Former newspaper journalist Ian Yates has scooped his first ever entry into the annual Westside BID calendar following a visit to his favourite canal-side setting.
Ian, who worked as a page planner on the former Daily News and Metro News titles in Birmingham, is now enjoying life as a freelance photographer, having also been a primary school teacher.
He has now boosted his photography with a new flash gun for his camera with the £100 he received for being entered into this year’s BID calendar for the month of June.
Ian, aged 69, from West Heath, Birmingham, took his winning picture of the canal last year, with a jogger running along the towpath as a boat passes by.
He said: “I have a fish eye lens on my digital camera, so decided to take photos using that. I like the effect that it gives.
“I also like the canal-side area, but hadn’t thought of submitting any of my pictures to the calendar competition until a friend of mine thought it might interest me.
“I sent about ten photos in, all of the canal, and was delighted when I was told that one of them had been accepted. I have already spent the £100 voucher on a new flash gun.”
Ian qualified as a teacher in 1976, but was always interested in newspapers and photography, so took the opportunity to join the Daily News when it launched in 1984. He later went into pre-press production, but said he was used as a photographer on occasions.
When the Metro finished in around 2000, he returned to primary school teaching until he retired in January 2022.
“I now work as a freelance photographer, and have had a few photos published in the local press, such as the Solihull News and Solihull Observer.”
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