Yes, I am middle-aged. Yes, I’m a grandfather with greying hair, and I am starting to dive back into photography. So, is photography a great little hobby for us who are finding ourselves hitting the peak of life? Well, let’s figure it out together…

I have a full-time job that pays the bills, with a bit more left afterwards. Before this job, I worked for myself for nearly 22 years in two different businesses. One bad election, and boom! Gone. All of it.

It has been a giant, sweeping circle to land back to where I started in the mid-90s. The one thing I was not doing back then was photography. None of my professional and job lives ever required it.

However, I would always find myself staring at a great photo when I came across one. Sometimes, when walking through the small town I was raised in, I would see from time to time, in the window of the local art gallery, a photographer’s prints on display, with a flyer on the door sharing the day and time for a meet-and-greet with them.

I love art, from watercolor to oil paintings. Most of all, though, I love photography, good photography.

It was six or seven years ago when I purchased my first camera, a Canon T5i. Simple, comfortable, and good enough to take some great photos, and video if I felt the need to.

Landscape seemed to have a pull on me, but as I grow older, taking photos of my family seems to have just as much pull on my heart. Portrait photography is complicated. I know many, many people are great at it; it will just take time, I suppose, to perfect it.

This summer, I plan to practice more portrait photography, and I will practice with my own kids.

Making the Decision

Middle-aged, this is the time in life when we seem to get this, I call a little tug to find a hobby, well, many of us do, I have heard.

So, why not photography? It is not as expensive as you might think. The best idea is to purchase a refurbished camera with one or two lenses, preferably a small kit.

It doesn’t have to be mirrorless; a good DSLR is perfect, and I still use one! Too much is just that, too much. Keep it simple until you feel the need to upgrade, if you ever do.

Start off by taking walks around where you live with your camera in hand. I did, and over 17 million views and hundreds of thousands of downloads later, it worked out fine.

Again, keep it simple. Learn. Enjoy. And yes, share it!

God bless and talk soon,

David.

Canon 90D | 18-135mm