Photography: A Gateway Hobby in China

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.

1. Photography has sustainable cultures and communities, both online and offline.

Photography has a way of transcending style, geekery, hipsterdom, career and casual. Its role and use among each of its different types of users creates many separate cultures and communities, online and offline.

A pass through the camera groups on popular Chinese youth social networking site, Douban.com illustrates the diverse camera passions of its members. There are Lomography groups with thousands of members, Lieca groups with thousands more, groups dedicated to old-school Chinese Seagull cameras, and groups centered on the latest and greatest camera technology. Each group acts as a hub for camera and general photography discussion, lined with the connotations and individual make-up of each type of camera user.

2. Photography is more than a simple “point and click”.

Though digital cameras, multi-functional camera phones, and instant photo sharing are the photography industry’s Edisonial lightbulb moment, the fact still exists that photography is more about the pleasure of interacting with photos taken through editing, manipulating, sharing, and displaying online and offline.

A photograph is a thin waif of nothingness. However what’s displayed on that nothingness is a lasting memory, a visual experience with details, colors and objects. It’s a story mixed with emotion and narrative.

Chinese youth interact with photographs by creating artistic displays, sharing with friends on Weibo or a personal blog, editing for humorous effect on Photoshop and disseminating on BBS’, and most importantly, use photography as means of exploring nuances and intricacies of other passions.

Another great example in this category is the Chinese youth led company, fanfancan. fanfancan is a photographic publishing company bringing to life your photos in physical and shareable booklets. They embody the strong emotional appeal physical photos can bring to other people.

3. Photography creates new opportunities to see beyond what’s in front of you.

We were seated on the back of a bus filled with young Chinese strangers, eager to travel to the outskirts of Shanghai for a night walking excursion. Photographs were snapped at every opportunity, bringing together complete strangers and creating new friends. The purpose of this trip was not for photographic exploration, but for making new friends and general adventuring. However, the presence of cameras created an initial icebreaker for shy individuals.

The brilliance of photography is that those interested create opportunities and excuses to take photos. Night journey’s in a Shanghai water town, architectural tours of an old Chinese city, strolling streets to find hip Chinese fashionistas, cataloguing minute RC Hobby parts to share in online forums; these are all passion areas enhanced by photography. This leads back to the main point at hand: photography is a gateway, a lens through which these other passions and interests are magnified, stored, and shared.

Photography is a common bond that users all over the world adhere to. Each photographer seeks to capture their own unique glimpse of the world. In China, the lens zooms further forward.