In the previous post, I rambled far too much about why other people take photographs and what they do with them.

It was all a mashup of observation and speculation, based on my interaction with a very limited part of the world. Because that’s what you do when you write a blog. Right?

What I didn’t touch on in that post was why I take photos.

Now the saying goes “the best camera is the one you have with you”. And like just about every person in the civilized world, I have a smartphone, with a pretty decent camera, with me almost every waking hour. So, I sometimes make pictures of the places, people, and things I just happen to find in daily life using that device.¹

However, for me photography is also a hobby. One I’ve been building on since I bought my first digital single-lens reflect camera in 2005. Before that I used a variety of cameras that recorded to film, which is an entirely different story.

As with most of the side interests that people pursue in their hobbies, the reward of photography often comes as much from the process as it does from the final result. The physical act of snapping the picture is just one part of the pleasure.

I regularly go out with my camera, along with one or two lenses, specifically to find images. I might want to explore (or revisit) a particular neighborhood, or document an event. Sometimes I go with other photographers, occasionally a group, with each of us finding different perspectives on the subjects we are shooting.²

Once you get into photography as a hobby you quickly discover that the field is much larger than it appears, with dozens of niche areas each with their own challenges and community. I have friends that specialize in landscapes, cityscapes, wildlife, weddings, events, astro, and more. Then there are the birders who are some of the most passionate people I know.

So, what’s my specialty? Even after all this time, I’m still not sure.

Documentary photography is much too serious a category for what I do, even though I am certainly documenting what I see around me.

Same for the niche called street photography. I make a lot of pictures on streets, illustrating the lives I see. But there again, the category includes many serious artists whose work I respect and can only aspire to.

I also make a lot of images when I travel, sometimes taking entire trips for the sole purpose of photography. But I hesitate to call my self a travel photographer since many who do seem to be working hard to get the perfect postcard shot of iconic locations. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not my style.

For now I tell people that I’m an observational photographer, even though you won’t find that category in most specialty lists. But it fits me because most of what I’m doing with my work is observing what’s happening around me and recording, as best I can, the interesting, hopefully unique, amusing, and sometimes odd sights around me.

The bottom line to all this is that my photographic hobby is one part recreation, one part exploration, and one part artistic exercise. And maybe a few other parts.

I may write more about this little hobby of mine in the future, but if you have comments or questions, that’s what the box at the bottom of the page is for. You can also visit my photo gallery site to see much more of my images.

The picture is from a recent photo walk, through the great hall at the National Building Museum where their summer artist-in-residence is/was constructing a domino topple (only a portion of which is shown in the picture) along with other art pieces. You can decide if my photo is documentation or art or something else.

1. Although I don’t often record shots of what I’m eating.

2. I’ve become somewhat uncomfortable with using the term “shooting” as a synonym for “photographing” but haven’t found an alternative that works. Any suggestions?