Do you view indulging your photographic hobby as selfish?

railwayman3

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MartinCrabtree said:
60 years old soon and single.no kids. Closet with many cameras,fly rods,guns and a garage with many motorcycles. I must be selfish by nature.
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Not at all selfish, it's your life and good that you enjoy it as you wish, rather than being tied down to the conventional family, 2.4 children, massive mortgage, and generally keeping-up-with-the-Joneses !
 

railwayman3

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Obviously the constraints and chores of everyday life need to be dealt with. But what's the point of all that if you can't sometimes switch-off and enjoy time doing what you want to do for a while, whether it be photography, stamp-collecting, train-spotting, or whatever you choose. At the very least, you will, hopefully, come back to work and essential duties relaxed and mentally refreshed.
 

Jesper

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Taking pictures and spending time making prints make me a happier person which in turn, means that I'm less restless and stressed out to have around. My wife is a painter so we share a common interest in making pictures and we understand the need to do it.

Spending time on a hobby, photography or other, isn't necessarily selfish but can be considered a kind of medication (people with a hobby actually live longer than those withou and are overall healthier). If time and resopurces permit I would strongly recommend it. There is no point in redecorating your house just because you do it together when both of you rather would spend time on your respective hobbies.
 

guangong

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I suppose it all comes down to individuals. My wife and I decided that the opportunity for our daughter to attend a very demanding private school was a better way to spend our money than a roomy dwelling with nice furniture. We also spent big bucks on musical instruments: violin and piano for daughter, cello for wife, pedal harp for me. Art supplies of all kinds for daughter and I. Wife never bates an I when I acquire an expensive foreign language dictionary. One thing we have never had an argument about is how to spend money. Plus a little give and take. My wife tolerated subscriptions to the opera for 35 years ( finally stopped going with dominance of Eurotrash and decline of casts). Has pushed me to buy some cameras. I made her buy a much better cello bow.
Much depends on choice of mate and priorities. Keep in mind there is only one trip through life.
 

BrianShaw

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“Much depends on choice of mate and priorities. Keep in mind there is only one trip through life.”

AMEN! We made similar life choices, including living on a lower income so my wife could personally raise our children. As a result photography and other hobbies often get lower priority so I do them when I can. No guilt; no regrets. Whenever I take some time to devote to hobbies I coordinate with the family to ensure no guilt or regrets. As do they with their individual interests. They understand and respect my needs and desires as I understand respect theirs. We are a team... no significant amount of conflict and no known guilt or regrets.
 

RalphLambrecht

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put on your oxygen mask before you help others.
 

Arbitrarium

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One benefit of developing your film in your kitchen sink is that it forces you to do the washing up first. In that way the hobby actually assists in the chores
 

Wallendo

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Photography only becomes "selfish" if you buy cameras instead of diapers, film instead of food, and miss important family events to develop prints. As long as you take care of your moral, ethical, and legal obligations - however you define them - no time or effort applied to photography is selfish.

I wish I had more time to photograph, and hope to have a darkroom running soon. I try, as much as I can, to integrate photography into family events and vacations; but occasionally struggle to find time to develop and scan my images.
 
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Mainecoonmaniac

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I'm lucky that I have a tolerant wife. On my day off, I was making cyanotypes and I set up a tray siphon in her bathroom because it was at a convenient location in the house. I flooded the floor and she came home tired. I cleaned up the mess so she could use the bathroom. She never got angry. My point is not to let my hobbies impact loved ones lives. I think if you're an artist or have a hobby, you gotta have family that will tolerate inconveniences.
 
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Mainecoonmaniac

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Anon Ymous

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I don't spend much money in photography, nor time, so it's basically a non issue. My wife helps develop film, what else could I ask for?
 

Peltigera

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I have hobbies - Bestbeloved has hobbies. If my photographic hobby was a problem so would Bestbeloved's painting and birding be.
 

