How do you go about balancing the demands of daily life with the creative desire to make progress as a photographer. How do you do this when it seems that photography is reserved for some weekends and holidays? How do you keep from getting frustrated at the lack of time and opportunities? How do you maintain your enthusiasm for photography?
This blog is my ongoing story of how I deal with these all too common questions.
Hello my name is Andrew Heath. I have a 9 to 5 job that pays the bills. A family that creates those bills. (They bring me a lot of happiness and encourage me in my creative endeavours too).
Photographic genres that I enjoy include landscapes, macro and abstract to name a few. Genres I don’t enjoy include street and portrait, but are works in progress. I shoot with digital and analog cameras, of which I have a growing collection. I have recently started developing my own films at home.
I hope you’ll join me in my adventures!
arhphotographic 
Hi Andrew, to answer a few of your questions –
1. I try to have a photowalk every weekend, also some days during lunch breaks, though the closely available photographic subject matter isn’t greatly inspiring. All of this is of course weather dependent!
2. Actually, as much as I love photography, I wouldn’t want to do it for hours on end, every day. I would like more opportunities than I have, but because they are limited I think I try to make the most of them, and not take them for granted.
3. Same as 2, just try to make the most of those opportunities I do have. My family are also understanding and appreciate that I need/like time out wandering with a camera weekly or more!
4. Maintaining enthusiasm isn’t hard really. I think some time back I realised that photography is a vehicle for deeper needs – escape (usually into the countryside), walking, exploring, creating, finding things I find beautiful, sharing things I find beautiful with others who might otherwise overlook them…
Plus I love using cameras and lenses, preferably ones that are not too cutting edge and complex. My three main cameras are Pentax DLSRs from around 2005/6, my film SLRs are from the early 70s – mid 80s. My oldest lens is a late 50s Auto-Takumar and the newest a maybe 10 year old Pentax DA 35/2.4. But the next newest is mid 80s.
Even with the DSLRs, I still have that sense of wonder and magic over the raw ability of cameras to capture images.
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I couldn’t put it better. Managing our expectations!
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