Wells student James Manning, aged 18, is riding on the crest of a wave.

With two A*s in photography and music technology, his A-level results have secured him a place at London's prestigious Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.

Courses he can follow range from guitar, drums, vocals, song writing, music business to music production.

But his rapid rise to local celebrity came from his amazing wildlife photographs he took during during lockdown.

This is when the Wells Cathedral School student had the opportunity to spend his days at Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall photographing wildlife.

The results were startling and brought him wider attention. For six days each week, he worked ten-hour days seeking out pictures that would tell a story.

Apart from time spent out in nature reserves, James also headed off to Bristol to try out his skills as a photojournalist.

He took pictures of the Black Lives Matter protest and, before lockdown, could be spotted with the press pack taking action shots of Bristol Rovers.

His interest in photography dates from his eighth birthday when he got his first camera. His grandfather was a professional photographer and James has inherited both the interest and the gift.

A former boy chorister at Wells Cathedral, his energy was channelled into music from an early age. Unsurprisingly, he has a collection of six guitars in his bedroom.

Other interest include travel. James has already been to Sierra Leone and Thailand.

Next on the list? A trip to Vorkuta, a former Soviet mining town just north of the Artic Circle, to take photos under a polar sky.