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I posted a similar list earlier this year, but it seems to be an issue again so I thought I'd start this thread to share one of my favorite retirement tips:
How Taking A Daily Photo Can Help Make Your Retirement Much More Enjoyable
1. New retirees may have a challenge refocusing after they stop working. Retirement can be like wearing a new pair of glasses--suddenly you have the chance to see all these details in the world that you never had time to notice before. Taking a daily photo encourages you to see those details.
2. We get many threads from people who complain that they are now retired and don't know what to do with their time. Taking a daily photo can help you figure this out. Here's why--when you get into the habit of taking a daily photo you take shots of local scenery at first. But soon you start looking for new things to shoot--and before you know it you tend to go to local events just to take a photo. Having a camera gives you a reason to check out things you would never go to otherwise, and before you know it you find things to become involved with. My husband got involved with a group helping high school kids build robots this way. We went to a fair to take photos, saw the robot competition, and thought it would be fun daily photo shot. Bada bing bada boom the next thing you know my husband got interested in the group and now is a volunteer. We would never have known about it otherwise.
3. Taking a daily photo gets you off the couch and out into the world. It's so easy for retirees to stay home and do nothing but watch tv. A little daily goal like taking a daily photo helps tremendously (as long as you don't cheat and just take a daily photo of your couch, of course.... )
4. And speaking about exercise, did you know that the number 1 exercise for retirees is taking a daily walk? If you stop to take photos while you're walking, you'll be more likely to go farther because you want to get that shot of a certain view. Plus, if you take the same walk every day, taking a daily photo makes it a lot more fun, so you're more likely to go more often.
5. Taking photos can fill a morning and is a hobby that doesn't cost any money (once you buy the camera). Most retirees need to be frugal, and having a hobby like photography helps.
6. Being a photographer for volunteer events helps shy retirees find a way to be sociable. If you have a hard time walking up and saying hello to people, the camera gives you an ice breaker.
7. Photos help your memory. Let's face it, as we get older we start to forget things, and photos can help. For example the other day I was gardening and suddenly couldn't remember if some weeds I wanted to pull were toxic. So I took a photo, went over to the garden center, and asked. Good thing, because it turned out they were.
8. Photos can also document your valuables for insurance, and when you are trying to downsize and give away items to your kids. They may not know what you mean if you ask them if they want the Bombe Chest, for example. Send them a photo and then they know what you're talking about.
9. If you are searching for a retirement home, a camera is invaluable. After you visit 2-3 communities, the details start to blur. Photos help you remember what you liked and disliked about each community, and also help you remember little details that would otherwise be forgotten after a few days.
10. Taking a daily photo means that for at least a little bit of time you are focusing on something else beside your worries or your aches and pains. It gets you out of the habit of thinking me-me-me-me-me all the time. Unless, of course, you are taking photos of yourself.
I'll have to look for the list to find the other reasons. As I recall we had a list of 12-13 ways a camera (and the idea of taking a daily photo) can be a retirees best friend. I never used my camera that much before retirement, but now I find I'm taking shots every single day. I honestly think it's one of the reasons I'm enjoying this first year as much as I am.
Yes, I totally agree. In addition, please post those photos of your retirement home or area you visited so we can all see them ! That is, if you figure out how to post photos on here. I have not conquered that yet. Right now I am working on the settings for the sprinkler box outside my house. I should be able to move on to something new in about a month or so.
Yes, I totally agree. In addition, please post those photos of your retirement home or area you visited so we can all see them !
Yes, I definitely agree. Love to see the towns people consider, and also the towns people choose. I posted a few photo tours last year of places we considered, including the one we ended up choosing:
Many times the photos of retirement communities give you a lot more insight to what it's like for retirees to live in a certain city than you'd find in the city forums. Last year I recall one of the posters did a tour of his community in Las Vegas. It showed all sorts of things that seniors would find important and was much more useful than looking at the typical Here's My Vacation on the Strip photos you find in the Las Vegas forum.
photography has marilyn and i going to places we would never have gone. we are so motivated to do and try different things and we get home and we are already planning the next shoot.
since she loves it as much as i do it actually has given us endless things to talk about , read and teach each other.
with that in mind we do have a city data photography forum where we can discuss all this in an appropriate forum.
I think that a sticky might be a good idea for photos and other upload-able art work that people want to post. I think that would be the best place for people to display their everyday life photos as well as vacation photos. Also, for those people that get annoyed with photos or don't like them for whatever reason won't have to go there or click on that link.
I personally enjoy photography but I can understand some people's lack of interest in having heavy photos load in various threads all the time.
Good lord. Do we really need a new and different threat when the idea of a dedicated photography, sticky thread has already been proposed?
This forum is fast becoming a one-act show and I find that disturbing.
Just to be clear, this thread isn't for posting photos. It's for sharing a tip on how to enjoy retirement, and explaining how photography can be helpful to retirees.
I think that would be the best place for people to display their everyday life photos as well as vacation photos.
If you want to have a photo thread to demonstrate creativity, that's fine. But I'd like to offer an alternate view of why my photos belong in the Everyday Life thread. My photos are not about being creative, they are more journalistic and about what everyday life in retirement is like. My photos need to be posted alongside the text of what happens in my everyday life experience; the point is to give ideas and maybe even some inspiration to the numerous people who say they are now retired and don't know what to do with their days.
Also, since I take many of them while hiking, kayaking, doing tai chi, etc. they belong with the list of daily exercise. So many retirees say they don't want to exercise because they assume it means going to a gym--my photos show other ways retirees can get off the couch and get in better health. I have had quite a few comments from people saying they like the photos in those threads, and that it helps them get up and going. I will be happy to DM these comments if desired.
I really don't want my photos stickied or put in some sort of creativity thread since they are not artistic. People who do not like photos can easily avoid the Everyday Life threads. It's not like anyone is required to read those threads. As a possible solution, we can change the title to note that there are photos inside, that way people will be warned if they really can't stand to see a thread with photos. But really--is this such a problem?
Just to be clear, this thread isn't for posting photos. It's for sharing a tip on how to enjoy retirement, and explaining how photography can be helpful to retirees.
Just to be clear, one thread dedicated to photography could serve both purposes. This forum doesn't need to, nor should it be, a one man/woman show. That is way too confining, limiting and narcissistic.
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