Aside from the fact that my buddy Scott Cole took the time to be bothered to both mention and pimp Black Dye White Noise during an interview he did with Comic Book Resources and hit the tweetdeck with it too, the interview itself is more than worth a read for all kinds of reasons - particularly if you're a photographer who's treading the same old tired and worn boards and needs a shot in the arm (and who doesn't from time to time). My eldest daughter thinks she might want to be a surf photographer when she leaves school (just a year away now - may the Gods have eternal mercy on my soul). As is totally correct when you're 15, in her head I'm sure she thinks this will involve hanging out at the beach and er, taking pictures of people surfing. For doing this, she will be paid handsomely by a surf magazine - preferably Carve - which is a great freaking mag if you've never read or want to see how a photo-based mag ought to be put together - and live in an apartment that looks like it once belonged to Rachel and Monica.

I'm totally behind her on this. Surfing is a great lifestyle to be a part of professionally and infinitely better than some dreams that she could have gotten into her head. Working with Scott as I do and also my other photo buddy, Chiaki (currently on tour with Daniel Craig and the 007 movie shooting set pieces for Warners in Japan), I know the harsh reality of being out in the field and how much you work you have to do to get the tiniest percentage accepted into the media and an even tinier percentage that you'll actually get paid for.

If I tell her any of this, it will probably either a) kill it for her or b) make her think I don't know what I'm talking about. What would a great Dad do in this situation? Wait to be asked for help? Sneak help in whenever opportunity arises? Think 'fuck it, nobody ever helped me'? Pull all the strings I can lay my hands on? Turn the TV on and crack open a beer?

The best I can probably do is introduce her to these people at some point. They don't even need to say anything - I think just being able to see them working in a safe environment will be enough and certainly of more practical use than signing up to a class at school where they say it will last an hour and by the time teacher has cocked about doing whatever it is they do to waste time, being left with only 20 minutes. I worked with a BBC cameraman once, who while studying part-time to be said cameraman, told me that if he'd known how little work they do every day, he would have signed up for a full-time course and still been able to hold down a job.

I guess everything will work itself out. It always does.

The other one wants to be a vet, but she's only eleven. My hands are tied on that one...