4 ms·

I think the key to understanding the allure is by extending your line of reasoning even further. Why play piano? There are plenty of recordings of people who p

I think the key to understanding the allure is by extending your line of reasoning even further. Why play piano? There are plenty of recordings of people who play better than I ever will. Why play chess? I will never be able to beat my computer anyway. Why paint portraits? I will never be as good as Rembrandt, and my camera is infinitely better anyway. I think the point of the activity is not "I will take the best picture of this plane/the moon that anyone has ever taken". Rather, it's "I will take the best picture that I ever took".

CarVac 6y ago
My issue with the moon, in particular, is that: a) it's not hard, it just requires a long focal length. b) it's not a creative act. The moon drowns out anything else, so it ends up being just a picture of an orb surrounded by black. Piano is extremely challenging, and playing something well gives you that feeling of having overcome a worthwhile challenge. Chess is likewise a battle of self-improvement. Same with painting. Moon photography? There's zero creativity involved, it's just about whether you've gone out and bought that 150-600 zoom you've been eyeing.