I started dabbling with a camera in my early-teens but my interest in photography declined as life’s priorities began to change when I entered my later teens. Fast forward to 1988 - my interest in photography resurfaced and I purchased my first ‘serious’ camera which was a Practika SLR film camera. I joined WPS in 1989 and quite quickly upgraded to a Canon EOS N1 Pro with a range of Canon’s EOS lenses. After a couple of years, in late 2002, I made the move into digital photography but still remained loyal to Canon - and have done so until very recently. However, I’ve just sold most of my Canon lenses as my kit had become just too heavy to carry around during a day’s photography. To further my interest in Club photography and a wish ‘to put something back’ into our hobby, I signed-up for an MCPF Judging course at Smethwick PS in 2006 and became a qualified Photographic Circuit Judge working in and around our Region. I did this for just over ten years so I definitely know how it feels to be on both sides of the fence in club competitions. Life moved on and several years later I achieved my Royal Photographic Society Licentiateship (LRPS) qualification followed a few years later by an Associateship (ARPS) qualification. At the moment, I belong to the WPS Qualifications Group and I have started working towards a Fellowship (FRPS), but it is proving a very, very steep mountain to climb. Working towards, and obtaining, a recognised photographic qualification is something I would recommend to any WPS member because you learn so much about photography and the process provides such positive goals to aspire to. I really am glad I put the effort in to achieving both my ‘L’ and ‘A’ so far, but an ‘F’ is an extremely difficult level to achieve - there less than 600 photographers in the whole world who have achieved FRPS status! Occasionally, I am asked what my favourite photographic genre is, but the truth is that I will photograph just about anything that interests me. At the moment it is Street Photography and I have recently bought a light-weight mirrorless Olympus Pen f digital camera with a 17mm f1.8 prime lens, this being a highly recommended combination for modern Street Photography, so I will see how I get on with it. So, that is me. I’ve have been a member of WPS for over thirty-five years now - can someone please explain to me where all that time has gone? But, be assured, I’m looking forward to the next thirty-five though ...