I just posted this on Facebook and wanted to add a bit of 'depth' to the picture and maybe pass on an idea or two.

I suppose the whole idea behind making a picture is getting people to think about what they are seeing; that can mean many things to many people, from a shot of someone dying of starvation in Africa to clown holding a bunch of balloons, most images are there to hold your attention and at least ask yourself a question.

That is where holiday pictures often fall down, three or four great shots of where you have been may make someone think 'wow, that looks like a great place to go' where as 150 of some place you have never seen normally makes you think 'please end this now!'

So back to the Dalek needing the loo, did it make you look for a few moments? Did you smile? Did you ask yourself any questions? I'm hoping for a 'yesy' to at least two of those questions, especially the one about smiling. The shot wasn't staged or planned, I just spotted it and let the image speak for itself really, Dalek needing the loo, what more can you say?

So sometimes it's worth looking around or trying a different angle, a great photographer by the name of Ansel Adams once said  'Once you find the shot you want to take, turn around because the view behind you is probably better.' Mr Adams I totally agree.

Regrets, I've had a few.....

Honestly, a few maybe but that's it and I never dwell on them.

Until yesterday that is! Listening to a Podcast while driving to work I heard an interview with a sports photographer who was working in South Africa at the World Cup (it was an old Podcast!). He was telling stories of the excitment in his job, shooting 2000+ images every game, editing and sending the images to his editor at the same time, 400mm F2.8 lenses and suddenly I felt jealous and a deep sense of regret.

Roll back a few years, 1986 I think, and picture a young 16 year old wearing a new suit off to take an elimination exam in Cardiff of all places. The ultimate reward was enrolment at Sheffield University taking a Photojournalism Course, the ONLY course Fleet Street recognised. The train journey, nervous lunch at Burger King and finally a two hour exam.

The result? Well, I'm writing this aren't I so I don't need to tell you. I managed to find a positive from it all, 12,000 applications for only 26 places, I never really stood a chance and maybe I could have spent more time reading the papers and watching the news leading up to it but the killer question for me was, 'Explain the rules of Basketball to an alien from another planet,' really? Are you serious? What got me was my sport knowledge was good, not perfect (obviously) but I could have done the same for football, rugby, tennis, badminton, F1, MotoGP, snooker, american football, table tennis, athletics etc. the list goes on and on. One sport I had never played or even watched, bloody basketball (and I have never done either since).

So whats my regret? Why the hell didn't I push harder, ask more questions? Why did I give it up there and then? Should my parents have pushed me harder? That's an easy one, yes, but they had their own issues to deal with but I should have done it myself. Youth, wasted on the young!

Instead of shooting top flight football, rugby internationals and cricket tests I got a job in a camera shop, smiling at customers, telling them why they should spend all their hard earned cash on the latest gear and taking in Mrs Jone's holiday films for processing. Bugger.

So there I was 25 years later driving my faithful Landy thinking 'What if?' It hit me hard, harder then anything like that has ever done before but then something had to one day I suppose.

Of course if I had known about Basketball and passed that exam (and passed the other two that followed) and been successful on the course and managed to get a job on a national paper (lots of points to fail there I think!), I wouldn't be here now. I wouldn't have the done the jobs I have done, or met the people I have met or most importantly become a father to my two children. I can hear you all cringe but the parents among you will agree I'm sure.

I don't regret the life I've had or the choices I've made, but it would have been a good life as a sports photographer.