Arial photography, sky diving, and banner tow jobs are not technical flying jobs. It's simple VFR type flying and most regional are not going to consider that valuable flight time. The airline industry is very technical and structured. You IFR skills must be sharp and you must have the ability to commit 300 page manuals to memory. Not necessarily verbatim, but a good understanding of company policies, regulations, aircraft systems/limitations, and SOP's.
The other jobs are mundane and require very little technical ability IMHO.

I didn't want to instruct at first either, but I decided if I want to make to the airline industry I was going to have to obtain my CFI. And when I did and started instructing I actually loved it and miss till this day. I found it rewarding to watch my students obtain their certificates and ratings as they were a reflection of my teachings. I still keep in touch with a lot of them today who are also working for various regional airlines.