At a glance around the classroom, you notice the palpable age difference of the group. Getting to know them later on made it clear that this was a diverse group composed of individuals from various backgrounds.

Deddy Hidayat, an engineer working at Fluids Technology Worldwide has a job that’s bonded to traveling. The 40-something said he had always held the thought of keeping memories of places he had traveled. “My daughter and son are also taking pictures. I don’t want to fall behind from them,” he said laughing.

On the other hand, 30-year-old Rian, an event organizer, said her passion for music concerts ignited her love of snapshots.

Ms K, the administrative head of Darwis Triadi School of Photography told The Jakarta Post that students ages ranged from nine to 70. She said the school had only been established for less than a decade but had an annual enrolment number of more than 1,000.

Wannabe professionals: Photography students practice taking shots in Jakarta. Courtesy of Eko PrasetiOver the past 10 years, there has been a remarkable growth of interest in photography all around the world. Digitalized photography came along with the expansion of online social networking and the emergence of more user-friendly semi-pro cameras and boosted an inevitable photography fever.

Ucok, from Darwis Triadi has noticed some dramatic changes among camera users. He said: “Five to 10 years ago, it was very rare to see anyone using digital cameras… Now we are in a digital era, taking pictures is easy, that’s how it became popular.” He also remarked that photography could be the most popular job in Indonesia.

A while ago, Cannon’s representative told attendants at a photography exhibition in Indonesia that their sales had tripled since the existence of social network Friendster in 2002.

Speaking of the great influence of social networks on photography, research by Infotrends, a technology research company, also indicates that there’s a strong correlation between active photographers and regular users of social networks.

“People who take a lot of photos want to share them, and they are largely turning to social networks to do so,” a source from Infotrends claims.

Appreciation from the audience is by all means the greatest reward for all photographers. For most photography enthusiasts, the satisfaction gained by taking pictures is worth a life long pursuit; even when it means a great deal of expenses.

Eko Prasetio, a renowned photographer on fotografer.net told The Jakarta Post that as a lawyer, he has spent Rp 200 million on equipment. The winner of seven editor’s choice awards on fotografer.net said photography trips always tempted him to take annual leave from work.

However, all these are justified in his eyes. Prasetio emphasizes: “Life is too short to let go without taking pictures,” he said.

“There’s some kind of satisfaction when you see your photo is perfect from every aspect, technically and artistically; when people look at it, they just say ‘wow’.”

Comparing with his previous hobbies such as motorcycling and playing in a band, Prasetio values the things photography offers which others could not. He said: “It’s a hobby where age is no limitation at all. I can maintain this hobby until I’m old… People will remember you from what you have done.”

For some others, chasing a simple satisfaction and a long lasting hobby may not be enough.
Lately, many have thought highly on the market potential in commercial photography and ceremonial photography.

Paparazzi: Photojournalists circle former Attorney General’s Office spokesman I Wayan Pasek Suartha to take a picture of an escaped graft convict case file in 2006. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama“It is a very promising career… and the investment spent in the early stages will be paid off,” said Ucok, from Darwis Triadi.

However, the competition out there is still a threat to many ambitious amateurs. “I have seen several businesses go down because the competition is very high…The number of photographers grows faster than the demand.”

As many senior hobbyists would say, it takes commitment for all hobbies and it is no exception for photography.

When it comes to someone who wants to make a living out of the profession, it takes a little more than just skills. A sense about the market is essential to succeed.

Someone like Bedoe Kartadinata, who makes a living out of her photography passion, sees clearly the cause for many failures in the market. She said: “Many just want to start making money but they don’t have the basics. They don’t know the market or have enough skills.”

“Wedding is a big money-maker but weddings don’t bring in income every day, it’s only seasonal,”
said professional photographer Kartadinata.

The 27-year-old bluntly pointed out: “Here in Indonesia, people like to copy each other, so I have to come up with my own thing such as underwater fashion.”