When Steve Evans gave up being a catering manager to study his first love, photography, little did he know that recognition and success were just around the corner.

Just for fun he entered some of his course work in a self-portrait competition organised by the National Portrait Gallery and Channel 4. The next thing he knew his photo was one of 90 selected from 5,000 entries to be featured in the Self Portrait UK exhibition which toured art galleries all over the UK.

Steve's black and white photograph was described as unique and very humorous by the competition's judges, who included the director of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

"The photo shows me in bed throwing chocolates in the air. I'm diabetic and not allowed chocolates - this is what I get up to when everyone's out of the house!" explained Steve.

"It's a picture I took as part of my university course work for the self identity and branding module. I love humour in photography, and it took lots of attempts to get the picture right. When I finished there were chocolates everywhere!"

Steve has always loved photography and prior to coming to university was a catering manager with British Aerospace.

"The job was very stressful, and when I reached 50 I fancied a change of career. My wife, Sue, suggested I enrol on a course at the university and do something that's always interested me. I immediately thought of the photographic art course.

"I always wanted to do a degree but no-one went to university when I left school - there were so many jobs, you just left and started work."