New Hobbies

I have become increasingly interested in photography, especially astrophotography and time-lapse. When I saw the video below, I just knew I wanted to do that. Sold my father-in-laws lawn tractor we inherited and bought a nice Canon T2i. Working on a few necessary accessories and then we will see what I can do.

Plains Milky Way on Vimeo

I am also considering trying my hand at video. I am thinking of shooting some underwater stuff, mainly trout. Go figure. I have a Kodak PlaySport, but want to get GoPro HD Hero. Both are waterproof. I want to do this, but haven't quite figured it all out yet.
 
That video is amazing! Especially catching the satellite (I assume that's what it is) at 2:49.
 
Walt34 said:
It all started when we bought a small digital camera, DW wanted to go to a photography class, and we were introduced to Photoshop Elements, the "consumer" version of Photoshop.
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Do you think the class was worth the time and cost? I'm a visual learner (don't tell me, show me); reading instruction manuals is painful. That is why YouTube tutorials is a blessing!
 
Amethyst said:
I come from a family of craft-type hobbyists. Modeling, woodworking, needlework of all kinds, painting, gardening, baking...parents or siblings or I did it/do it. I think the main reason I resent w**k, is that it keeps me from doing stuff I really like to do! One of my biggest fears is that after I retire, my eyes/hands will decline, so I will never get as good as I want to be.

Amethyst
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I do some craftwork; specifically, decoupage and it's spinoff collage. Decoupage is an old art. People have been decorating items for centuries. It's an absorbing hobby.

I'm mostly a practical sewer. I sew curtains, placemats, napkins, etc. But I love-love-love using fabric color and patterns in creative ways, such as mixing a floral print and a stripe print with coordinating colors.
 
MBAustin said:
Recently I've taken up knitting prayer shawls - I had knitted a bit way back in jr. high school but not since then. I find it very relaxing and I don't have to worry about what to make as they all go to people who need them.
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I never learned to knit, but throughout college I crocheted - my roommate taught me. I haven't crocheted in over 25 years, but if I can find my crochet hooks, I think I could get started again.
 
Alan said:
We've re-discovered an old hobby - hiking and hill walking. For the last 30 years we have had kids to bring up, limited vacation time
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Same here. In fact, I'm currently looking for a new lightweight daypack. DH and I are taking longer day hikes, and I need a bigger pack for the 5-6 hour hikes.
 
I wanted to learn how to play bloues harmonica but can't find a teacher in my area, very frustrating. I am now researching meditation classes. Of course I have even more time to do my favorite thing, read. I want to start walking again but the summer has been too hot and humid to do it.
 
Not retired here. Work half time due to a health issue, and to parent the kiddoes. Nonetheless, have a few hobbies:
Brew beer
Like to build and restore things (have restored 1910 telephone, several furniture items, starting on 1976 Chev. Monte Carlo. Built all tube home stereo and speakers)
Volunteering (Scouts and homeless shelter)
Music! I am an inveterate collector with lots and lots of cd's and lp's.

Would like to get into cooking, and back into photography. I have the supplies for a darkroom, but have never set it up.
 
I re-started a couple of hobbies; photography and scuba diving. I have not combined the two yet because I can't justify the cost of the underwater gear to do it. If I continue then maybe.

I did expand and upgrade my regular photography kit and have read several books on various current techniques including Photoshop (Essentials), portraiture, macro, flash and various digital photo techniques. Now I just need to get off my lazy tail and get going.

My genealogy work comes and goes as I find the time and patients for it. I have several trips planned to some old family living areas for records research (not everything is on the internet yet). But, with what I have dug up I can happily say that all 4 family lines were in this country before 1700; so my family helped create this country.

Someday I will put all of it into a book for the family. Speaking of which, I am editing and creating a manuscript for my mother's second book; not bad for a nearly blind old lady of 89 in Assisted Living. I hope to find an illustrator for the book (childrens book) and then either self publish again or find a publisher willing to take it on (not an easy task with this type of book).

DW's hobby is her dress boutique which keeps her busy with buying, networking and business issues. (Sounds like w*rk to me). I do the books and the maintenance; neither of which take a lot of time most days.
 
I do not have the time for hobbies. Too much work to do and volunteering activities take the rest of my time.
 
