Is Wildlife Photography… a Cool Hobby Now?

There’s been a shift.

Back in the day—let’s say early 2000s—I was single, in my mid twenties, and already obsessed with the wild. But trust me, wildlife photography wasn’t doing me any favors on the dating scene. You tell someone you spent your weekend crawling in the forest to photograph a moose at dawn, and the vibe was less mysterious adventurer and more weirdo with too much gear.

Fast forward to today.

I’ve seen a few of those dating advice lists floating around. “Hobbies Women Secretly Find Attractive in Men.” You know the usual suspects—woodworking, cooking, playing guitar. But increasingly, I’ve noticed something else creeping onto those lists: Photography. And sometimes, even specifically wildlife photography.

Apparently, heading into the bush with a camera now signals something different: patience, passion, an appreciation for nature. A quiet intensity. It’s no longer “the guy who spends his weekend alone in a hide with a thermos.” It’s “the guy who tracks lions barefoot through the mopane trees at sunrise.” Somewhere along the line, it got rebranded. Probably Instagram had a lot to do with it (and DSLRs, iPhones)

And look, I’m not here to brag. I’m married now. The dating world is behind me. But let’s just say… the optics have changed.

If 25-year-old me could time-travel into today’s world, I know exactly what I’d do.

I’d be on a hot date. Dim lighting. Good wine. It’s getting late, She leans in.
And I’d say:

“Listen gorgeous, I won’t be around the next couple of weeks. I’m flying back to Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. On foot, tracking lions through the bush, hoping to catch a hunt on camera. No vehicle. Just me, the guide, and a rifle—maybe. That’s how I like to live. On the edge. Fully alive… Maybe I’d call you when I get back. If I get back alive.”

And you know what?, I think that would work today, maybe a little less John Wayne vibe, that was just because it sounded so cool in my head. But, I think I might’ve actually been considered cool. Maybe even a little hot by today’s standards.

But I already got the best—and hottest—wife, so I win either way. 😎