Why does one become a photographer?
Initially, I think everone has the same motivation: the desire to travel, to excape from everyday routine. Man, like most animals, has a restlessness in him, a need to set off. And then with time, you realise that you learn just as much by looking around you....

How does one become a photographer?
You need to have "an eye", and I don't think itcan be learnt. Going to a specialised school is therefore not imperative, but it is a good thing: more important than learning about technique, need to mature, to acquire knowledge and culture. At least, this is the way I feel. I am not one to pontificate. We must all find our waym and follow it.
Photography requires hard work, seriousness and solid culture. You also need extensive knowledge of your subject_such was the case with my first project about lions. A photographer must also have sound general and artistic knowledge; he must be familiar with the work of photographers before him, be a regular visitor to museums, etc..