(18 Mar 2015, 10:53 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I'm similar.For me it's not totally being self conscious it is just me thinking that I could be doing something that normal people would do such as watch football, go out with people I know, anything normal people would do rather than taking out a camera and take photos of something most people just think of something to get them from A-B.
I'm always a bit hesitant at taking my camera out of my coat pocket, for some reason I feel the minute I lift it to my eyes - the whole place stops and everyone has their eyes fixed on me.
I've never had any bother about it at school, which I consider myself lucky. However, I do feel guilty about this. I've never quite been able to understand why me (someone with an ''odd'' hobby) is never really given any hassle. I can only put it down to the fact that people love my dry sense of humour, and the fact that it comes in really useful (which bus goes where, how much it will be, what time it comes, etc.) is an added perk.
The thing that makes me feel a little self-conscious is the idea that when I'm not present, people could be talking about it calling weird, etc., and I'm oblivious to it.
I don't know what it is, but I do sometimes just wonder why I bother.
Yet, that said, I suppose it's just my way of coping with the harshness of the world. Some people love going to football matches to watch 22 men chase each other around a field after a ball (that's put it into perspective for you!!) yet I enjoy going to various places, with no real aim, to sample different types of buses, etc., I do sometimes feel a bit odd myself.
Also, I'm a very miserable person at times. If my day is going terrible, I tend to be a bit rude to people, and I usually have the same problem each time one of those days come about.
But, at the end of the day, it's my hobby. I enjoy doing it, and it's nobody else's. If they have a problem with it - they can go and watch 22 men kick a ball around a field (then take their shirts off following that).
But this is who I am.
I don't have grief from anyone I know as very few people know that I actually do this although I am slightly worried about my friends finding out as this hobby isn't exactly normal although I would hope my friends would not make a deal of it if they found out, couldn't care less really if people I know but I hate find out though. Thinking of excuses for if Arriva do any MAX/Sapphire launches in Durham, I will probably just say I am interested in photography - in fairness that is true, I am just neglecting to tell them what I normally take photos of.