Tonight I was reminded of this shot of the Shields ferry sailing across the River Tyne. It was taken circa December 2006 when I was back home and visiting from Scarborough (where I had been working for a few months).

An inheritance had allowed me to buy my first decent Nikon digital camera and I was still getting used to it.

As I recall I was having a wander in my home town and the sun had set.

Also I also got some shots of an impressive ship leaving the river from a small pier known locally as The Groyne. There was a structure at the end of the pier on legs and it was a good opportunity to get a shot of the ship framed by the legs.

Unfortunately there were a couple of what I can only describe as dickhead amateurs who, because I had a long lens on the camera, rightly assumed I was a pro and decided to spoil my shot by standing in front of me while nicking my picture.

I mean I have worked in loads of press packs over the years and there is always mutual respect and cooperation among the fellow snappers so I was mystified why they took that approach.

Needless to say I still got the shot despite their best efforts.

So my advice to any aspiring amateur photographer is not to be a “dick” as, if you work alongside professional photographers and treat them with respect, they might actually impart some of their wisdom which has been acquired over many years.