Take A Hike
I often talk to people that are intimidated by the whole process of taking photos. They really would like to get into photography as a hobby or to round out other artistic endeavors that they already participate in. I usually just, basically, end up telling them that they are over thinking what it takes.
Too much to carry
If you have a busy lifestyle carrying around a bulky DSLR camera can be a serious obstacle to people enjoying photography as a hobby. Fortunately modern technology offers some solutions to this problem, but I am afraid even the most advanced technology can fix the real problem that people have.
I will usually find that one of the biggest reasons that people do not take their camera out and enjoy shooting their favorite subject, is simply because they feel embarrassed to have the camera with them all the time. They feel like some kind of perpetual tourist or they just get embarrassed by stopping to snap the shot, they feel they should just keep walking/driving. So, no matter what kind of camera is available or how much money is spent on a setup, a new photographer will never get started with the joy and satisfaction the hobby can bring if they do not first address this insecurity. So I tell you it is okay, I give you permission to take three seconds out of what you are currently doing to make a lifetime memory. I can tell you that if you just stop and take some photos a few times, no matter how you feel, that those actions will feel more like "normal" behavior in a very short time.
I don't carry a huge fanny-pack with my D5300 in it with me everywhere, but I do have a camera with me all the time: if you have even a slightly up-to-date phone, then you have a camera. Start using your phone to take macro shots as you are out and about (most phones are really quite good for these shots). I almost always have my "big camera" in the trunk of my car, that way I can take it out and into a place I think I may see something interesting. But, when I did not have enough foresight to get my bag out, I whip out my 14MP phone camera and snap away.
So does having the right equipment make a difference? I say, it will only make a difference for someone that has already moved past being embarrassed about being a shutterbug. Having a nice compact pack to carry your nice camera will help you get it out more, but first you have to decide to start "keeping" the things that catch your fancy by snapping a shot of it with whatever you have on hand.
Don't like what they end up with
Other people have gotten past being shy and just hate what they see when they download the memory card at home.
I say, start with a plan, "I want to get a picture of a squirrel," then go find a squirrel and snap away. Once you have at least a small plan it is easier to start pushing the shutter button, because your brain pathways are already set to shutter bug when you see any squirrel...or branch that looks like a squirrel...or cloud that looks like a squirrel house...or a farm house that looks like a squirrel built it.... So even if you are a naturally creative person your creative process (which probably does not look nearly as crazy one of mine like I illustrated above) will be kick started much more often with a simple plan. Before you leave the house decide what you are going to point your camera at when you see it and GO TAKE A HIKE! I mean that in the nicest of ways: you don't have to hike Everest or walk the length of Colfax Ave. Just get out and snap, then look at what you have while you are still out and make one adjustment at a time if you don't like how your pictures are coming out. You will get better if you keep taking pictures and doing a little learning here and there, but you will never get better if your camera stays in the closet or on your desk at home.
The photos in this post are from a 20 minute hike I took on a whim when I decided that I wanted a shadow shot of the foothills as the sun went down. As you can see I got sidetracked by other things that caught my eye, but I love these shots.
