I began to work as a contributor (Wikipedia, Commons and Wikivoyage at first, now Wiktionary) as I realized that the number of active contributors was not so high after all and that help was needed.
As I like to learn foreign languages and to travel, I chose to focus on uploading images and illustrating articles in several languages. I am now mostly active on the Chinese-English Wiktionary.
I like maps, I sometimes use Quantum GIS to create new ones.
Many files are uploaded, most of them are not actively linked to articles, there is a missing link between photographers and editors. It is even more so for quality/featured images: the community of active photographers/editors/voters on this particular section seems like a closed world to me, since many promoted pictures are not used elsewhere. Valued images are underrated.
I try to make sure that my files are needed and I edit the corresponding articles, as I think that Commons is not only a document database but should serve the purpose of illustrating Wikipedia.
This user has been on Wikimedia Commons for 11 years, 10 months and 28 days