Photography: A Gateway Hobby in China
Canon, Joey, Photography — By Joey on May 24, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Over the past 3 months, core members of the enovate insights team were immersed in a research project investigating the RC Hobby community in Shanghai. This community is a tight-knit group of passionate tinkerers and adventure-seeking garage dwellers spanning all ages and demographics. In our research findings, we noticed a key pattern across most high-level RC Hobby enthusiasts: a strong passion for all things photography.
It’s common to conjure images of the stereotypical Chinese man, traveling with his trusty Canon strapped around his neck, carefully directing his family to the precise spot for the perfect picture. We’re not here to erase that image (as any tourist destination in China upholds this). However, after analyzing findings pertaining to this extremely niche category of RC Hobbies, the parallel affection for photography leads us to another question: What factors enable photography to act as a “gateway hobby”? And what exactly is a “gateway hobby”?
A gateway hobby is simple to understand. Interest in one particular hobby (i.e. Photography), ultimately leads to a more passionate and fulfilling interest (i.e. RC Hobbies). So why is photography such a strong protagonist in developing further and more defined personal interests? Let’s examine further.
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2 Comments
Great piece Joey!
I feel you on all above points. However, to provide a dash of counterpoint, I’m curious to hear about those who experience photo-burnout. Often, we go somewhere interesting and want to shoot, shoot, shoot so we can share with the folks back home. (if you don’t have a picture, then it may as well not have happened)
On our last holiday, my wonderful girlfriend wisely instructed me to put the camera down and live in the now. At first, I was like “but i want to CAPTURE this beautiful moment for LATER!” Her response was something like “but i want to SHARE this beautiful moment with you NOW”. You know what? She was right…
Another awesome post Joey.
I was wondering whether youth are interested in actually printing out images. I know scrap booking is big in the USA. Do you see this trend coming to China or will it all be online? How popular are cameras like Fuji Instax? or sticky picks, which have become so popular in Japan?