My first photographs were taken in New York about 5 years ago on a borrowed Canon IXUS with a mucky lens, using APX film. Although they are a bit ropey and poor quality images, when I got the prints back I was quite chuffed with them. So my love of photography was born essentially out of luck, because New York is such a stunning place that even I, with zero experience, could take at least one or two pictures that go some way to capturing the magic of the place.

Maybe if I had taken the camera to a Hull away trip instead I would never have picked it up again, but as it was, I held on to it for a while and managed to get some more photographs, mostly of North America. Funnily enough the standard rapidly dropped, and confirmed my belief that it was New York, and not me, which had done a half decent job.

After a barren period without a camera, and when I was settled back in London, plucked up the courage and bought a Canon EOS 300 (Rebel in the states). Suddenly I had an SLR and I didn't even know how to put the film in.

Initial results were pretty poor. I lost a bit of confidence in it, and the cost of developing film was getting a bit much, even though I was only really taking pics now and again. I didn't really see my self mucking about with developing, because I wasn't doing enough, and maybe I was beating my head against the wall anyway. So It wasn't long before I picked up a Konica KD-400, and splashed out on a then top dollar 128 meg card, figuring that I would be able to take as much as I wanted, hopefully improve a bit, and also be able to have it with me all the time, without wasting a fortune developing film.

Having it on me all the time meant I was always taking photos, and built up quite a mass, most of which are more records of events in my life that anything photographically noteworthy, but never the less I started getting the wind in my sales and having the confidence to go for decent photos.

Frankly, at the time, that Konica was the best toy I'd ever had.

Woe was me, therefore, when it got nicked in Barcellona from my girlfriends bag, leaving me with the SLR and no travel insurance.

It's funny, when we got back I developed the film and maybe due to my new experience having taken a lot more photos, or maybe due to luck and good lighting, I rather liked the pics I got back from the SLR, and that was that, I was hooked. I was making it my mission to save up for a new Konica when Canon announced the 300D, and at that point I really had my sights set on one. Figured I could save up for one by maybe Feb/March, and then as Christmas drew nearer they brought out the 20D. As soon as I found out about it, I knew I couldn't settle for less, so I hatched a plan to get one from the states with the dollar the way it was.

Roll forward to Christmas and bang there it was. All wrapped up. Happy Christmas Paul.

Thank you Anjali, when people get presents sometimes they say 'Oh, you shouldn't have', and I suppose they don't really mean it, well you shouldn't have. Really.

So there it is. Now I have one of the best digital cameras other people's money can buy. Of course now that I have film and digital SLRs and they are both Canon I am on a road to ruin, as the lens' fit both. In addition, I still fully intend to replace the Konica so I can once again have a camera on me all the time.

However you look at it, I guess I'm running out of excuses now.