A young single dad is encouraging others not to give up on their dreams after his lockdown street photography project landed him a gig snapping UB40.

Freelance photographer Taylor Williams, from Walderslade, was just 17 when the mother of his son, Kye, two, tragically passed away.

The former Greenacre Academy pupil went from A-level student to single dad overnight and was forced to place his ambition of becoming a pro lensman on ice.

Instead, the young dad worked in what he describes as several dead-end jobs to make ends meet for his infant son.

However, during lockdown Taylor renewed his interest in shutter speeds and came up with the idea to start taking free portraits of people out in Rochester High Street to gain some exposure.

But with no portfolio or training to speak of, the amateur snapper had to deal with his fair share of rejection.

Now 20, Taylor said: "It was really nerve-racking to go up to all these different types of people.

Faces of Rochester Project

"It was literally just a hobby, I just went to the high street and asked to take photos of people because I was really new to this."

He explained: "I thought if I did this it will help me build my confidence. It made me feel comfortable talking to a lot of people."

The young dad would transfer the images to the people he captured on camera for free, hand them a business card and ask in return that they tag him on social media.

But it was not until Taylor published a collection of images from sessions spent on the cobbles which were shared on a local Medway Facebook group that his talents were fully recognised.

"It has really blown up over the last few months," he said.

"I’ve recently had my work gain a lot of traction and have between 15,000-30,000 views per post on Facebook."

As a result Taylor has been inundated with requests for people wanting to pay for snaps of their products, business, weddings and even their pets.

His eye-catching photography has even caught the eye of Royal Mail, Superdry and NEFT vodka, which he produced a shoot for in the town.

It has even landed him a gig taking photos for the upcoming Rochester Castle Concerts.

From next month, the photographer has been tasked with live streaming reggae legends UB40 – just three months after the amateur started to commercialise his own work.

Taylor has also been approved a licence to operate a commercial drone which he uses to take aerial shots over the town.

But the cameraman says he is staying grounded and is still learning the tricks of the trade which he got to grips with through watching hours of YouTube tutorials.

Monetising his work has also been a learning curve.

"I didn't understand the self-employed stuff," he adds. "I didn't realise how you can make money out of this."

With this in mind he says the tips offered by established photographers with regards to pricing work and selling your services have been indispensable.

The visual storyteller is also in the process of setting up a local Medway photographers' group with friend and colleague Allysha Walker so he and others can share advice.

But the young dad admits the path he has blazed would not have been possible if not for the support of his family.

He said: "My mum has been the biggest supporter throughout my whole life and then with my son as well.

"I would not be able to do anything like this without her."

Despite the new-found popularity of his work, Taylor still takes to the high street every week to offer people portraits free of charge.

He uses a point of view camera during his walks around Rochester to film his various encounters.

By doing this, he says he hopes to show people not only his successes but the many rejections he has had to face along the way.

With this in mind the young photographer's advice for others is not to lose faith.

He added: "I just want other parents or young adults to know, even though times are tough, if you put your mind to it and keep doing what you love you can achieve your dream."

Read more: All the latest news from Medway