just looked at one of those m42 adapters on ebay, got a few m42 lenses from my zenit 11 and pentax s1a, So I might aswel invest in one!
As for places to study photography, try Blackburn College, they offer a fantastic National Diploma in photography. It's a 2 year course, you learn the basics, (not just digital, but silver based photography too) and you will get set live assignments! I took the course 04-06, (Prior to that I studied at rawtenstall,) The course really boosted my skill and confidence. Since then I've gone onto my foundation degree at Blackburn, (I'm on my second of 3 years) And I'm working as a photographer to pay for it
I don't think being a "jobbing" photographer takes the fun out of it. You've just got to think like, "This is time for work, and this is time for play" the shots you take when your on a commission have to be exactly how the client wants them. But your artistic talent and unique style should still be somewhere in there! And the work you do for yourself is what you do to satisfy those artistic urges
either way Whatever i'm shooting I'm very happy. And I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else as a career.
As for the money, it's not crazy amounts of cash that I do the job for.
Showing people the way I see the world is far more important!
Weddings, should never be scarier than photographing anything else. I've done a couple of them now, and even though I knew that I had "Only one chance" to get the shots right and to the clients liking. I worked in the same way I would shooting anything else. If you let everything get to you then your just going to mess up something simple or miss an important shot. Or the end results may lack the "character" that your personal work has.
Coolness and confidence and a little bit of cheekiness is the way forwards!