THREE years ago, trying to raise money for a charity trek to Everest Base Camp, Ken Skehan had an idea that changed his life.

"I'd written occasional articles for magazines, so asked Amateur Photographer if they'd pay me to write about learning to use a great camera in a spectacular environment," he says.

"They liked the idea, and so did Canon, who provided a digital SLR camera, and I began to learn how to get the best from it."

Ken, who lives at Ashton Keynes, took lessons at Swindon College and with professional photographers, and visited Swindon Photographic Society (SPS).

When Ken returned from Nepal, SPS invited him to address them to talk about the trip and present some images. Afterwards a member suggested they were good enough to exhibit and sell to raise a bit more money. That's what he did, raising £1,000 in one night in December 2005.

"People buying my pictures got me completely hooked on photography.

I bought the camera Canon supplied and started photographing regularly - without any intention then of doing it professionally.

"Last year, though, an idea of mine resulted in sponsorship from Sportingbet plc to produce a photographic book illustrating fans' experiences of the world cup in Germany. Although England's abysmal performances scuppered the book's publication, the publisher and Sportingbet liked my work, so I began thinking of other ways to make money from pictures."

Ken then got a lucky break - right time right place.

He rang St James's Place Wealth Management to ask if they'd considered a pictorial record of the construction of their new headquarters, about to start in Cirencester.

They had, but their usual photographers were working for them elsewhere, so Ken offered to fill in during their absence.

Sonia Harris (operations director, St James's Place) subsequently asked him to photograph the whole development for them.

Earlier this year Ken launched Through The Lens Photography to work full time at building his own photographic business.

Last week, a panel of seven Fellows of the Royal Photographic Society assessed a portfolio of Ken's work from the world cup for the RPS distinction awards. He was successful at the highest level possible for a first timer - Associate, a level only about 3,000 photographers throughout the world have ever achieved. Out of 26 submissions Ken's was one of five approved by the panel, which sits twice yearly.

"I'm particularly pleased, because when you hear the panel deliberating it's evident how important they consider their responsibility to uphold the standards of the world's most prestigious photographic society."

For Through The Lens Photography, Ken is aiming to combine commercial work with portraiture.

"Because I write as well, I'm hoping that companies and marketing and press agencies will use me, as I can supply both words and pictures.

"I've started running in-house photography competitions for businesses. Staff and their families are invited to submit images they think would be good enough for the office walls. It's a fun way for companies to engage their employees, and people who don't enter pictures can vote for their favourite, so everyone's involved. I call it YourSpace.

"Although not entirely photographic, another service I provide that companies really value is reviewing their website, both for errors and an assessment of whether it's really doing what they want - my previous work was as a business consultant and adviser.

"Many websites have typographical or grammatical errors; others just aren't easy to use, or haven't been updated for far too long. Someone like me who has an eye for detail can spot these things quickly. My independent view and report is very inexpensive compared with what a business spends on building its site, but can make a massive difference. Consumers and other businesses often judge a company's competence on its initial image."

Besides the competitions, construction photography, world cup and website reviews, Ken has done a broad range of work so far: event photography, marketing images for stage performers, product shots for companies, illustrated articles promoting local businesses in magazines, and audio-visual discs for company intranets.

"I often think I'm where I am now by happy accident. I plan to achieve a Fellowship award from the RPS as soon as I can, using pictures I've produced in my business that people are happy to pay me for. From here on, any success won't be accidental."

'www.throughthelensphotography.

net is Ken's web address. Contact ken@throughthelens photography.net or on 01285 860069.

Ken will soon be reporting monthly in the Swindon Advertiser, with the Swindon Photographic Society's picture of the month, selected by the committee from the society's various competition winners.