I've always needed a creative outlet in my life. At various times I write, paint (watercolors mostly), decorate, garden, etc. I still do all those things off and on, but photography has pretty much been the only constant. There was a time a few years ago when I wasn't using a camera very much. Lack of time had my film darkroom gathering dust. Digital cameras were becoming more popular, but I didn't like the little point and shoots, I wanted the comfort and familiarity of my larger SLR. One day during a watercolor class, one of the students mentioned he was a pro photgrapher, but was taking the class to see things in a different way. I found I was far more interested in listening to what he was doing with his camera than what I was doing with paint and brushes. That was when I realized how much I missed it. DSLRs were coming down in price, so I bought a Canon XT and haven't looked back.
