>>4030944I was interested in cameras from a young age. As a 7-12 yo kid in the late 90s/early 2000s, whenever my mom took me to the store, I'd hang out in the electronics section the entire time looking at cameras and reading every scrap of information on every box, testing whatever display models they had.
My first camera around age 10 was actually a USB microscope that had a resolution around 480p, and my first digital camera was some 800x600 vivitar for my 12th or 13th birthday. I also got a hand me down 35mm point and shoot style film camera that I used briefly, but half the reason I was interested in photography was how it dovetailed with my love of computers, the ability to instantly download pictures and edit them.
My first proper bridge camera was a kodak easyshare z1015is that I got for my 16th or 17th birthday, and I kept using it (though after 2015 I mostly just carried a smartphone) until I was 29 when I got a M50. I've had the M50 for about 6 months now and have gotten about 5k shots per month, but only around 50 have been decent enough to share and only maybe 5 are legitimately good.
Careerwise I work in IT and specifically cybersecurity. I make good enough money. I'd rather have photography be a hobby because the best way to kill a hobby is to do it as a job. Never do what you love for a living.
