A West Lothian man battling alcohol addiction has released a striking photographic exhibition about his journey.

Patrick Keast, 47, who first picked up a camera when he enrolled in a recovery programme, launched his debut exhibition in Edinburgh after inspiring others through his work.

"I had been dropping in and out of jobs as alcohol became more and more of an issue for me," says Patrick.

"Life just got increasingly difficult and I couldn't hold down a job. I was at a loose end."

Realising that alcohol was taking over his life, Patrick sought help and was referred through the NHS to a specialist addiction, team who offered him support.

"I picked myself up and started the recovery programme and I picked up a camera on the way too," he says.

Using second hand equipment and compact bridge cameras, Patrick started documenting his journey to and from his addiction appointments.

In a photojournalism style, he focused on the people and sights that others often walk by, including those living on the streets of Edinburgh.

"Nothing is staged," says Patrick. "It's just from what I've observed."

Once his support workers had seen how good his images were, they encouraged him to take his work further, and the resulting exhibition has now made its debut in Edinburgh.

"It's the first time any of them have ever been seen, they've never been published anywhere else before now," says Patrick.

"My mum and dad are very proud of me now and couldn't be happier."

The exhibition, supported by Cyrenians Recovery Hub in Bathgate, West Lothian, is currently on display in the My Front Room Café on Salisbury Place in Edinburgh.

Officially launched last Friday, it was unveiled by award-winning filmmaker Garry Fraser, whose movie Everybody's Child won a Bafta in 2014.

The Trainspotting 2 assistant director said: "I think it's great to be part of an exhibition that highlights the importance of creating a link between creativity and recovery.

"It's a subject that's very close to my heart."

Cyrenians chief executive Ewan Aitken added: "Patrick's photos are an extraordinary insight into the journey of recovery and I can't recommend them highly enough.

"It is a brave thing he has done in putting this exhibition on.

"Hopefully it will inspire others to tell their story and increase the understanding about the reality of addiction and the need for support in recovery for the whole community, as Garry and Nick have shown."

Cyrenians Recovery Service worked with around 200 people last year on a recovery journey to move away from alcohol and drug addiction.

Their role involves supporting people like Patrick who can often be excluded from family, home, work or community.

Patrick is hopeful his work will inspire others who might be struggle to take the first step in seeking support.

"The exhibition is part of my personal journey but it is also important to get the photographs out there," he says.

"It's about having them shared and provoking some emotion. Hopefully it will light a spark in people and encourage them to seek help.

"The first step is the hardest. Your fears will tell you not to go there and not to ask for help. But they only way forward is to realise they are only irrational beliefs that are holding you back."

For more information on Cyrenians visit: http://cyrenians.scot