THIS striking image of a Ranger armoured vehicle was taken by Universal Engineering employee Justin Glynn who is making a move into professional photography.

He’s not giving up the day job just yet though, but working for the Weymouth company means he is in a privileged position to get behind the scenes with his camera.

The photograph is an example of off camera flash and how Justin has been experimenting with different lighting techniques to create dramatic shots.

The image, and one of Portland amateur boxer James McGiven, was taken as part of a project towards a diploma in professional photography.

The pictures were also considered good enough to make the pages of Digital Photo Magazine.

After gaining his diploma with flying colours from the Institute of Professional Photography in Somerset, Justin has set up a photographic business and is taking portraits in his spare time.

His move into photography has a lot to do with Justin reassessing his life after the death of his sister Karina, who was struck down with cancer as a teenager. Karina died in 2003 aged 17.

Justin, 29, said: “That was a very difficult time and it took me years to accept it.

“It did help me, however, to look at things in my life and it has pushed me forward.”

Justin, of Newstead Road, Weymouth, is married to Kathryn and they have two sons, Charlie, eight, and Jack, three.

He said: “Photography is always something I wanted to do but I never got round to it.

“I bought Kathryn a camera but she was so busy with things at the time and I started messing around with it.

“I became interested in different techniques through sites on the internet and started experimenting.”

Justin, who works as a machinist at Universal, said the Ranger photograph came out exactly as he had imagined it.

He said: “I put the camera on a tripod at a fixed focal length and walked round the vehicle with a flash to light up every part of it. I then merged the pictures in the Photoshop application. I’m delighted with the final image.”

Justin is now studying for an advanced diploma and wants to take pictures of emergency services’ personnel for a community project.

People who would like to take part can contact Justin through his website: glynnphotographic. co.uk