PHOTOGRAPHY: I was taught photography by Simon Burt, my extremely talented husband and specialist interior photographer. Honestly, it was a bit like the 'teaching your wife to drive' scenario and neither of us would recommend it ... but the marriage survived and I've moved on to doing my things, my way - and forever grateful to have had the luxury of learning from one of the best.

FILMS: I’m self taught with film and have really benefited from the freedom that such a process of exploration has given me. I've been able to tailor my learning, to specific subjects, spending as little or as long as I like on each topic. My kind of learning.

VIDEO EDITING: I learned to edit film while working with the MoD and during a short stay at the BBC Training Centre, Malvern.

ACCREDITATION: As so many of us, I thought my ‘taa daa’ moment of graduation as a proper, grown up photographer would come from an explosive session of high praise from Ye' Ol' Highly Informed One along with some kind of recognistion or accreditation. It didn’t. It came in a way I could not have known and euphoria followed.

MY GRADUATION: My ‘taa daa!’ moment came when the National Portrait Gallery asked for one of my portraits. A portrait of an inspirational lady. The first person I had ever invited for a portrait. Alice Sommer-Herz. Alice was 107 years old on the day that I photographed her, at her home in North West London. Simply to be in her presence was truly humbling. How I managed to concentrate on ISO, shutter speeds and apertures I really don't know.

A world renowned concert Pianist and a survivor of the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, hearing Alice speak on a documentary film produced by Christopher Nupen, touched my heart and left me feeling compelled to get in touch to ask if I could have the honour of photographing her.

I was in shock when Alice kindly said yes. Very soon, I was on the train to London town, camera bag in hand. Oh my word ... she said yes! ...

Thoughts of aperture, lens choice, controlling the light, being present in the experience and not just visiting through my lens ... all ran through my head, as little old me, sat on the train. She had said yes. Oh my goodness, she had said yes!

Read about my meeting Alice here: [BLOG LINK]

ANNABEL JAYNE, IN BRIEF:

• BORN: Yes
• SCHOOL: South West Wales
• FIRST LANGUAGE: Welsh
• SECOND LANGUAGE: English
• 'PIGEON' LANGUAGE: Spanish
• 'NOT VERY GOOD AT' LANGUAGE: French
• HOMETOWN: Carmarthen, South West Wales
• MARRIED: Yes
• MET HIM: Scuba diving, 2007
• KIDS: No but that’s fine too
• PETS: Goldfish (in the past) Keith & Trevor, RIP
• LAST CITY BREAK: Copenhagen [read my BLOG here]
• LAST BOOK: The Tattoist of Autschwitz, Heather Morris 9.5/10
• FAVOURITE MEAL: All day breakfast and a Sunday roast, equally
• FAVOURITE RUGBY TEAM: ... Wales
• MOST FAVOURITE WAY TO SPEND MY PERSONAL TIME: Travel
• FAVOURITE X3 PLACES HAVE VISITED: Australia, Budapest, Majorca
• TOP OF 'PLACES TO VISIT' LIST: Japan
• HOBBIES: Hiking, camping, theatre, city breaks, exploring Cornwall, running (now and again)
• FAVOURITE THING TO DO AT AIRPORTS: People watch
• WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE OF: Read books
• WHY DON'T I READ MORE BOOKS? Because I spend too long people watching
• WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME: I have an Advanced Motorcyclist licence
• FAVOURITE IMPROMPTU MOMENT: Meeting young African kids herding their goats, miles from their village in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania