"Studied" photography at art college in the '70s. This had very little value to me technically and especially businesswise. The main thing constantly repeated was that "it is very difficult to make a living in photography these days". So if you've heard that know that it goes back a long way!

As a result I didn't even attempt to work in photography on leaving college. But seven years later I was fortunate to be sitting next to a guy in a reception area and we struck up a conversation. It turned to the subject of unfulfilled ambitions and I mentioned photography. He just happened to be looking to recruit a photographer for a book publishing company! Three weeks later I was in the job.

In my first three months I learnt far more about photography than the entire two years at college had given me. The main reason for that was that my job depended upon producing high quality usable photographs whereas my place at college depended on paying the fees and turning up.

So I became a commercial photog in the 80s and worked steadily for about 5 years. Then I got into marketing and then into IT. Now I'm back in photography in a completely different world which I find exciting, involving and fun.