If you are over 55 (as I am), you probably get notices from the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) to join the organization. I received one recently - although I feel like a kid.
That got me thinking: many of professional photographer friends who are over 55 are more active than ever - shooting more pictures, working and playing more in the digital darkroom, teaching more seminars, leading more workshops, learning new techniques, marketing their work, and so on. Not one even remotely considers retiring - and that includes me!
So I venture to say that photography keeps photographers (pros and amateurs)
young, fit and
healthy.
Young because making pictures and working on them in the digital darkroom energizes us. I think this is especially true with HDR images - because images like the one pictured here were never before possible without this relatively new technology. How exciting! (The bottom image is the average exposure of the scene, the top image is the HDR image - created in Photomatix and then enhanced in Photoshop with a touch of Topaz Adjust). What's more: HDR helps us see - and picture – the world in an entirely new and exciting way. Before HDR, I never would have taken this picture - because the contrast range was far too wide.
Fit because we burn off calories and build muscles when we lug around our camera bags and tripods and walk around the countryside and through the streets of a city - sometimes for hours a day. What a great way to work out!
Healthy because we are constantly learning - and as the old Chinese saying goes: "Learning is health."
Hey, maybe I should start, iARP: International Association of Rockin' Photographers. Wanna join? :-) Please share your thoughts here.
I know my photography-loving dad would join. He's 91!
Hey, you don't have to do
this to join!
Speaking of being older (physically) and keeping young, stay tuned for my interviews with John Isaac and Harry Benson over at the
Digital Photo Experience podcast. Lots of good how-to articles by our staff on the DPE site, too - which includes some potential AARP and iARP - members.
If you need some inspiration on feeling young, check out Real Magic by Dr. Wayne Dyer over on my
books page. I have a few books there, too, for photo inspiration.
Explore the light,
Rick
P.S. You can get a discount on Photomatix (and other plug-ins) and learn about Topaz Adjust (which I think is one of the coolest new plug-ins) over at the
Plug-in Experience.
