The Value Of Having A Professional Hobby

Moving to Newfoundland (& Labrador) was the impetus for me to pick up the camera. I wanted to add a little artistic expression to getting out into nature, while giving me a means to share my experiences. I had taken a series of photography classes as part of my college experience, which gave me a good foundation to start from.

If we were to argue the semantics of what makes a hobby professional, taking pictures of things that you love or experiences that you have doesn’t really qualify. Sure, it might make you sound a little more interesting on your CV, or boost your social followers, but that’s the extent of it. Taking a hobby, that happens to be a profession, does not make it a professional hobby – you need to level it up into one. When you level up a hobby, that’s when it gets interesting, and that’s when you develop real professional skills; skills that not only strengthen your abilities relevant to your hobby, but skills that transferable to your career.?

Each year, going back to 2015, I am one of a few local photographers who shoot the East Coast Trail Ultra, which is a 50-kilometre running race over one of the most gruelling and scenic trail in North America. I was introduced to the race by members of the local running community here in St. John’s, and at first, I made it my mission to run it. Training for what would have been my first Ultra back in 2015, I learned two very important things: Trail running in Newfoundland is epic and immesly rewarding, and, that I have physical limitations that prevent me from running such a race. Training for it however did ignite a passion for trail running like no other. But, that’s another story, one that’s already been told. If you’re interested in that, check out this article from Canadian Trail Running Magazine about my trail running journey.

https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/trail-running-after-45-from-fear-to-passion/

So, with my physical limitations fully accepted, I decided to shoot the race instead. I wanted a way to stay involved with the race that I trained so hard for, and to help give back to the other runners who were up to it, a quality I will forever admire in them. This is when photography took a turn for me, from being a mere hobby to a professional one.?

While I have never been directly paid for my photography (I’ve used it to raise funds for charity), and that’s what would ultimately make somebody a professional at anything, this past weekend, much like every year since I began shooting the East Coast Trail Ultra, I embrace my hobby as if I were getting paid.

?Shooting a race like this, it takes a great degree of preparation:

• Location scouting. For me, it’s critical that I find a place that suits both with my artistic vision, and a place that will create memorable keepsakes for the runners. As a trail runner, this part is made easier and fun, as when I do scout for locations, I run the racecourse backwards and look for the shots that I would want to hang on my wall.
• Planning what equipment to bring, along with the necessary back-ups in case things fail, is very important. Making sure you’ve got spare batteries charged and ready, back-up camera bodies, lenses to switch to in case conditions change, etc., it all requires a mental checklist to keep track of as you prepare for the event.
• This is Newfoundland, so planning and preparing to experience all four seasons in one day is mandatory, especially if you are going to be sitting next to the cold North Atlantic for up to seven hours. Along with the checklist of equipment, you’ve got gear and other supplies you may need. I also like to pack for the runners a mix of healthy snacks, drinks and spare running equipment like poles, in case any runners need them.
• Lastly, part of the preparation is coordinating with the race organizers or other photographers, so that we’re all placed strategically over the course, and when needed, you can act as a support resource to runners and the race organizers. As an example, this year we had a hurricane swirling far offshore that brought a ton of rain just before the race started, so I added to my role a little early morning reconnaissance for the race organizers, letting them know if a river was passable or not. I also brought along a length of rope, in case the runners needed to ford a raging river, which, fortunately for them was not needed.

Shooting this race, it requires a great deal of adaptability.

• Shooting a field of runners over an entire day, it requires constant adaptability. My location is near the 35k mark in the race, so the entire field is spread out, which makes for a long day and loads of opportunity for challenges to occur. You need to have the camera skills, stress management, and confidence to adapt your shooting to reflect these constant changes in the weather, and the ever-changing lighting conditions. Being on the coast, clouds can move fast, and the lighting is seldom perfect. In fact, lighting conditions can change several times during the time it takes a single runner to pass through your range of view, so you need to be quick and intuitive with your camera adjustments.
• You need to be nimble and adjust your plans when you need to. As an example, this year when I showed up to my usual location, I discovered a broken boardwalk that would have been dangerous for the runners had I set up where I usually do. So, I had to adapt and find a new spot to shoot from. While my new spot didn’t afford me my desired shot, I found a spot that opened new ones.

Shooting this race, it requires dedication.

• When I decide to shoot a race, I approach it as if the race and the runners are clients. While I do have some limits with respect to weather, like if it’s pouring rain, I mean pouring down sheets of rain, I won’t shoot for the concern of my equipment, but largely, no matter the conditions, or how I feel, I’m out there. I think of the hours each runner has put in preparing for the race, and that forms my motivation to get out, even when I may feel like just hoving-off at home for the day.
• Dedication is also needed once you’ve finished the long shoot-day, to sit at your computer to review, select and edit photos out of a set of 5,000 shots or more. I run races, and I know how it’s important to strike while the iron is hot. You need to process your work in a very timely manner, even if you’re tired or have other things on the go.

Shooting this race, it requires confidence.

• It’s easy to anonymously capture something with a goal of sharing your work, should it be nice and up to snuff, but harkening back to the above point on dedication, it’s stressful and requires great confidence in your skills to be out there knowing that each runner will be on the lookout for your work once their race is done.
• Shooting anything that is fast paced and unpredictable, confidence in your post-production work comes into full swing. Last year I battled very wet conditions that lasted much of the day, so much of my post-work was spent trying to salvage my shots vs looking to enhance or plus them up. The runners never knew what I went through when the shoot was over, but increasing my confidence in this area helps me focus on the shoot while I’m out there shooting, it takes so much stress out of the experience.

The last quality I will highlight, is a quality that most people including myself, find hard to come by, and that is patience.

• Sitting out there all day, waiting for runners to pass, well, it’s obvious that it takes patience. But, what takes more patience is waiting for the right shot, the shot that you as a photographer are waiting for. Not every photo will be a work of art. In that setting, you can’t control the lighting, you can’t control the subject, you can’t control the elements, and you need to accept everything while you wait for the stars to align so you get the shot that you’ve been waiting for, one that meets your artistic vision.?In the meantime, you just shoot, and pray, and be patient.

With all that and much more, there’s a lot of value in turning a hobby into a professional hobby. And, while I don’t think that I will ever have enough time to level-up my photography skills to make it a profession, by committing to and shooting events like the East Coast Trail Ultra, it helps me develop professionally. Through it all, the impact to my problem-solving skills, communication skills, and technical skills (both behind the camera and at the computer), they all grow, all while I’m having fun and giving back to a community that I am passionate about.

What hobby of yours can you make a professional hobby?

In closing, here are a few of my favourite shots (so far) from this past Saturday.