Regrets, I've had a few!

Photography has always been a hobby for me. I have had a camera of some description since I was about 13 years old and I was forever taking snap shots of friends and family during my teenage years. However, I never learnt to develop or print my images and would always send the film away to the lab. Regret number 1!

When I was 16 a friend of mine showed an interest in photography and with her savings had bought a second hand SLR camera and within a year was at college studying photography. She tried to get me to enroll on the same course and I laughed at the thought of it as I had no intention of going to college. Regret number 2!

Jump forward 10 years and my photography has not progressed or improved in any way, whilst my friend had went on to do a Masters Degree in photography and a degree in Medical Illustration. She was now working in a busy hospital as a photographer. She offered to sell me her old SLR camera to learn on and I said no as I had just bought a digital point and shoot camera and didn't want the burden of an SLR. Regret number 3!

Jump forward 6 years and I now have a digital SLR and for some reason the photography bug has bitten me big time. I am shooting all the time and I am doing portraits for family, friends and work colleagues on a regular basis and I enjoy the positive feedback that they give me. But, whilst my friend is doing well working as a photographer in a busy hospital and doing weddings at the weekend, I am still an amateur photographer who has limited skills in photography due to not learning the craft properly. Regret number 4!

So, I have decided to start taking my photography a lot more seriously and by the time I am 36, 20 years after watching my friend start her photographic journey, I want to be earning both an income of some sort as a photographer and the respect of fellow photographers. I have four years to go and I am determined to succeed. In January 2008 I am taking up a new job as a photographic assistant/student and I am starting a distance learning course doing a City and Guilds that will see me qualify with an NVQ level 3 in Photography. This course, along with the work experience over the following few months will give me invaluable skills in photography and the business of photography. No more regrets???!