For those who are thinking about retirement, or who have just retired, let me suggest photography. This will be the second or third time I have written about photography and retirement, but it is a great subject that I feel strongly about.
Modern camera technology has freed photographers from the heavy equipment and cumbersome production challenges of the past. A photographer is no longer weighed down with heavy, metal-bodied cameras. Gone is the challenge of selecting the correct film for lighting conditions and, of course, film storage for those long bucket-list trips.
Like me, those photographers with tired, old eyes can now have cameras that quickly and accurately do the focusing for us. The days of returning home from that out-of-town excursion with film needing to be processed before the photographsenjoyed (and paying for that processing) are happily long gone. Photographers immediately know if they got the shot right and can delete the errors.
Want to send a picture to the grandkids? It’s laughably easy with modern camera technology.
I remember a three-month trip that I took across Canada in the 1970s. I would shoot slide film, which I would then put in special mailing envelopes to send to a lab that would process the film and send the pictures to my home address. My house-sitting friends would then get together and have slide shows, wondering where I was when the picture was made.
Today I post my pictures for friends and family, with location commentary, on a social network, or any image-sharing site from my motel room or while relaxing at a local coffee shop. I carry a small laptop computer that allows me to download the day’s pictures and email them home.
I know those who have recently retired with fixed incomes might be concerned when they look at the advertisements for expensive new cameras. However, with the popularity of modern cameras comes an ever-growing assortment of used cameras and lenses. Today’s digital cameras do not retain their value, and the technology difference between this month’s newest offering and one from four years ago isn’t that big of a deal. My advice is to always go for used cameras and used lenses.
Photography is a tailor-made pastime for retirement. For many people retirement is a peaceful time of life with lots of freedom.What better way to capture and share new memories, be creative, remain active, and keep one’s brain stimulated than by working with a camera?
There are local camera clubs in every town. With a little online searching it is easy to find like-minded photographers and all sorts of information on any camera, as well as the best locations to make pictures no matter where that spontaneous getaway is.
An article in the senior lifestyle magazine Living 50 Plus notes that “People's lifestyles can change significantly with age. We are likely to have far more free time and far less structure in our days after retiring. With this change, many of us begin looking for new ways to spend time or a new sense of purpose. If you feel this describes you, have you considered getting into photography?”
I really agree with the article, which discusses why photography is so good for retired seniors. I don’t know about others, but seeing that camera waiting to be picked up, rain or shine, gets my lazy body off my couch. And it’s rewarding to use my computer for creative editing after I come back with lots of images on my camera’s hard drive.
I could write much more about why this exciting medium is the perfect retirement hobby, but instead I’ll end with quotes by two photojournalists. The first is from American photographer Burk Uzzle, who says "Photography is a love affair with life.” The second one is from Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert, who says “I photograph all the time: it’s a way of being alive and being connected.” They both sound like retirees.
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.
