I fell in love with photography when I got my first camera (about 7 years ago) for Christmas. A Polaroid PDC-640. As the name suggests it was a digital camera with a whopping 640x480 resolution.
Before then I had occasionally taken photos with one of my sisters old film camera's. I never really got into it before then because of the cost, the lengthy time it took to get pictures back, and etc.
My digital camera on the other hand provided cheap and virtually instant gratification. With the aid of the LCD there was never any doubt in my mind if I had missed a shot or not. A quick connection with the computer and my initial observations were confirmed, I was the best photographer in the world.
To this day it still surprises me how many of my shots turned out quite well, even though I had never read a thing about photography. Who needs the blueprints to the wheel when you can take countless pictures and reinvent it on your own.
*Holds up his oblong wheel with pride*
Today I shoot with a much better 5MP point & shoot camera. Aging as it may be, I hope to keep it around for a while longer. At least until I can afford an entry level DSLR.
I decided to go with 5-10 years. I'm very much aware that I still have a
lot to learn though. But I intend to enjoy every minute of it.