I live in Ayrshire, in the west of Scotland, happily staggering about the countryside in my wellies, in the rain, accompanied by a cute collie and two utterly gorgeous cats.

The cats, Bailey and Jeeves, are entirely responsible for me even picking up a camera. They came to live here as kittens in February 2008. I had never had cats before and was ridiculously smitten in a very short space of time. Their gracefulness and elegance was something I just couldn't get enough of. I started taking little pictures on my phone, but eventually had to go and buy myself a camera. It allows me to see my world in an entirely different way - shapes, lines, shadows and colours that can now be caught and kept, like something precious.

It is something of a revelation, I have to say. Flickr plays such a large part in that. On a day-to-day basis I see some really incredible work - art, really. It moves me, charms me, fills me with admiration and (yes, ok) envy. I have also been astonished at the level of interest and support I have received from other Fickrites - you are all so encouraging.

So here I am on a networking site, snapping away at little cats and sundry other nonsense, and not having the foggiest notion what I'm doing. And I'm loving it!