Two-and-a-half years ago photographer Tamell Simons walked away from a stable career to venture out on his own. At the time, some questioned his move while others secretly envied his move to freedom.

Over that short time, Mr. Simons has built up a thriving business and established himself as a unique recorder of history.

He has had an exhibition of his work sponsored by the PLP and soon he will release a book documenting the historic change in Government.

This month, AT HOME WITH ... talks to Tamell Simons to gain an insight into the man behind the lens.

Walking away from it all It was around 1993 when Tamell Simons began to seriously consider walking away from the `rat race'.

"I was always looking for an alternative way of living and a way of life,'' he recalled.

And during the ensui n g years, the photographer said he plotted and planned for his new life and the challenge that would face him.

"Obviously you want to be prepared, you want to have solid plans and you want to do some research into the area that you want to go in because you still have to make a living,'' he explained. "It's almost like bungee jumping, you can get up there and think about it too long and not do it or you can do it and just let the chips fall where they may and hopefully you were prepared enough.

"Which was the case with me, I think I was prepared enough.'' When he finally decided to walk away from the media world, the former Royal Gazette photographer admitted that he did have moments of doubt.

"I think behind every choice that an individual makes there are only two things -- fear and love -- that ultimately are the catalyst for any decision that we make. So fear, yes of course there was fear involved -- the unknown is always fearful.'' And inevitably, as with any new endeavour, there were stumbling blocks along the way.

"Stumbling blocks and learning points to me are one in the same,'' he said.

"There were learning experiences and I now know certain things and hopefully it only worked out for the better.'' But he insists that his decision to walk away from the hectic 9-to-5 life was one he would never regret.

"In my mind the pros far outweigh the cons,'' he said. "The benefits are more flexibility with my time, I'm able to do more of the things that I love to do under the conditions that I want to do them.

"The flip side is that not everyone will always see, appreciate or support your ideas. You can end up being thought of as a trailblazer or a lot of people will look at you and say `well that's a good reason why I'm going to stay in my secure job'.

"For me the experience of doing what I did, which was leaving a relatively stable good job to venture into unknown territory, I'd do all over again and I think the lessons I learned and the chance to relearn my Bermuda has helped me to develop a greater appreciation not only for life but for Bermuda and its beauty and its way of life.

"I think that is something I could not buy.'' For anyone who is considering embarking on a life-changing course, Mr. Simons said that it was important to do some serious soul searching before taking the plunge.

"Re-evaluate your concept of what success is,'' he advised. "I think success in terms of what we have been taught has been very limited -- it usually deals with education, getting a good job, etc., etc.

"I'm not saying that those are not points by which you can measure your success, but that's not the be all and end all. Success may be spending more time with your family or just enjoying life.

"For me, success is a broad concept, not measured in dollars and cents terms, so in my view I'm already successful.'' A new beginning -- Native Adventures Nearly three years ago Mr. Simons set up a company which grew out of an idea that was solely based on common sense.

Mr. Simons founded Native Adventures, a company which specialises in taking people on photographic and nature tours of Bermuda.

"I discovered in my previous job that there was nothing better than being on location and I've always been an outdoor person,'' he explained. "Native Adventures combines the two things that I like.

"And look at the number of people who carry a camera when they travel,'' he pointed out. "Conservatively, let's say that seven-out-of-ten visitors to Bermuda bring a camera. Now I have an advantage because I live here and I'm also deemed to be a professional photographer. I also know a lot of interesting spots to photograph.

"So based on some research, I discovered that people want to go to these spots and experience and photograph the different aspects of Bermuda other than South Shore.'' During each five-hour tour, Mr. Simons said he showed his clients all aspects of Bermuda -- ranging from quiet spots to fish to working-class neighbourhoods.

"A lot of people are interested in where and how we live, they want to see our neighbourhoods and where we eat,'' he explained. "I'm not a follow-the-leader type of tour guide, I basically just share with them how we live.'' And he noted that each tour is different, depending solely on what each group wanted to experience and see during their adventure.

"It's just a spontaneous, laid-back way to see the Island.'' When this laid-back photographer is not revealing Bermuda's hidden secrets to visitors, he is concentrating on the other aspect of his multi-dimensional business -- documenting Bermuda's history.

"The tours are one aspect and the photo-documentary is another,'' he said.

Although he still does some freelance photography on the side, Mr. Simons said he has the freedom to pick and choose which projects he wants.

