I first got into photography when I was around 12 years old. My dad bought a canon DSLR and an online course.

He intended to complete it himself but I quickly progressed through the course at a speed greater then him. I started taking photos of the animals and landscapes around the local crown land.

A lot of my favourite and award images were taken in this time slot. One of my better known images of the Colo Vale waterfall was taken with that first DSLR. This image won the ‘Shoot Your Shire Council Photography competition’, that was run a few years ago. I have since entered photos in many online competitions, with some success. In March this year, one of my photos was featured on the Canon Australia Facebook page. I have also been featured numerous times on Coastal watch, and I won a commendation in the Australian Photography awards. My favourite subject is the ocean. I have spent a lot of time around the ocean, admiring and surfing waves. For about two to three years I took photos of surfers, waves, the waters surface and different beaches. I got some mixed results.

I then discovered Warren Keelans’ photography. His photos were amazing. I got in touch with Warren and found out about Aquatech waterproof housings.

I saved up for a year and bought one. I now take photos under water and inside waves. The case and camera weigh about five kilograms so swimming around in big surf is not a walk in the park.

The first time I took the housing out all my photos turned out terrible. I was persistent and tried different techniques. Now about 1/3 of the photos I take I am happy with. Having this case means I can show people the ocean from my perspective. That’s what I love the most about photography. Not everyone gets to look into the barrelling section of a wave.

People’s reaction to the shape, size and power of waves is always that of surprise. It creates interest in the pictures I take through a wide audience. I am now studying photography at Wollongong University and selling the odd canvas print of my work to support myself!

There are many ways to turn a passion for photography into a way of making a living. Most people hang some form of art in their house, personalised art is always more attractive. That may be a photo of your family, baby photos or sporting photos. Don’t forget that newspapers like this one rely on photos to enhance the impact of their stories!