FROM the jade green stare of a leopard cub to the ivory smudge of a swan's feathers, there is an abundance of beauty in these photos.

Each one was taken by Oxford photographer Sue Carruthers, a service user at mental health charity Restore.

The 45-year-old, who lives in Greater Leys, found comfort through the camera lens during a difficult time.

This month she exhibited her work at Restore's base off Cowley Road, where she volunteers in the café.

Miss Carruthers described wildlife photography as her ‘passion’, and said it helped her mind to switch off.

She said: “It helps me to switch off from all the negativity that surrounds me - it’s as if time has stopped.

“When I look back at my pictures, it reminds me of a time where I have felt content in life, a moment that can never be taken away.

“It helped me to express feelings that are buried deep within.”

Miss Carruthers’ photography skills have grown in the past 12 years, fully blossoming in the past three years when the hobby became a vehicle of expression.

During her recovery she took part in Restores’s Beehive programme, which focuses on creativity and involves activities such as gardening, woodwork and craft.

She has now joined Restore’s Garden Café as a volunteer, and is hoping to eventually head up the kitchen service.

Miss Carruthers said she enjoyed spending her weekends taking photographs, and one of her favourite places to visit for material was Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire.

She is also a member of the Oxford Mail's Camera Club, which challenges a community of amateur photographers to submit images depicting a different theme each week.

Several of Miss Carruthers' submissions have been printed in the paper previously, including a winning shot of a bird diving into water.

Restore said it was ‘proud’ of Miss Carruther’s work and described the shots as ‘beautiful’.

The charity in Manzil Way supports people experiencing ill mental health, and provides therapeutic activity sessions including horticulture, art classes and cooking.

Service users can also help out in its cafés and shops, selling the products grown and made on site.