Is it spending thousands on the latest quality equipment in the hope someone will, at some point commission you to do some work?

Or maybe its the years spent honing your craft to the highest standard so you can offer your client a quality product.

Nope. According to the jobsworths at the London Eye all you need to be a pro snapper in the capital is a tripod reports Amateur Photographer .

The London Eye, funded by public relations disaster area British Airways have decided that going into Jessops and spending £20.00 on a four foot piece of gray plastic now puts you on a par with Don McCullin and David Bailey.

And consequently you must pay to take photographs of their Millenium Wheel.

The statement comes after a security guard threatened to forcibly (and illegally) take the camera of a pensioner who had the temerity to take a photograph of the UK’s most popular tourist attraction.

London Eye spokeszombie Jen Brown said: ‘There are people who say they are amateurs, who are not… People who tend to use tripods tend to be doing something of a semi-professional or professional nature.

The chances are you won’t be stopped if you are not using a tripod and you’ve got a small handheld digital compact that fits in the palm of your hand.’