Photograhers tend to be serious about their art, especially professional ones. The one constraint is that pros are normally consumed with earning a living that they seem to always be focused on producing quality images. When you shoot events for a living, it's hard to conceptualize taking time that could be used productively to play around.
I consider myself fortunate in that photography is a passion of mine but is not my breadwinner. If next month I decide not to take any clients and just focus on shooting sunsets, I have that freedom. Moreover, I also have the freedom to use whatever income I get from clients to buy toys that may or may not be useful in the long run. Not a luxury that I would have if this were my main source of income.
I am serious about photography. However, I don't think that that means that I can't play around. I think that's where some of the most innovative techniques come from. Who knows? Maybe I might stumble onto something that's genius while enjoying my time out shooting...just for fun.