Passport photographs are a common source of embarrassment.

But one Sussex artist is lamenting the loss of the machines that make them.

Neel Morley, 27, of Dyke Road, Brighton, has been squeezing into photo booths for 11 years, amassing volumes of off-the-wall pictures in the process.

But the old-style booths are being replaced by digital versions, much to his dismay. The old machines provided four different images while the new produce four identical shots.

Neel said: "The booths are my creative outlet. It's really sad that the old four strip booths are all being replaced.

"The quality isn't as good and my creativity is halved as you get fewer copies.

"I believe there are now only two left in Brighton and Hove and they are likely to be completely gone by the end of the year.

"The new ones just aren't the same for what I do. I'm planning to go to other countries where they still have the booths that I have been using."

Neel, who is also a hairdresser, has been taking the wacky photos since he and a friend decided to borrow props from a Woolworths store and forge something more interesting than the usual passport pics.

He has found himself in all sorts of guises along the way.

He said: "I have been Elvis, Robin Hood, the Bayeux Tapestry and a Rice Krispy. I got a few strange looks once when I had to smear myself in chocolate and peanut butter for one of the shoots.

"I had to walk quite a way to the booth and it was all melting as I went along. I was a little worried I might get punched or something."

Neel's creative touch also got him into trouble when he and a friend dressed up as Adam and Eve.

He said: "The police came along because they thought we were making a naughty film. Female friends get wolf-whistled because they have to wear skimpy outfits sometimes.

"It depends where we go as to what the reaction is from people.

"For example, one of the only booths left in Brighton is on St James's Street, Kemp Town, and you get quite a mix of bizarre people there anyway - so no one really notices.

"One of the things I love about it is that I can get lots of different people involved.

"They quite often don't know each other so its a way of meeting other people and generally spending an afternoon doing something a bit different and creative."

An exhibition of Neel's work is on display at Grand Central, Surrey Street, Brighton.