I grew up in front of the lens of a camera. My uncle, who is a fabulously talented photographer, would use my sister and I as test subjects when he began all those years ago. He always said I was his cheapest model, I charged a meagre piece of bubblegum for my talents hahaha! My parents are so lucky, because they have hundreds of photos of my sister and I as children. A catalogue of our youth, so to speak.
My uncle has over 30 years of experience. He has an eye that sees something magical in every shot he takes. He has worked tirelessly to carve a name for himself, in what is an extremely competitive industry. I like to think that some of his genius has been passed down into my DNA. Which brings me to my point. I love to take photographs and I appear to have inherited a keen eye, however I am an amateur. I am not nearly qualified to call myself a photographer, and yet I see so many people doing just that.
We live in a digital age, yes, but owning a digital SLR camera does not make one a professional photographer. It takes years of experience, studying and self education to get to the level that my uncle is at. It concerns me that some people are advertising themselves as "photographers" and charging consumers for what can only be described as appalling photos. 
I love my camera and I use it for personal use. I love that I have all my photos in a digital format, however I truly love and miss flicking through physical photographs. My uncle and aunt gave me the most gorgeous photo albums when Molly was born and ever since I have been compiling a folder of photos to have printed and fill the albums with. As my uncle catalogued my youth on film, I have done so for Molly in digital. I am grateful for my wonderful genes and inheriting the photo bug, but I would never presume to be the photographer my uncle is. He's photographed some amazing faces, including the Dalai Lama, but the photos I love most are the black and whites of me and my sister in the park when I was about 5 and the one of my aunt Mikki (his baby sister) in my grandmothers jacket.
I just wish these faux-tographers would leave the photography to the professionals like my uncle. People like him are few and far between. He truly is an artist.
I can't wait to fill my albums :)
