It Started with Paris . . . but Didn’t End There
Taking a trip to Paris is always exciting, and even though I lived there for years, I never captured the kind of photos I wanted when I went back to visit with the family. Last year, I decided to enroll in a photography class called “Photography as a Hobby” before the trip, as I’ve always heard you can capture great pics with your cell phone. I thought it would be a good idea because honestly my photos were never very good — and certainly not great.
I found an amazing online photography class taught by a professional photographer with decades of experience, Nick Kelsh. After just a few weeks learning from Nick, everything changed. Almost all of the photos throughout this post are from that trip, and honestly, I still can’t believe I took them with my phone. I hope you like them, and hopefully they’ll remind you that you can do the same — or even better — with your phone too.
near our hotel. I wouldn’t have thought to take this photo before meeting Nick.
After Paris, I kept learning. I continued working with Nick, asking questions, practicing, and slowly starting to really understand that photography wasn’t about expensive equipment or complicated settings. It was about noticing things — light coming through a kitchen window, a genuine laugh before someone realizes you’re taking their picture, or a quiet moment that would normally pass by unnoticed.
Photography as a hobby made me slow down enough to see those things, and honestly, that may have been the biggest surprise of all.
Photography Quietly Changed My Other Hobbies Too
What I didn’t expect was how photography as a hobby would quietly connect itself to every other hobby in my life, especially grandmothering. That may be where photography changed me most.
Children grow fast — much faster than we think they will. One minute they’re building block towers on the floor, and the next they’re teenagers responding to your thoughtful questions with “good” and “fine” while somehow towering over you physically as well.
Photography made me more aware of the moments in between — the ones we don’t realize we’ll miss someday until they’re already gone.
Never found out if the rocks were real.
Why I Wanted to Create a Photography Guide
The more I learned, the more I realized how unnecessarily overwhelmed most people feel about photography. So many people assume it’s too technical, too expensive, or too complicated, and I completely understand that because I used to think the exact same thing.
But after continuing to learn and work with Nick, I realized how dramatically people could improve their photos with just a few simple changes and a different way of seeing.
That’s what inspired us to create a photography guide together.
Not for people carrying giant cameras around their necks while adjusting seventeen settings I still don’t fully understand. This guide is for everyday people who simply want better photos of their families, grandchildren, meals, vacations, hobbies, celebrations, and ordinary life.
Because ordinary life turns out to be pretty extraordinary when you actually capture it well.
The Guide We Wish We Had
What I love most about this guide is how approachable it feels. Nick and I created it for everyday people — not professionals speaking in technical language most of us don’t understand anyway.
This guide is for people like me who simply want better photos of the life they’re already living.
Inside, we cover simple but surprisingly powerful changes that instantly improve photos, including:
- how lighting changes everything
- why clean lenses matter more than most people realize
- simple composition tricks that make photos feel more intentional
- beginner phone settings that actually help without overwhelming you
We also talk about photographing grandchildren naturally instead of stiffly posed, along with easy ways to beautifully capture hobbies, travel, cooking, journaling, gardening, and everyday life.
One of my favorite parts of the guide is the before-and-after examples. Sometimes seeing a small change visually makes everything click immediately.
And the best part? You don’t need expensive equipment. Most of these techniques can be done with the phone already sitting in your hand.
We’re putting the finishing touches on the guide now, and I’m genuinely excited to share it soon.
If this sounds like the kind of photography approach you’ve been looking for — simple, meaningful, and designed for real life — I’d love for you to join the interest list below. We’ll be sharing sneak peeks, launch updates, and a few favorite photography tips along the way.
A Hobby That Became Something More
I took up photography as a hobby simply to help me take better pictures of the people and places I love. I never expected it to change how I experience my own life, but somehow it has.
It has made me more observant, more present, and more intentional about capturing the moments that matter most to me. Somewhere along the way, photography stopped feeling like “taking pictures” and started feeling more like preserving pieces of life I don’t want to lose.
That’s a very different thing.
on top of a train station across the street. As taught in the guide, cropping made it special.
A Gentle Thought to Carry With You
Maybe photography as a hobby isn’t really about photography at all. Maybe it’s about learning to notice your life while you’re living it and preserving the moments that matter before they quietly slip past.
And honestly, that may be the most meaningful hobby of all.
Be sure to check out our Hobby Series www.agingoutloud.com and share with your friends.
Until next time, keep . . .