I have had the same hobbies all my life, and many of them I still have. Various participant sports, dancing, people watching, reading, and stamp collecting. I used to hunt and fish, but it seems more trouble than it is worth under my present living conditions. I haven't been a stamp collector since I was a boy, and I am not sure that I would enjoy it as much now as then, as considerations of value and investment gains often dominate older collectors' thoughts, whereas a child is just interested in the pretty pictures and the far off places.

Ha
 
haha said:
...(snip)...
I haven't been a stamp collector since I was a boy, and I am not sure that I would enjoy it as much now as then, as considerations of value and investment gains often dominate older collectors' thoughts, whereas a child is just interested in the pretty pictures and the far off places.

Ha
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That's an interesting observation about the adult approach to activities. I have a stamp collection passed down and expanded from my grandfather. Once every decade or so I take a peak at it. When I was a kid I spent many hours looking at the stamps and visiting post offices in hopes of finding an old cache. I remember finding some stamps from the 1940's (I think) that hadn't been sold at one post office. Nice memories.

With art the trend around here seems to be that the serious artists should be selling something. I think it can ruin a person's creativity as they are constantly trying to figure out how to paint something someone will buy. Many artist's even pay "galleries" to offer their work.

If you don't need the money it can be greatly liberating to avoid money and competition in your activities.
 
I used to love to tinker in the garage, paint and draw, but I recently got a request from my daughter to make her a box for the ringbearer to carry her rings down the aisle in for her upcoming wedding. I made the box and started painting it and have realized just how much my skills have deteriorated since I last did that sort of thing. I need a lot more light, my hands aren't that steady and I don't seem to have as much patience... all in all not very enjoyable since the results are just not what I was hoping for.

I still play music for fun with some local guys and recently finished recording a CD and I do (mostly) enjoy it, but I seem to enjoy travel more than anything else. I am also working on an automation-oriented book and website and actually enjoy that more than most of my old hobbies. That actually relates to w*rk which is rather odd...
 
I continue with pre-ER hobbies and spend more time on them which includes golfing, reading, dining in new places, etc. ER allows me to appreciate and develop what I already do to something I can learn, nurture and enjoy more for example - learning about wine (pre ER was just drinking wine), enjoying cooking (pre ER was just get the food cooked quickly), photography and organising photos on Facebook or displaying them at home (pre ER was just taking photos and not developing them), improving my golf game (pre ER was just week-end golf), I dine and read more and comment on the food and books in related websites, etc etc. I guess you can say by expanding and developing old hobbies, I now have more indepth hobbies which are the same but yet don't seem the same. They are better and more interactive. And yes, I watch more TV - one of my favourite hobbies.
 
I still have many of the same hobbies - not playing my musical instruments, not learning to golf, not getting all our stuff sold on eBay and Craigslist. The one's I actually do are mostly hiking, kayaking, gardening. I'm in the process of developing a new one - woodworking. That one might become addictive.
 
ladypatriot said:
Do you think the class was worth the time and cost? I'm a visual learner (don't tell me, show me); reading instruction manuals is painful. That is why YouTube tutorials is a blessing!
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For some people yes, depending on how they learn. DW got a lot more out of the class than I did. She's more of a "don't tell me how to do it, just show me".

For me it was more an exposure to what is possible but then I have to go out and buy the book(s), read and reread, then go practice. I can't remember what various buttons do what unless I also understand what they're doing and why.

The class was at a local community college, I think it was ~$100/seat for four 4-hour classes. About a dozen people in the class. I like those type classes in part because the instructors teach them because they're enthused about what they're doing and want to share it. They're certainly not getting rich from it.
 
Yeah, but I'm not sure it counts as volunteering when you get the amazing pay and benefits that come with the moderator position.
 
Hello Bestwifeever - IMO the type of volunteering I support has more to do with a "moral obligation" I feel towards those who need my help. It's difficult to explain.

However, I spend more and more time on this website, which I should consider a hobby. :) It's becoming addictive. I joined less than a year ago but have much enjoyed the experience so far.

Bestwifeever said:
I think of volunteering as a hobby.
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Hmmm, Alan, do we have a moral obligation to moderate the forum? I'll say yes! :D

But alas, I am not yet retired, and therefore do not technically have a vote on this thread! :flowers:
 
I have discovered and fallen in love with 'altered books' which is basically scrapbooking taken to a more 'artsy' level. You can google 'altered books' for more information meanwhile here's a link (showing another person's work) that gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.


http://www.jennysartspace.com/alteredbooks/index.html
 
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