Sight loss photographer honours his garden shed

Norman Taylor has captured more than 1,000 images of his garden shed

A photographer with sight loss is opening an exhibition of images featuring only his garden shed.

Norman Taylor, of Gatehouse-of-Fleet, has a collection of more than 1,000 images of the simple wooden structure.

A selection of 40 of them are going on display at the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland's headquarters in Edinburgh for more than a month.

The Belfast-born photographer said he had been "absolutely absorbed" by capturing his "lovely old shed".

The 66-year-old began to lose his sight five years ago due to optic atrophy.

Good sighted people generally look at the potential picture as a whole and miss out on some of the interesting shapes, colours, and textures including light and shade Norman Taylor In pictures: Garden shed exhibition

A keen amateur photographer, he feared he might have to give up until a friend introduced him to digital photography.

Now his work is going on display from 4 December until mid-January at the RNIB office on Edinburgh's Hillside Crescent.

Mr Taylor said he had found great variety in what might at first appear a very straightforward subject.

"Light and dark, shapes and colours, shades and textures, atmosphere, feelings and moods - these are some of the experiences I have tried to capture in photographing the shed," he said.

"The weather and all the seasons have played a large part of this project.

"I have spent a wonderful two years absolutely absorbed photographing my lovely old shed and discovering some hidden gems."

Mr Taylor lived and worked in Belfast all his life until he retired with his partner to live in Dumfries and Galloway in 2001.

His passion for photography started when he was just 14 but he thought it might have to end with his vision problems.

Two operations

"It was a very depressing blow when my eyesight started to deteriorate," he said.

"After two cataract operations, I was registered partially sighted.

"I was certain my photography days were over."

Instead, he was able to use modern technology to allow him to continue to pursue his passion.

He said he believed that in some ways his sight loss may even have improved his work as a photographer.

"Good sighted people generally look at the potential picture as a whole and miss out on some of the interesting shapes, colours, and textures including light and shade," he said.

"Looking closer also brings in feelings, atmosphere, moods, sometimes even smell."