Today saw us back at one of the most spectacular locations we get to photograph — high on the roof of Coventry Cathedral for the Myton Hospice Charity Abseil.
There are certainly worse places to spend a working day, although looking over the edge of the Cathedral roof is a very good reminder that it is an awfully long way down!
Throughout the day, a steady stream of incredibly brave fundraisers made their way to the top of the Cathedral before taking that final, slightly daunting step backwards over the edge and beginning their descent.
For some, heights clearly held very few fears. For others, simply stepping onto the roof was an achievement in itself. But regardless of how nervous they were beforehand, every single person who took part deserves enormous respect. Facing your fears is never easy, and doing so while raising money for such a worthwhile cause makes the achievement even more impressive.
A huge amount of credit must also go to the fantastic abseil team from RedPoint. From the moment participants arrived on the roof, the team did a brilliant job of explaining what was going to happen, checking equipment and, perhaps most importantly, putting everyone at ease. Their calm, friendly and reassuring approach made an enormous difference, particularly for those who were feeling understandably nervous about what lay ahead.
Our job, meanwhile, was to make sure that every moment was captured from those first tentative steps over the edge to the smiles, waves and occasional expressions of sheer concentration on the way down.
Waiting at ground level was the Big Yellow Bus, parked immediately outside the Cathedral and ready for business. As soon as participants' feet touched the ground, they could head straight inside, find their photographs on our viewing screens and purchase their favourites while the experience was still very fresh in their minds.
There is something particularly special about photographing events like this. Yes, there are some fantastic photographic opportunities, especially from the roof of one of Coventry's most recognisable landmarks, but the day is really about the people taking part.
Every person who stepped backwards off that roof had their own reason for being there. Some were confident, some were terrified and many were probably somewhere in between, but all of them had chosen to do something extraordinary in support of Myton Hospice.
So congratulations to every single person who took part today. Whether you sailed down without a second thought or had to summon every ounce of courage just to step over the edge, you were all heroes.
And, most importantly, every pound raised will help Myton Hospice continue the incredibly important work it does supporting patients and their families.
It was a privilege to be there to capture it all.
Well done, everyone!
All of the images can be viewed by clicking the button below. As a thank you to those who bought images from the bus will find a complimentary copy of their photo on our Facebook page.