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Persistance

Since a young age I knew I wanted to make photography my job.

I started shooting at the age 9. I saved up all my money ($100) and bought a APS-C Pentax film camera. I started to get more and more involved in photography.

In early 2007, when I was 12, my father bought a digital point and shoot camera. This was a godsend. It allowed me to take endless amounts of images. This is around the time my dream of becoming a writer was being replaced with a photographer. By my birthday in late 2007, I was using my father’s camera more than him and my brother combined, so my parents bought me my own.

Over the next few years, it had become my serious hobby. I already knew that I wanted photography to be my occupation and had already realised that wouldn’t be an easy feat.

Though I am largely self-taught, I started to study photography at high school with my father’s old 35mm SLR.

My little point and shoot was starting to limit my creativity, so I again saved up all my money again (this time it was $1307), and bought my own digital SLR and lenses for Xmas 2009. At this point, I am only 15 yet I was already set on becoming a professional travel photographer. Don’t get me wrong,  I researched other life options too, but it had always been what I really wanted to do.

Over the next five years, I honed my craft, learning so much of YouTube and shooting endlessly.

I then went on to study media and photography at university. I was starting to get paid for my work and people were starting to notice. I studied full-time and had one part-time photography contract and one full time day job.  I saved up all my money (are you seeing a trend yet?), this time $4500, and upgraded all of my equipment to a professional level.

In late 2015 I graduated with flying colours. I moved to Brisbane and became a no-one again. After 6 months of nothing, I worked my balls off in a warehouse, saved up all my money for one last time and bought the remainder of my “essential” equipment. 

I quit that job xmas 2016 and am comfortably living off my craft doing freelance.

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