A FREELANCE photographer has swapped his camera for a delivery van after the Covid pandemic saw a big dent in his company's income.

Sean Dillow, from Worting, said the Covid lockdown was "like a perfect storm", providing work in the form of news coverage, but drying up his PR and marketing assignments.

"I noticed a marked reduction in assignments with my regular clients who were all being deeply affected by the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns," he told The Gazette.

"It was like a perfect storm, as my main business of supplying images and film is to the sectors that have been hardest hit. The leisure sectors, theatres, restaurants, pubs, basically anything that involves social interaction, are all the areas that have had to close for extended periods due to the coronavirus."

He decided to keep his company, The Big Cheese Photography, going at the onset of the pandemic, whilst taking shifts at Ocado in Andover last October to provide extra income and help provide food for vulnerable people.

"I needed an alternative income to ensure that I could continue contributing to putting food on the table, Ocado was the obvious choice as it was expanding it's home delivery service. I also felt that if I delivered food to the vulnerable, elderly and shielding I would be doing a positive service during these unprecedented times," Sean continued.

"I was very impressed with the whole setup at Ocado, the initial training and driver instruction was comprehensive, but never pressurised and the managers are always available to give advice.

"It is also reassuring that Ocado carry out daily temperature checks, fresh masks are provided for each shift and they offer COVID19 tests to drivers on a regular basis to ensure that we're all safe to deliver to the customers."