Photography has been my hobby since I was under 10 years old. So, let’s say since 1969 or something like that. You can count the years 🙂 Can’t even remember what was my first camera but quite soon I kind of kept my father’s Nikkormat Ftn SLR in my use. I still have the camera and it’s fully functioning. Only the exposure meter needs a new battery.  As a kind of geek, I’m easy to find gear and stuff I can not live without. For this reason, I do have a lot of gear that I do not even remember to have, let alone use actively. But I do have a lot of experience trying all kinds of stuff (and making bad purchase decisions).
Studies
I have done some studies in Open College of the Arts in the UK. Unfortunately, my time has been too limited to finish my studies. Profession and work first, hobbies second. That’s just how it is. If I ever have more time, I would very much like to start again. I found the studies very very useful. My photography really improved doing my assessments. Â I always thought “Maybe later…” but realistically it is Never again (I won’t have time and you know… Brexit).
Gear
Too much to list here. I’m a Nikon user. My primary camera is a Nikon D810 + a ton of lenses, some flashguns, and other stuff. As a daily go-around camera, I have a Fuji X100F. I did have also a Micro Four Thirds system. Stupid as I am, wasting the little money I have in two separate systems. My “microsystem” was a Panasonic GF1 and an Olympus OMD EM-5 and again, a ton of lenses. Funny as it is, I kind of preferred the GF1 over the much newer and technologically superior EM-5.Â
Now I do have a Fuji X100F as my go-along camera. I carry it everywhere with me, fooling myself to consider myself a photographer. I should really actuate the shutter more often and not only carry the camera with me. Like walking the dogs, my wife keeps saying that I “walk the camera“. But someday I’ll show her – I’ll take a picture.
I only shoot RAW and post-process everything in Adobe Lightroom or/and Photoshop or Capture One.Â