I got started when I saved my money to buy a Polaroid 600SE when I was 13. I just wanted my own camera to play with, as my Dad wouldn't let me use his Olympus OM-1n. It sparked an interest to get something that would give me better quality pictures, and by the time High School rolled around, I joined the yearbook and bought my first SLR- Ricoh KR5-Super II. It was a great beginner film SLR- manual everything, simple center weighted metering and it took the Pentax K mount. It helped teach me about exposure and composition and depth of field, and the good shots I took got me that much more excited about taking more pictures. I started reading photography books, experimented with different films (B&W, Slides), and by the time College rolled around I wanted to take every class I could that was remotely related to Photography (My H.S. did not offer anything). By the Spring Semester of my freshman year, a full service photo store opened up in my neighborhood. Naturally I was there almost everyday and soon enough I had a job there! That really helped because not only did it expose me to many more aspects of photography, because I had to help others by selling the equipment, making recommendations, processing their film, ect- I learned that much more. And the best part? Cost on equipment! I replaced my Ricoh with a Nikon FM2T, and started building my Nikkor collection. The store had built a local Pro following which was even better because it allowed me to make contacts and actually start apprenticing for local Pros. I learned alot from them too.

I ended up working at that store through college and for 5 years, eventually becoming an assistant manager there before moving on to bigger better things. But I'd say it really was a turning point for me- if there's a way you can either take formal classes especially in the darkroom, and possibly get a job relating like I did, you will discover what you really want to do with Photography. I don't consider myself a professional, even though I've been paid for shoots. I'm skilled, but at this point in my life (married with a kid), I'm starting from scratch again, rebuilding and remembering after not having Photography be the focus of my life in the last 5 years.

If you really enjoy photography then do what you can to expose yourself to all aspects of it. You'll find yourself shooting more and before you know it you're already a serious hobbyist and on the way to being a pro.