TWO dodgem cars stand idle and abandoned at Shipley Glen; a former textile mill exposed as a cavernous empty space; and a roofless factory lies open to the elements, its skeletal beams reflected in the rainwater below.

The striking images were captured by Simon Sugden - affectionately known as ‘Suggy’ - a self-taught photographer from Shipley, specialising in atmospheric architectural photographs.

His pictures of buildings as the public don’t see them, are dramatic, stark and eerie. Boarded up and broken windows in a disused mill, a shaft of sunlight through a battered door, vast rooms that once echoed to the noise of weaving looms, long deserted.

Born in Ilkley, Simon has been interested in photography, since, as a young boy, his my mum bought him his first camera. “For as long as I can remember, I have always loved taking pictures,” he says.

The former South Craven School pupil trained a chef, a career he enjoys. His first job was at the Michelin-starred Box Tree restaurant in Ilkley where he stayed for three years, subsequently moving to other eateries in Bradford and Leeds.

Yet throughout, he retained an interest in photography. Seven years ago, he put that interest on a more serious footing.

“A mate was selling a camera, a 500D Canon,” he says, “I bought it from him in a pub for £200. At the time I was out of work and wanted to do something positive. I got up at silly o’clock in the morning and went around Bradford taking pictures of old mills.”

He posted a selection of images on social media and received a positive response. “It was encouraging to get compliments from family and friends - some asked for prints,” he says.

Producing prints led to him selling them at the alternative market in Shipley’s Kirkgate Centre.

The images were inspired by his love of architecture and historic buildings. “I have photographed almost every mill in Bradford. I became friends with a man who looked after Drummond Mill and was able to go in before it burned down.”

He would like to photograph the Grade ll-listed Conditioning House in Canal Road. “It is a fantastic building, but there are safety issues,” he says.

Simon, whose day job is chef at The Hop Saltaire, had a lucky break one day, while walking past Sunbridge Wells as the Victorian tunnel development was in its infancy. “I was walking past with my camera gear and a man asked what I was doing. We got chatting and it was Graham Hall, from the developers overseeing the project.

“He invited me in so I have documented it from the start - I have got some fantastic images.”

He is also collaborating with Bradford-based freelance photographer Phil Jackson, to document the city’s Odeon cinema. “He has been very helpful,” says Simon, who has also had his images set to music at Prefix Studios in Bradford. He is very grateful to the ProAm printing service in Bradford and to Lewis Hackett for all his help with software and editing processes.

Simon loves walking around Bradford, capturing scenes. “Over the years it has taught me a lot about composition and lighting,” he says.

He’s an advocate of ‘urbexing’ - exploring the unseen areas of man-made structures, usually long-abandoned. “I generally go with someone else, as it can be dangerous, you have to take care and respect the building.”

High Royds former psychiatric hospital in Menston and the Victorian textile hub Dalton Mills in Keighley have been documented by him in this way.

“There is so much amazing architecture around Bradford,” he says.

He has also captured images of Terry’s former chocolate factory in York and Church Fenton former RAF base.

Simon won a competition held at the National Science and Media Museum, focussing on capturing light. “I entered a shot taken at Crossley Evans scrapyard in Shipley - it had just started to rain when I took it. I and cried when I heard I had won. My mates were shouting ‘Go on Suggy, lad!’

I won a print by the photographer Tony Ray-Jones and a book about him, which was great as his work inspired me.”

Simon became friends with the runner-up Ian Bale. “He has also helped push me and given me guidance.”

A further source of inspiration was the photographer and photojournalist Weegee - the pseudonym of Arthur Fellig - known for his stark black and white street photography of New York.

He also won the ‘Heart of Bradford Waterways’ category for the Leeds-based Waterways Festival with an image of the top weir at Saltaire.

A few months ago Simon was given access to the very top of Bradford’s City Hall clock tower to see the cityscape from that unique angle. Some of his images of the city were used in the bid for the Great Exhibition of The North.

The Bradford Review has featured Simon’s work and his photographs have been shown at the ARTBound Creative Collaborators exhibition in Bradford.

Simon has photography to thank not only for providing him with a fascinating new career, but also for helping him to meet his partner Elizabeth, who recently gave birth to a baby girl, Jenny.

“We met on Facebook, chatting about photography,” he says. “We then met in person - our first date was at Drummond’s Mill.”

He hopes to be able devote all his time to photography. “I would love to work freelance as a photographer,” he says.

For more information visit notjusthockney.info/sugden-simon; Facebook: Suggy’s photography; @suggyspics