Kate Middleton 'plans to ditch family business for photography'

London, Aug 23 (ANI): Kate Middleton is planning to ditch her family's Internet party supplies company for a career in photography, according to reports.

It is being reported that in January Prince William's girlfriend will head to New York for two weeks to work with photographer Annie Leibovitz's muse Count Nikolai von Bismarck.

Annie, 59, is teaching Nikolai her art, and now, the 21-year-old will pass it on to Kate, 27, reports The Daily Mail.

A friend of Kate said she had 'loved' working at her parents' firm, Party Pieces, but is now looking for change.

"Kate wants to make her favourite hobby, photography, her full-time career," says the friend.

"She would like to be taken more seriously. She loved implementing new sections of the website to improve Party Pieces. But she needs a new challenge - she wants to do more with her photography than take pictures of children in party hats," the pal added. (ANI)