Thinking back to how I got into Photography, I realise that I actually started when I was a child.

 

I think what first got me into it was the attraction of these little 35mm cameras which looked like monsters, both me and my Brother collected them. They had a viewfinder where by you pulled up two grids, wound the camera on and pressed the shutter. There wasn't much to them, which probably explained why most of my photos were out of focus, as there was no way to focus!

 

At least half of them ended up with the dreaded finger in shot, like this beauty here:

 

Horse in Field, Wales - Richard, Aged 6

  

As I got older, I moved onto using a Kodak Disc FIlm camera that my Mother gave me. Incase you don't know what that is, it's a now defunct disc shaped film inside a cartridge that Kodak developed back when I was born in 1982. It resulted in very slim cameras, but didn't prove popular because of a smaller negative, which had unacceptable grain and poor final prints.

 

Devon Summer Camp - Richard, Aged 12

Poor quality print and nasty grain

 

I then used a 35mm point and shoot for a good few years until Digital cameras started to become affordable. It wasn't though until I got to University that I really began to take Photography seriously as it made up some of the modules as part of my degree.

 

It was here at University that I used an SLR for the first time, as well as learning about composition, how to read a photograph and studying work by successful Photographers. The other huge benefit was that we had access to a darkroom where you could develop prints, pretty much when you wanted, mostly for free. I don't think I appreciated at the time how much I'd actually miss that after graduating. I was quick to buy my own 35mm SLR, rather than relying on using the loaners we could hire out.

 

University Degree Project - Richard, Aged 22

  

King Monkey, Bali - Richard, Aged 23

  

After graduating I sent a couple of years out in Canada.

The scenery out there lends itself very well to Photography and I then picked up my first Digital SLR, with the constraints of film and paying for developing gone, I really began to start taking lots of photos and haven't stopped since.

 

Chris Caller, Whistler Mountain - Richard, Aged 25

  

Aside from taking photos, I now live back in London where I work in the film industry, which is what I had always wanted to do, however while it may sound glamorous, the reality is that really it isn't!

 

I've worked for companies including Framestore, 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers.