But sports photography isn’t something you just pick up overnight. You can’t do it once a year for fun and expect to do a good job. And I take pride in what I do.

Carey stresses that sports photography is a craft requiring sustained practice rather than occasional dabbling. The quote pushes back against the idea that enthusiasm alone substitutes for technical mastery—timing, anticipation, equipment knowledge, and the ability to work under pressure. By ending with “I take pride in what I do,” he frames professionalism as an ethical stance: respecting the subject and audience by doing the work well. More broadly, it reflects a workmanlike view of creative labor—competence is earned through repetition and commitment, and pride comes from meeting a demanding standard rather than merely participating.