what has your hobby taught you?

I was thinking about this when I took the rose photo and photography generally.

Before I really got into photography I had not given it much thought. All it boiled down to is there something I would like to take a photo of, so out with the camera and snap, got the picture. This is just what most people do and nothing wrong in that.
However the thread title is what as photography taught me?

the short answer it the look at something and not just see it, there is a difference.

Most would say "ah a rose pretty isn't it?" and thats all.

To me there is a lot more

overall conformation of petals- the way the light catches it- how it stands out from background- angle of photo-position in photo etc etc

In a moving subject does it have room in the shot to go into -landscape most unintentionally start looking at the picture on the left, like a book, so therefore should be a "stop" such as a tree on the right

Most of which now is done subconsciously by now

Each presents its own problems be it lighting -subject -colour - focus and so forth and so on.

So to sum up my hobby Photography has taught me to look as I already have said .

Maybe those into cooking have picked up a few hints and tricks as other hobbies would have done

So what have members learnt with their hobbies????

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

It taught me I couldn't afford it.
I bought a boat(on a whim)
The mooring costs weren't cheap, general upkeep and servicing expensive and that was before I left the marina

Add to that 100+lts an hour in diesel and it soon nearly bankrupted me, though I did enjoy it for a few years.

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

Bazza I would imagine photography does make you view things with a different eye.

I haven't really had the time or the money for hobbies . I guess training my dogs has been my hobby and that taught me patience, kindness and consistency are all important where dogs are concerned.

I did once try pottery classes and that taught me I would never be very good at it .

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

Meg
your hobby has taught you that and a lot more if you think about it. What about feeding the dogs -health- exercise- bathing=-grooming for starters? It is surprising what you have learnt which you have not realised. you must have learnt the signs your dog gives you. So how about expanding on what you said?

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

Bazza that part was my work not my hobby ...

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

My hobby of making fantastic breads opened up a whole new world to me.

I was only tentatively interested in prepping and survival before then but bread making taught me a great deal.

Once I got into sourdoughs which use wild yeast as opposed to shop bought conventional yeast, I realised that if you have flour, you have everything you need to make great bread especially in a disaster scenario.

I can make a wild yeast starter from just flour and water in 5 days and then be making tasty sourdough. If the world heads for a catastrophe and the shops run dry there won't be any bread in the shops and there won't be any yeast with which to make the basic staff of life.

So knowing how to make a wild yeast starter and sourdough is a life skill that is very useful.

This whole thing then lead me to learn about actual grains.
Wheat, Spelt, Rye, Barley etc. It transpires that grains, if vacuum packed, will last . . . indefinitely. Literally years and years. Buying sacked grains it far far cheaper than buying small bags of flour in the store so that set me off into long term food storage.

I bought a fantastic electric grain mill (and a cheaper manual one for end of world no electric scenarios). I bought sacks of wheat, spelt, rye and organic oats, vacuumed packed them in smaller separate bags and then proceed to make my own fresh flour straight from the grain to make my breads.

So with that supply of long lasting grains, I can make bread for months and months in the event of an apocalyptic event.

That then lead to the acquisition of other long term foods like other grains, pulses and pastas. That in turn lead to research on how to make things myself instead of buying them.

For example, I make large batches of fantastic granola from oats mixed with nuts and dried fruits coated in coconut oil and a little treacle, maple syrup or honey. Granola lasts very well. We absolutely love it and eat it every day on fresh fruit and yoghurt and / or on ordinary cereals.

Fermenting vegetables came next. Another fantastic and simple way to preserve food for ages. I have several jars of sauerkraut on the go permanently now. Cabbage with fennel and caraway seeds has become the firm favourite. Saurkraut lasts months and gets steadily tastier and more tangy.

Then came home made passata. Not being happy with commercial tins of chopped tomatoes I learned how the Italians put aside an entire day with the entire family every year to make massive batches of passata for the coming year. They make it, cook it in their own bottles which means they don't need any refrigeration and will keep indefinitely.

And so it goes on. Food dehydration, fermentation, long term food supplies, methods and techniques for "tumbledown" meals from bulk supplies and more.

All this came from learning properly how to make great bread.

And bread stays at the very heart of it all, it is my twice a week pastime, wholly satisfying, edifying and down to Earth.
In a world that is collapsing and heading for war, I feel I have a least a set of really useful skills which will mean I won't panic when the disruption starts.

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

Well, buying & selling collectibles has taught me the value of research.
I sometimes buy an item purely on spec, a bit of Google and job's a good 'un.

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

Realist
i am a complete dunce with cooking, never had to do it in my life. So if you can make a good beer or wine as well I am on my way to your place


I am the only person who can burn water in a pan let alone try and cook an egg

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

Oh! the heading was about hobbies

Re: what has your hobby taught you?

I know, that is why I only mentioned the hobby party