Bonus Photos & Interview with a Hobbyist Photographer

Hobbyist photographers are a dime a dozen, you might say. But this one is pretty awesome, and he's my friend, so you might also want to be quiet and enjoy the post. Hello, James!

Q. When did you start taking photos seriously?

At the start of this school year, when I began a weekly photography course in school as part of Transition Year. The course lasted until Christmas.

Q. Why?

I'd always had some interest in photography because I like creating nice pictures without having to draw/paint them (laughs) That was encouraged by the fact that my late aunt was a semi-professional photographer.

Q. What camera(s) and software do you use? 

My camera is a Canon EOS 100D, and I have three different lenses that I can use with it, each for different purposes: one for general photography, one for zooming in on far-away subjects, and one for close-up shots or portraits. I also own a very useful tripod, which is great for taking landscape photos. I use iPhoto (Mac software) for editing because I have no money for Photoshop, though I intend to acquire a different Mac software called Aperture soon, which should be an improvement upon iPhoto.

Q. Are you happy with them?

I am happy with all the equipment I use, though the software could be better. A lot of the software is slow and not very user-friendly. I've gotten into the habit of asking for new pieces of photography equipment as birthday presents etc - I'm always on the lookout for something useful!

Q. What do you like about photography as opposed to other hobbies?

I like that photography allows one to create something nobody has seen before, because nobody has ever taken the photos you take. I like the planning and strategy that goes into taking a good photo, and I love the satisfaction that comes from unveiling the final product. I like that it's a skill that can always be improved, and that it is very easy to make memories through it - as they say, "take a picture, it lasts longer".

Q. What do you take photos of?

Everything. I take as many chances as possible to practice photography in my free time, so I often bring my camera along to gatherings with my friends or trips to interesting places. I take the photos at our family events. Sometimes I go on walks to relax, and I bring my camera along. I take pictures of anything that catches my eye, but afterwards I delete all but the best of the photos I've taken.

Q. What are your other hobbies?

Listening to music, reading, surfing the web, swimming, debating, playing concertina and piano, slam poetry, scuba diving, and perhaps one or two other things.

My personal favourite.

All photos by James Kirwan.