A photographer from Loughborough, who is registered blind, is encouraging others not to let sight loss stand in the way of their passion.
Dr Brian Negus, 66, wants to let people with sight loss know that if they really want to do something, then they will probably be able to do it.
"I like to challenge the perception that people who suffer with sight loss can't do certain things,'' he said.
"Some people don't have confidence in themselves and they need to stop assuming that they can't do things."
Brian is chairman of charity Vista, which helps to provide support to people with sight loss.
"We aim to reduce the impact sight loss can have on lives."
The charity, which helps more than 6,000 residents in Leicestershire and Rutland, works alongside health services, to promote eye health and reduce the risk of sight loss.
"We also provide a befriending service, where we introduce people who have their full sight to people who don't. This allows people to do the things that they've always wanted to do.
"We even have one woman who has lost her sight, who now goes gliding with her friend, it's great."
Brian has raised more than £500 for the charity by selling his photos.
"I have never actively tried to sell my photos, it has been entirely accidental,'' he said.
Buyers found his photos on the online photo management site, Flickr, where Brian keeps a record of his snaps.
Brian was aged 10 when a teacher discovered he was having trouble with his sight. "It's like looking through a very low-resolution lens," he said.
While at university, studying maths, Brian had difficult seeing the board during lectures, so he learned by using one of his friend's notes.
But improvements in technology during the past 20 years have made it easier for Brian to pursue his hobby.
In 2000, when LCD cameras became affordable, Brian's love for photography blossomed.
He said: "I was incredibly lucky because technology ramped as my vision declined."
Brian is now a member of Shepshed and District Camera Club, which has encouraged him to become a more confident photographer.
"I have just started taking photos in black and white, which I'm really enjoying. But I would never have started doing this without support from the camera club."
The club invites anybody to come along, regardless of the quality of their photography.
"As long as you have a passion for taking photos, that's all that matters,'' said Brian.
Brian hopes he is proving that, with initial guidance and determination, people who have sight loss can still do the things they want to do.
"I want people to know that they can achieve an awful lot that they might feel is impossible to do."
For more on Vista visit:
www.vistablind.org.uk
To get involved with Shepshed and District Camera Club visit:
www.shepshedcameraclub.co.uk
To see more of Brian's photography, visit:
www.flickr.com/photos/ briannegus
