I'm also 17 (as of November).
I started out doing video work and short films when I was 11 or so. Just bought my first DSLR at the end of last summer. I primarily bought it for filmmaking, as that's what a lot of people are using these days, but I figured I'd try my hand at photography since I had the camera. I actually really enjoy it, and it's something I can do any time I want, where as filmmaking takes a lot of planning and depending on other people.
I'm really excited about this coming year. I'm planning on doing a 365 project/challenge. I've heard a lot of good things about it and that it'll really improve your photography skills, so I'm pretty pumped to get started!