I don't get the "reggie-spotter" thing either. When I used to work in sport aviation, it wasn't unusual for spotters to try and be the first person to spot a new kitplane as soon as it was registered - when said aircraft was currently three rivets and a bit of bent tin in somebody's garage. Some people need to get out more, and the same reggie spotters can often be an almighty safety hazard around things like fly-ins and busy smaller airstrips.
However, I'm another person who both loves aviation and photography - my personal aircraft photo library is a few thousand good images, and I spend my life around aeroplanes, which has opened up a few pretty good opportunities over the years.
Plus images of aeroplanes I'm either privately or professionally involved with have, over the years, often been quite useful - photographers are generally very happy to provide a good quality copy in response to a polite email, and I've yet to see any harm done.
G