Photography as a hobby

I was planing to do a text about the depreciation that sometimes is created around the photography that people like me do and share. By people like me I mean those that don´t make a living [exclusively] from photography but do dedicate some time to it. Sometimes the viewers don´t realize the time spent, the dedication or a thing called copyrights. Even as a hobby don´t depreciate things or say that everyone does it! The following phrases are my understanding about things around photography plus the reactions about this "thing" that I and others do. If you feel that I´m being mordacious do not, I´m just spicing things up!

1. photography can be much more than a image.

2. photography it´s all about a moment that will not happen again, at least in the same way.

3. photography takes time for searching and contemplating moments.

4. photography is a hobby like playing music, needs practice. This doesn´t mean that everybody is going to be a rock star, it means that people just want to play an instrument. It´s like cooking, if you don´t cook well it doesn´t always have to be like this, you could try learning to make your meals edible.

5. photography allows you to look with more attention to details around you, sensibility increases.

6. our appreciation about a photo it´s relative, we have different tastes, a diferente eye, fortunately photography is here for all tastes and styles.

7. there are different types of photography besides wedding photography.

8. you make Photography with any type of equipment, an analog camera, compact cameras, dslr's, mobile-phone cameras. Just don´t expect that the camera by itself will make the shot.

9. photography isn't just buying equipment, go to workshops, go to a course, having tonnes of magazines and books at home about it. It´s also to be able to show and evoke something with a photo. 

10. some live with the ilusion that a camera reproduces accurately what the human eye sees.

11. editing a photo means improving it, make it presentable. It´s like taking a bath or brushing your teeth before going to work.

12. photoshop is a software tool, as others, it´s used for different kinds of purposes: comercial works, to stand out of the crowd with a type of theme and style, create art, and retouching details (this last one doesn't create an alternative reality, so do not be stubborn and retouch).

13. photoshop isn´t a weapon that kills photography but indifference probably will kill your photos.

14. not every photo is a "photoshop thing", most of the times people say it due to lack of knowledge or envy (I don´t use photoshop yet so I´m not defending it).

15. with photos of vacations, family, weddings or pets nobody expects that these have drama or catch much attention. They are what I call photos with the intention of sharing life, trivial and intimate moments. But don´t be surprised if others manage to transmit more than people and places.

16. having a photo on a magazine, site, or winning a competition, independently of the type of site, magazine or competition isn't a more prestigious thing or a minor thing. It means you did something for you and took the chance, so a point for that.

17. don´t expect feedback if you don´t give. It´s like making a dessert, you always want to know if people liked it or not.

18. if you want an opinion about your work ask to someone that actually takes photos and also puts his work available to critiques.

19. if a person tells you many times that your photos are "nice" probably it´s just being kind with you. You want spontaneous reactions.

20. a photo has always an author and copyrights, mention the author or send a message if you want to use his photos. If you saw the photos you posted on facebook about your last vacations but this time on a strange site what would be your reaction?!

21. if someone comes and devalues your dedication to photography ask the person: "And you, what interesting things do you do?"

22. ignorance and non constructive critiques are enemies of knowledge.

23. don´t judge other´s work, they are trying, trying is learning.

24. again this is my analysis not any kind of rules!

25. ...

To the brave ones who ended up reading all you can add something or a phrase, it would be interesting, you can write in portuguese and it's open to all of the interested ones.