A life of Photos

In class when we talked about photo journalism and got to hear from the Japanese man about his experiences in Cambodia and in Japan with self mutilation, I found it very interesting that he did not have previous background with photography whatsoever. I think its great that he found something he liked so passionately that he wanted to pursue it and learn it as he went along, by making mistakes or toying with equipment, like how he has been trying to teach himself Flash.
I found that, because of his genuine interest in the things that he photographs, it seemed as though you were right along with him learning about that subject, because in the photos they were also his first experience, and the fact that he caught those with a camera is pretty amazing.
The downside I feel, is that you can get caught up in it so much, that it becomes not just your work, but your life. And the things you do, or the stories you capture can affect your life so dramatically that it can turn into a story you thought you wanted to do for a year, but then 5 years later you find yourself so much further into it. I remember him saying something about, going to do something, then realizing you get stuck down a certain road for a while without even realizing it. It is also a little scary to think how much what you are doing can impact other people (the people who you do stories on, or the audience) but thats what I find so amazing about Photo Journalism.