First things first, photography is not a hobby. Photography is a career. Photographers have a passion for what they do and have spent months, years, and even decades perfecting their craft. Whether it began with picking up a point and shoot camera and taking family photos at a funny angle or taking a DSLR and shooting in a studio, photographers do not only have fancy cameras and film, they also have great amounts of knowledge and experience. In order to achieve this knowledge, photographers must undergo training in the classroom and in the field.

I, myself, have taken several photography courses in my high school career including the photo communications class listed on the Joliet West class itinerary. In addition to yearlong course at school, I have also enrolled in two annual photography conventions where I, along with a few other student photographers, embark on an intimate journey with a professional photography teacher for a couple days at a time. These classes are a stepping stone compared to the mountain that is photography. The world of photography weighs heavily on the knowledge that each individual photographer holds because without their expertise, images would be very bland.

Photography courses are essential and can make all the difference because when someone goes to take a picture with their cellphone, they neglect to recognize the headspace above a subject, the depth of the image, the lines and curves, or the contrast of the picture amongst other very important details that the average eye would not see. Photography is not simply tapping the camera application on your cellphone and snapping a selfie of you and your best friend for you to post on twitter. It is so much more than that. There is nothing wrong with taking selfies, in fact, there are many famous artists that do nothing but take selfies for the world to see. However they have experience and knowledge that the average girl with an iPhone and Starbucks lacks. Therefore, the next time you go to take a picture for Instagram and decide to type #Photography, instead, decide to put #JustKidding #IdkAnythingAboutPhotography next to it and call it a day.