A few years ago, I was invited to speak to a fourth-grade class at a career day event. I started by asking them, "How many photographers do we have in here?" Nobody responded. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. "How many of you have one of these," I asked. I was surprised, but more than half the class raised their hands. "If you take pictures with your phone, that makes you a photographer," I said. There was an immediate connection with the students and from that point on I had a great time sharing information and stories about photography. The teacher later told me that several of her students said, "I want to be a photographer when I grow up!"
In a sense, just about everyone today is a photographer, even if they don't think they are. More pictures are taken in our day than at any other time in history. Photography used to be reserved to people who spent lots of money on cameras and associated gear. The genius who decided to combine a phone with a camera changed the world.
All that said, there are still good reasons to become a photographer in the older sense of that word. It's still worthwhile to spend a few hundred to several thousand dollars on a top-notch camera, invest in other gear that helps get good photos, and even take a class or two to learn the craft. As good as cell phone photos are today, there remains limitations on quality and printing capabilities. If all you want to do is share pictures on social media, your phone is more than capable. But if you want to step up your game, you need a good camera. Either way, let me give you a few reasons why you should be a photographer.
Photography is a record of life. That photo you took last Christmas with your family gathered around the tree is a record of your life and theirs. While today it's fun to take those photos, in years to come that record of life will become emotional treasures as you watch the children age or remember parents or grandparents who have died.
Photography is a record of history. I know a guy who has spent years collecting photos from many sources, all being photos of his hometown. He has published two or three books that chronicle the history of the town with pictures of elected officials, teachers, businessmen and women, along with school annuals, sports, political events, people who lived in the town, and much more. It's a wonderful stroll down memory lane, and a record of the historical events that shaped the town and it's citizens.
Photography is fun. Why do so many people take so many photos and share them online? It's fun! I once heard that if you show a photo to a person with their image in the picture, they will immediately look at themselves. We like to see ourselves. It's why "selfies" are so popular. Add a few friends or some family and you've got a graphic memory of whatever you were doing. It's fun to scroll through photos and recall fun times we spent with others.
Photography is a way we can make people look good. This is not about using programs like Photoshop (and others) to make people look like somebody else. It is about using photography to get people to dress up, fix their hair, put on some makeup, and look their best. This is what many portrait photographers make a living doing. Editing programs are great for removing blemishes or fixing non-permanent faults. These are the photos people put in frames, hang on the wall, or carry in their wallet. This is where a good camera comes in handy. Enlargements require a good quality image to start with, and today's cameras make this available to just about everyone.
These are just a few reasons to become a photographer, but hopefully they will spark interest and motivate you to think about the wonderful opportunity modern technology has given us. There is still a role for the professional photographer. There is also room for those who will never earn a dime as a professional to photograph the world around them. Both are photographers.
One more suggestion. With all your picture taking, have at least some printed. Digital photos are prone to disappear. Files get deleted. Phones crash. Computers crash. Print some of those good photos you take and put them in an old-fashioned album, stick them in some frames, or hang them on the wall in your house. It's great to pass by a photo and be immediately reminded of a person, event, or some good time you enjoyed.