"I'm choosing to do what I want to do,'' he said. "There have been times, in the earlier stages of my business, that there were certain jobs that I knew in my heart were not what I wanted to do. But at the same time you have to make decision in terms of earning a living or not making any money. Those decision were not easy ones to make.

"Life, to a certain extent, is all about compromise and I think for the most part I managed to stay true my craft and what it is that I want to do.'' One of the things that Mr. Simons is trying to do is to create a market for his particular brand Photographer Tamell creates a new image of photography.

"I'm definitely not the grip and grin type of photographer and I'm not a wedding photographer,'' he said. "I've always been a fan of historical photographs which have always meant a lot more to me.

"If I can I would like to emulate myself after certain photographers like Richard `Dick' Saunders of Bermuda and Sebastiao Salgado,'' he confessed.

"Images help to remind us, the world or a particular community of where it's going and what's happening in that community at a given time and I would like to be involved in that.

"I think that is one of my strongest aspects in terms of photography, being able to relate visually what is going on around me and hopefully telling a true story. That's the goal, to tell a true story via a picture.

One man's mission "I have a mission and that is to consciously document, as much as I can, every aspect of Bermuda life,'' he explained. "And hopefully 20 years from now I'll have taken enough images that people can look back and use to remember how Bermuda was at this present time.

"Twenty years from now who knows how much Bermuda will change or how much our culture will change and I think it is important that we be visually reminded of our history.

"I will continue to try to capture certain poignant events and even just go into neighbourhoods and capture Bermudians at home -- I don't think that that aspect of Bermuda is done enough.

"I've always said that Bermuda is more than Bermuda shorts on Front Street and horse-n-buggies. I mean no disrespect, but we have a whole different life and culture and when that way of life is not given enough attention you're subconsciously telling those people either a)they are not worthy of a spread in a magazine or newspaper, or b)that they are just not as important.

"Hopefully I can at least contribute to flipping the switch in that context because we are all Bermudians and I think that every aspect of our culture should be celebrated.'' On success Few photographers, in their first two-and-a-half years on their own, manage to have a three-day exhibition and publish a book featuring their work.

In January of this year, Mr. Simon's `A Date With Destiny' exhibition showcased his unique images of the historic PLP victory in the last general election and the jubilant aftermath that followed.

"I just approached the party and let them know what my intent was,'' he recalled. "And they just trusted my judgment.'' But he expressed gratitude to those in the party who felt his talent warranted the access given to him to document the historical change in Government.

"I'm most grateful and I think I will forever be grateful for that opportunity,'' he said. "It gave me the opportunity to contribute to my country and I think that is something, up until this point, that I am most proud of professionally: to be able to be trusted in that situation because I think that it was definitely a matter of trust.

"They trusted me to be unbiased and just document what I saw. And for that trust I must thank the Premier and the people within the party.'' Following on the heels of the successful exhibition, Mr. Simons' pictures are currently being assembled into a book which will also be entitled A Date With Destiny.

Despite these accomplishments, this in-demand photographer takes a level headed approach to the early success and praise which have been heaped upon him.

"For the most part I choose to remain as oblivious as possible to things of that nature,'' he confessed. "In a professional sense everyone I'm sure wouldn't mind being acknowledged for what they do in their chosen field.

"On the other hand, as a person, if my wife, my son and family are happy with me and proud of me, that means a lot more to me because accolades come and go.

I'll let history be the judge of who I am and what I was.

"I consider myself to be a pretty humble guy and one of the ways I remain humble is, while acknowledging what others have to say, be it good or bad, to fly low and keep my parachute on because sometimes you are put up there only to be brought down later on.

"I like to think that my work speaks for itself.'' And he maintains that all of the attention trusted upon him with his Date With Destiny exhibition has not changed him.

"I consider myself to be the same shy, private guy who grew up in Warwick,'' he chuckled. "To me, in my mind, I'm not that far away from that person.'' And how does one top off an exhibition and a book? Mr. Simons preferred to keep those cards close to his chest.

"I'm just going to stick to what I've been doing all this time, learn as much as I can and develop myself from what I've learned.'' Natural scenes: Pictures, like the spectacular sunset above and a fisherman patiently waiting for a bite, are the kind Tamell Simons helps visitors to capture. Tamell runs Native Adventures, a photographic tour of the Island, for tourists. Pictures by Tamell Simons.