From
This is Leicestershire in the UK. The picture is one of Negus' photos.
Brian Negus would be the first to admit that he has picked an unlikely hobby in photography.
But although the registered blind amateur snapper cannot see much of what he is shooting, he has still managed to take an amazing collection of pictures of Leicestershire and beyond.
The 62-year-old, from Loughborough, has set up the UK's first forum for photographers with sight problems, through the Flickr website.
He is now hoping more visually impaired people will choose to get behind their lenses and start taking shots of the world around them.
The retired Loughborough University professor has hereditary optic atrophy, which means he can see shapes but not the details within them.
Brian said: "I can see why people would think photography is not a hobby for a blind person, but the way I think of it is that everyone should do the most with the ability they have.
"I use hyper ocular spectacles with a 12 times magnification when taking the pictures and a computer program that magnifies the images many times on my PC screen.
"I have to admit, though, that there is a lot of trial and error. If I go out I could take 200 shots and most of them will be pretty awful. About 5% will turn out to be not too bad and, with a bit of Photoshop, you can turn them into great images.
"I do a lot of landscape shots because I can't really pick up movement. I would be the world's worst sports photographer.
"I did try to take some pictures at Leicester's Caribbean carnival recently because that had a lot of movement. It worked out okay.
"After a lot of practice you – excuse the term – develop an eye for it."
Brian was a keen photographer until he reached his 20s, when his condition got worse.
"It was only in about 2000 that I started taking pictures again," said Brian.
"With the advent of digital cameras, you can snap away."
Brian is chairman of Vista, the Leicester charity that supports blind people.
He hopes the pictures he has put on Flickr will help raise money for the organisation.
He said: "If people want to use my images, I ask that they make a contribution to Vista. I don't insist on it but every little helps.''
"I hope what I have done will show people that being visually impaired is not necessarily a barrier to enjoying photography.
"When you take a really great picture, you do get enormous enjoyment out of it."
Don Tansey, of Leicester and Leicestershire Photographic Society, said: "We don't have any blind or visually impaired members, which is a shame.
"I suppose it's because people think they can't do it if they can't see properly but I'm glad someone is proving otherwise.
"The technology is there these days so there is no reason why visually impaired people cannot take spectacular pictures."
From This is Leicestershire in the UK. The picture is one of Negus' photos.
