Learning about something you are passionate about is the best life, especially if you get to do it for a living too.

As a child, I was brought up in the Exclusive Brethren (a closed Christian sect.) When I became an adult, a combination of self-preservation and my independent streak forced me to leave them, and with them, the only way of life I had ever known. The hardest part was leaving all my friends to start from scratch rebuilding my life. Daunting… but as Maria says in The Sound of Music, “When a door closes… somewhere, a window opens.” This happened to me in the most amazing way.

One day on my way to the office (thinking there must be more to life than this) I went into a newsagents. A magazine advertising career and job opportunities caught my eye. One of the adverts told me that in order to escape the office and be trained in an exciting new career, all I needed was a driving licence and a car, but it failed to mention exactly what sort of training they were offering.

In an ideal world, I would have chosen to go to Art College when I left school, but I needed a regular income and settled for working in an office, nine to five. Although an interview had been arranged, I still had no idea what type of career training I had applied for. Eventually, at the interview I learnt that I would be trained as a photographer. It was a tailor made gift from God… Beyond my dreams! Not only would I be able to express my creativity, with hard work, I would become self-sufficient doing a job I love.

Working as a professional photographer is very competitive and there was no evidence that I would make a success of it. Because of this my parents and others, all advised against my giving up a good job (meaning steady and boring) to do something they thought too risky. It was a leap of faith, but I knew I had found my niche.

At the interview I met Ray Engel, my new mentor. He not only gave me my Leica (the camera I still use) but invaluable training and faith in myself. Ray was a great friend and inspiration to me: I wonder what my story would have been without his influence and kindness.

Some years later I took a year out at Pimlico Arts and Media to brush up my black and white technique. I had great teachers there. Learning about something you are passionate about is the best life, especially if you get to do it for a living too.