PEOPLE in Bolton have found themselves in the frame in a new exhibition — entitled Under the Influence.

Photographer Paul Cheeseman is showcasing his pictures of the town and its people at the Bill Naughton Information Centre in the Market Place.

Paul, originally from Bromley Cross but now living in Little Lever, regards himself as a "street photographer" and wanders the town and "waits for things to happen".

The exhibition includes photos of people and places and aspects of daily life from all across Bolton — described as "quirky, yet authentic and often very funny".

Paul said: "I’m trying to record something memorable catching the instant when people are laughing or surprised or having fun."

He says that deciding when to release the shutter is based on instinct.

"Sometimes you catch nothing, but once in a while there’s a special moment captured forever."

All the photos in the exhibition were taken in Bolton over the past five years.

Paul said his style has been influenced by renowned local photographer Geoff Davies but also by Humphrey Spender, the celebrated lensman who took 850 photos of Bolton in 1938 as part of the Mass Observation project.

Paul said: "Spender was a front runner of documentary photography and Geoff Davies was brilliant and was lucky enough to be working in the 1970s and 80s — when everything was changing.

"I just keep my eyes open and try to take whatever opportunity presents itself."

Under the Influence is on show until May 31.

The Bill Naughton Information Centre, run by local arts organisation Live from Worktown, features a short film and life story of Bill Naughton’s upbringing in Daubhill, shots of the making of his film Spring and Port Wine in Bolton and a fascinating display of what life was like in town in 1938.