A hobby is a regular activity pursued for pleasure and relaxation during leisure time, rather than for financial gain. For the love of all things crap, get a hobby. That’s my advice. But why, Dan? Oh, I’m here to tell you, give you examples, and show you some of mine. Remember, my hobbies don’t need to be your hobbies. But hobbies are critical for finding stories and becoming a more well-rounded person. Be more. Much of the online photography conversation focuses on unimportant things. You must break from this conversation and world, and find your focus on important things. A hobby can be a great way to start this process. The hobby will lead you to stories, and it will allow you to become a more interesting person capable of blending in and producing regardless of where you are.
Key element: Sometimes we need to step away from something to get closer to it in the end, but what we step away to is important. Stepping away to doom-scroll or watch pointless YouTube films isn’t helpful. Stepping away to something productive is essential not just for your photography but also for yourself as a human being.
Comments 15
Shooting free throws: hobby.
Art: a job
Author
There you go.
1. Just in time for my lunch break.
2 (but really 1). Condolences, and sorry for your loss. It’s terrible… Talk to someone… definitely a good message. I wish I could wind back the clock and say that to two people.
3. Cool hat.
Author
Yes, me too. So many lost.
Hi Dan, only one question from my end is how do you keep your hobbies on one level? I tend to spiral in whatever take over my mind in a given time frame. I have a few hobbies like photography (yes, it’s a hobby for me), cars, motorcycles, fixing cars and motorcycles (different from driving/riding them), running, swimming, cycling and some more.. but I can’t keep them leveled that brothersme. I just got myself a motorcycle again and I’m all in, couldn’t bothered to take camera out at the moment, it’s all about riding and fixing what’s not to my liking.. By the way, since I got a ZF with 40mm (and recently sold M6 to finance other hobbies) I couldn’t bother to look at gear videos, that’s for your advice on a good digital successor to my M, that I miss shooting (but not really) 😉
Author
I do what feels right, or sometimes I just schedule things. Yesterday was workout and ruck, today might be workout and bike. Then, running errands in town on either bike or moto. Looking toward weekend, and what limited weekends I have, need to wet a line and get fishing somewhere. The camera is with all the time.
Great point on talking to somebody. I had PTSD from my policing career. I was seconds away from shooting myself in the stations locker room. I heard my wife’s voice (deceased at that point) say NO. The pistol was coming up to my head to end it. Soon as I heard her voice, I put the gun down. Went to my Staff Sergeants office, told them what was going on. I got immediate help. Lots of talking and therapy
That was 9 years ago, went through some really bad time but therapy helped me
People if you need help reach out
As Dan said it is not weak to reach out. You are strong.
Thanks Dan for your message.
Author
WOW. I would interested to know, in private maybe, what was the underlying issue that put you in the spot? Overall PTSD, something acute, and how does it feel looking back knowing how close you were.
Hey Dan
Would gladly share with you, it is a wild long story.
A rough go over years.
My email address is rirvine@amtelecom.net
Send me a email and I can relay my story to you.
I feel strong that I survived the day I had my gun to my head.
Just about to go out on a 9km urban ruck (up and down bridges and concrete river banks over and over) with a 14kg pack. It’s great.
Cycling, hiking, rucking, photography. Those are my main hobbies and they’ve been staples for years and can easily be combined. The way I do it is quite simple – pick any of the first three (or combine them – cycle to the trail head then hike with a heavy pack), take a camera, and go to a place that has the potential for great photography.
Also, three Blurb books arriving today 🙂
Author
Great catching up last night. And you are spot on about hobbies.
Hi Dan,
First of all, my condolences.
As alwayss, Im too late for the show.
I agree with every point you brought up in thi video.
I was 39 when I decided not to fight my systemic illness any longer and was ready to leave. No, I didn’t ask for help, which wasn’t a great idea, though it seemed okay at th time, partly because, deep down, I did want to go. Man, I was just one night away from it.
Since then my life has become my hobby. Everything I do is my hobby. Every single second of my life is so damn precious and not worth wasting, even one second talking about gear 😉
Thank you, Dan, for having the guts.
Author
Wow, glad you made the decision you did. I can imagine getting help, or talking to someone might seem like a bridge too far, but we need to do more to get people to realize it can be the way forward.
Dan, can you direct me to a video documenting your process for how you journal? I enjoy the way you do it but I’m unsure how you’re getting those big photo spreads onto your pages!
Author
Okay, so I’m about to release a YT Short today that shows all four printers. And the next YT film I release, which should be sometime early next week, will also show me in the field working and printing. I use four printers, a fifth at home, but have also started adding some mixed media.