I was out taking pictures on what must have been the coldest night of the year when I came across this woman sleeping rough outside a church just a few metres away from The Minster.

The contrast between the cathedral's floodlit grandeur and her forlorn, comfortless existence was moving.

While I was trying to capture the beauty of the city with my camera, and at a time of year when most people are enjoying festive indulgence with their loved ones, this woman's appearance was a stark reminder that we should take none of it for granted.

I hope one day to take photographs for a living and this experience taught me that as a photographer, and more importantly a human being, it would be irresponsible to produce idealised pictures of beauty while ignoring the troubles and misfortune that are all around me.

If people are to see the world through my images, I have a duty to show it as it truly is.

Updated: 14:01 Tuesday, January 03, 2006