David Brown

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For mine, substitute Manhattan for four years, and a flat file the size of a minivan that had to go to the 3rd floor, and we have the same story. We're very lucky men.
 

mshchem

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David Brown said:
For mine, substitute Manhattan for four years, and a flat file the size of a minivan that had to go to the 3rd floor, and we have the same story. We're very lucky men.
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Kathy grew up in Valhalla, near Armonk. When we got married, I met her Dad's brothers, 3 guys all over 6 feet, Bronx born and bred. I got the feeling if I screwed up, I would get a visit from "A Guy", and end up on a garbage barge.
 

TheRook

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If you need more time for your photography hobby, then spend less time watching tv. I spend no more than one hour a week in front of the television set, the rest of my free time is spent with hobbies. (I don't consider watching tv a real hobby!)
 

jvo

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TheRook said:
If you need more time for your photography hobby, then spend less time watching tv. I spend no more than one hour a week in front of the television set, the rest of my free time is spent with hobbies. (I don't consider watching tv a real hobby!)
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6 years ago we cut the cord, no cable, no tv - gained hours!

i was retired for 6 months and in the darkroom for hours... 2 1/2 yrs ago grandkids moved in. i did some shooting and a little darkroom work until 3 months ago. we're now adopting the kids and we've settled into the new normal which includes time with them AND now twice weekly darkroom stints.

the "famous/well known" photographers have the talent and time to devote to developing their art. they often do so with a single focus, manically, at the expense of other things, family etc. - think eugene smith. some people can do it for periods. yeh, i don't have enough time like most folks, but i'm never gonna be famous because i'm not focused enough, selfish enough, or talented enough and enjoy to many other things.

i accept "what is" with no regrets and have fun.

p.s. without doubt, get rid of the tv - the music and books are much better!
 

mark

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yep, and that is fine. It is called me time. I work 2 jobs and often 7 days a week. I also come home and cook most dinners for the wife and kids. I do these things because I love them and clearly they come first. But when I get a chance I will take the opportunity to take photos.
 

Berkeley Mike

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mshchem said:
I married an artist, she lived in Philadelphia for 16 years, single and unafraid. When a 10 foot sink shows up in the driveway, she's unfazed
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It cannot be said any simpler. Not everyone has that capacity; see the sink as opportunity and future.
 
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Mainecoonmaniac

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TheRook said:
If you need more time for your photography hobby, then spend less time watching tv. I spend no more than one hour a week in front of the television set, the rest of my free time is spent with hobbies. (I don't consider watching tv a real hobby!)
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Yep. TV is a time waster. It's on usually on an hour a day in the evening watching PBS News Hour. Sometimes the TV isn't on all day and I get my news on the radio. Meals have to get cooked, laundry folded and the house has to get cleaned somehow.
 

Andrew O'Neill

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Yes, TV can be a time killer. I try to only watch CBC news, and a couple of shows...British dramas, and hockey. In the darkroom, the radio is blaring.
 

mooseontheloose

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I think this is all about perspective. Does it matter if you are single or married with or without kids? You make time for your hobby when you can, and if you can't, you can't. However, as John mentioned, for some people it is important to have some kind of creative outlet available to keep yourself sane. Taking time out for yourself is not selfish - you need to take care of yourself too. But the reality for most of us is family, friends, and work all take up a large percentage of our time. I'm single and have no kids, but that doesn't mean I have a lot of time for photography either. I work full-time and have to do everything else for myself (no spouse to help with chores and errands). It's been a couple months since I picked up a camera that wasn't my phone. It's been even longer since I've been in a darkroom (last summer?). I'm late to the postcard exchange because if I did spend time in the darkroom, it would take time away from grading (although, to be honest, so does being here and/or watching YouTube), and I guess that would make me feel selfish, but school is almost done for the year, so I'll be free to feed my creative side and get back into the groove again in the week or two.
 

wyofilm

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Don't entertainers say, "Always leave 'em wanting more."? If I had all the time in the world for photography it might lose a lot of its appeal. As it is trying pyrocat HD, printing contact sheets for all those rolls I've developed, more Pt/Pd printing, etc, serve as rewards for when I handle the important things in life first. So compromises are made. I spend more money on developer than I should (DD-X) because it is convenient, for example.
 
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