was not only about technical evolution as it also entailed creativity. There is an agreement that creativity results in helpful new ideas.4 Using creativity, I improved my post-processing, which brought life to my photographs. After experimenting with angles, lighting, and storytelling, I could turn mere pixels into poetry. Therefore, creativity was one of the vital steps that saw me rise to vast heights in photography as my favorite hobby.
4. Chetan Walia, “A Dynamic Definition of Creativity,” Creativity Research Journal 31, no. 3 (July 3, 2019): 237, https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2019.1641787.
Conclusion
Mastering my favorite hobby, such as photography, involved various stages. The first step entailed being persistent no matter the setbacks. The second step required interacting with other like-minded people who taught me new things. The final step entailed including creativity in my post-processing stage, which resulted in me rising from an amateur to a professional photographer. Thus, despite being a challenge, mastering photography as my best hobby was interesting.
Bibliography
Datu, Jesus Alfonso D. “Beyond Passion and Perseverance: Review and Future Research Initiatives on the Science of Grit.” Frontiers in Psychology 11 (January 27, 2021): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.545526.
Mastromartino, Brandon, and James J. Zhang. “Affective Outcomes of Membership in a Sports Fan Community.” Frontiers in Psychology 11, no. 881 (May 8, 2020): 1–5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00881.
Walia, Chetan. “A Dynamic Definition of Creativity.” Creativity Research Journal 31, no. 3 (July 3, 2019): 237–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2019.1641787.