Driven by Passion

I used to take a lot of pride in my job title. It was effective shorthand for demonstrating to myself and other people what I had accomplished. Going out on my own and establishing a freelance business involved taking a risk. Expanding my business is even more frightening. But it always revolves around the same question: How brave am I? Am I prepared to risk failure? And, perhaps even more important, what will other people think?

I am filled with admiration for people who are so driven by passion that they stop at nothing to achieve results.

Charlie Hamilton James has been photographing kingfishers for over 20 years. He skipped school to photograph them. He’s prepared to spend motionless days in a hide or a pit in the ground in order to try and obtain the perfect shot. And his obsession has paid off. The photographs in his book, Kingfisher – Tales from the Halcyon River, are absolutely fantastic.

Wildlife photographer Greg du Toit was determined to capture the perfect photograph of lions drinking. And he was successful. But in order to achieve his goal, he had to submerge himself for 3 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 3 months in a watering hole teaming with mosquitoes and parasites. He contracted malaria, bilharzia and several other parasites and had to be hospitalized. Doctors were shocked by his test results, which were the worst they had ever recorded. He is now fully recovered, and his photographs will appear in the March 2010 issue of the BBC Wildlife Magazine. “It was worth it 100 per cent and I would do it all again, worms and all,” says Du Toit.

What drives you, and how far are you prepared to go to follow your passion?