A renewed passion…

15 years in wind energy development with a “not too bad” track record, so what made former Director of Natural Power, Ted Leeming, give it all up?

“I fell back in love with photography!” is the simple answer he gives. “Being a freelance photographer in London for three years when much younger was a tough life and I had almost no experience and little money. “I lost all my enthusiasm for both London and photography at the same time which is when I headed back to Cornwall and started working as a volunteer for EcoGen, in 1991. They were a fantastic company and I stayed with them for five years, before moving to Scotland to join Stuart Hall and help set up Natural Power.”

The company has since consented over 1,200MW of wind energy for clients and retains a 100% track record on projects it has developed. It also now has construction and operation and maintenance divisions and has recently moved into Canada. So why leave when it appears the company was doing so well?

“The company is doing extremely well and is a great place to be, but I felt it was taking over my life and after 15 years I needed a break. I agreed to take a 12-month sabbatical and set off for the Scottish Highlands in my camper van to climb hills and see if I still enjoyed taking photos. This time it was on my own terms, taking pictures of landscapes, which is my love, and learning the art of digital photography. In January 2005 I got fed up with the Scottish winter and decided to see how far south I would have to head to find a place I could wear a tee shirt and shorts in winter. I ended up in the Moroccan Sahara for two months before returning home for the spring.

“As the sabbatical neared its end I had a big decision to make. I still loved my job but I was also enjoying my photography once again. At the last minute I decided that it was either time to settle back into life in the fast lane or make a career change. I guess the latter won! And so far I’m loving it.”

Ted now specialises in photographing renewable energy projects and developing his landscape portfolio. Main areas include photography for Environmental Statements and finished project commissions. He is setting up a web based image library of stock photos for the industry and is also getting an increasing number of requests for fine art prints for clients, staff presents and people who want a photo of a project they have worked on.

Ted’s work can be seen at www.tedleeming.com.