When I was little I could think of many interesting things I wanted to do in life: F16 pilot, firefighter, astronaut, … .
But in the end I decided to settle on a life as a computer programmer. I was attracted by all those exciting combinations you can make with just a 1 and 0. The craftsmanship it takes to create a computer programme, the beauty of the code, the simplicity of just 2 digits and yet so much potential power, like poetry.
So I went and did a degree in IT and I genuinely enjoyed it too. But it was not to be. By the time I graduated I had changed my mind. The thought of a desk job until retirement did not appeal and along came plan B: photography.
I did a degree in Photography as well (I collect degrees. It’s like a stamp collection, but more expensive) and ended up working as a press photographer for the Derby Evening Telegraph for eight years.
But after eight years of photographing pretty much everything that happened in Derby and Derbyshire I was ready for a change and a new challenge. My collection of degrees had been left abandoned in the corner for too long. I felt the time had come for the hat-trick.
Not wanting to waste the previous two, and because I had begun to miss the beauty of code (seriously), I looked for something that could combine the two. And I found it in web design. So if all goes well I will have that third degree in June 2009. And no, I have no intention to turn this into a desk job until I retire. They have laptops and wireless networks now, so if I get tired of sitting at my desk, I can move into the garden.
So there you have it, that’s me: Joke de WINTER, web designer and photographer. If you would like to work with me on a project or make an enquiry on web design or photography (other subjects are fine too, but I am rubbish at football) you can contact me via the contact page.