I'm not sure I would class myself as much more than an enthusiastic / obsessed beginner myself. I've just updated my profile with some text which is being used in an exhibition in the next few weeks and will also be used on my website when set-up.
The best bits of advice I can give are as follows.
Keep shooting: Try to find inspiring locations / subjects but always take your camera with you even if you feel uninspired.
Try everything: Cut bits out of magazines, print articles from websites, try to emulate pictures you like, join forums and ask questions. Dont be discouraged if things dont quite work first time just adjust and try again just keep using the preview screen.
Hook up: Join clubs, special interest grousp, meet with other photographers (the more experienced the better) and go shoot with them. You will learn.
Find your niche: I personally find it helpful to focus my efforts on shooting and processing in ways that ultimately help me achieve the sort of look / feel I want. Ideally I would like to specialise in contemporary commercial photography but I think I'm probably a year or so off it.
Dont compromise on equipment: Its a false economy and if you're serious you will end up replacing it sooner than you think. I always try to get the best quality I can afford but only buy what I know I need and will use. With than in mind dont rush into buying expensive lenses you will use 3 times a year, hire them instead it works out way cheaper than you think!
Nearly forgot this one.. Keep a scrabook diary and keep notes on possible photo opportunities like locations you want to shoot, local events, special occassions. That way you will never be lost for inspiration and wont keep shooting the same things LOL!
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Sean moved to the North West of England in 1995 and now lives in the heart of Lancashire near Preston.
By day Sean works as a consultant for a global “Blue Chip” IT services organisation but almost all of his spare time is devoted to his first love – Photography.
Sean was bitten by the Photography bug after a string of serious injuries in 2007 forced an extended holiday from martial arts training and competition. Since his camera’s Automatic mode was switched off early in 2008 he hasn’t looked back and has worked night and day to hone his skills.
The images Sean has produced so far are diverse and range from the traditional to the surreal and from Black & White to hand painted digital creations. Whilst his style is still emerging, he feels naturally drawn to commercial work and is inspired by photographers like Erik Almås and Dave Hill.
More of Sean’s work can be seen on Flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manteys/
Sean is also currently setting up his own website at: http://www.seanmantey.com
For more information please contact: info@seanmantey.com
Thank's for the advice,very helpful indeed!Especially about the equipment,It can get rather pricey.
Good luck with your own website too.
Will be in touch..,
Katie
No worries Katie, if you are interested in hiring try lensesforhire.co.uk or calumet (I have no interest in either save giving them my hard earned cash as well).
Great atmospheric piccie - feels like I'd like to be there myself!
Although I agree about buying the best equipment you can afford, it's tricky when it's none starter because you've got teenage kids draining all of your resources I have always believed that it's more about compostion, lighting etc than the camera, sometimes I feel so restricted by my humble compact
Wonderful photo Sean, the more I study it the more there is to see. I've copied about 50 photos from the contributers to this site into a "favourites" folder and this one stands out. I'm contemplating joining the DSLR brigade and the comments you made for Katie are most welcome.
I've been studying all the makes in the body only range of £500 - £1,000 and the Nikon D90 seems to offer the best spec. Do you think the step into video is a gimmick to be avoided? Does the D90 appear to be a suitable all rounder to you?
I'm mostly keen to shoot landscapes, some sport with my passion for downhill mountain biking, I love macro shots and would like to experiment there and of course portraits of our new baby. The vid feature would come in handy when she learns to walk !
Looking forward to your opinion if you have the time Sean.
Thanks for the comment and apologies for the delay replying (I have just returned from Florence).
The Nikon D90 does indeed look like a great camera and the Video clips i've seen are very impressive indeed. However, it really depends on what you want to use it for because a D90 with a good lens will make a very heavy video camera and its focal range will be limited to whatever lens you have on at the time. Most of the time I've used a video I've been waving it about and using its expanded zoom range (typically up to 50X) to pan in and out of scenes.
I'd be surprised if you couldn't get a Nikon D300 for about 900 now. It is a bit of a beast but if your not intimidated it is one hell of cameral. I guess what you need to consider within your budget is what else you need and want especially lenses as you can spend a lot more on them than the body. (You should also have the 450, 40 and 50D Canons in or around your price range too and they are all fine cameras.)
The best shopping site I've come across is Camera price buster (this isn't a plug) and they oft have voucher codes you can use on the linked websites. They compare all leading websites and retailers daily to show the best prices for gear.
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/
For landscapes and a DX / DC sensor camera I would recommend either the Sigma 10 -20 or Tokina 11 - 16 wide angles lenses. For portraits you have a choice of prime or zoom lenses. A prime like a 50mm f1.8 will cost less than £100 and quality will be superb. A zoom like the 17-55 f2.8 will cost around £700 and quality will be comparable. There are of course of other less expensive zoom options including the very impressive Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens. As for video cameras, you can now pick them up for anything between 50 and 1000 pounds (a good one will cost £200 upwards).
Thanks Sean for such a comprehensive reply and very helpful too! Despite what the site said your message uploaded anyway, thanks for the comments!
I've gone off the idea of video in a DSLR anyway and you've just confirmed why. I've got a slightly ageing Sony Camcorder and it still works well enough to keep hold of for a few years.
Your suggestion of a Nikon D300 is interesting and I'll give it serious consideration, thanks. The lense advice is very welcome too, I'll probably go for the prime 50mm f1.8 for the portraits, but I might be tempted to go more up-budget on a more powerful zoom. The Sigma 10-20 or Tokina 11-16 wide angle lenses sound good for landscapes from what I see of the prices.
I'm stuck a bit on the internet shopping living in Romania, the suppliers are not too favourable with the shipping so far East and the camera shops are limited here. I've seen the Sony A300 & 350 at a reasonable price here, I'll have a look for the Nikon asap.
I'll be in England to show off our new baby daughter to the family in November, maybe I'll get a trip to Jessops in, while we're there!
I have always believed that it's more about compostion, lighting etc than the camera, sometimes I feel so restricted by my humble compact 
