A professional filmmaker turned part-time photographer opened his first exhibition at a Cowaramup winery this weekend.

Yallingup resident Andrew Milner will show some of his favourite photos at Hay Shed Hill tomorrow after temporarily leaving a promising filmmaking career in the United States because of the economic downturn.

Mr Milner said he moved back to Yallingup when times got tough in America and was encouraged by friends and family to fill his employment void by spruiking his highstandard photographs.

“I moved back from Seattle, which is a concrete jungle, and was inspired by the flowers and the landscapes of the South West,” he told the Times.

“I was just taking photos as a hobby, but some friends suggested I got my work out there and started selling it.”

The photos were sourced from locations from Busselton to Denmark, including shots of Smith’s Beach and the local Rivermouth, he said.

Mr Milner took more than 500 photos over a four-month period for the exhibit.

An arduous process of selection and elimination took place after he assessed the photos and he chose just 14 to feature at Hay Shed Hill’s winery art gallery.

“It took a while to get it down to the 14 pieces I’ll be showing because I had so many to choose from,” he said.

Mr Milner said his years of work in the American film industry had prepared him well for the scrutiny of South West art lovers.

“I’m very excited about it in all honestly and I’ve done a lot of film premieres, so I’m use to expectations and all of that,” he said.

“But with a film, there’s a lot of collaboration … but this is all me, so there’s a bit more pressure. “I’m pretty confident in the photos I’ve taken though.

“I just hope to showcase the beauty of this patch.”

Mr Miler said it was tough to choose a favourite photo, but a pair of coastline shots capturing the sun setting at two of Denmark’s most beautiful beaches were standouts for him.

“I think they’ll all grow on me, but I think the beach shots were a highlight for me,” he said.

Mr Milner said some one-off, large canvas images will sell for $450, while smaller photos will be sold for as little as $25.

“You have to respect the economy and some people just don’t have the cash to outlay on this sort of stuff,” he said.

“There’s something for everyone here.”

Mr Milner’s exhibition will open at 5.30pm tomorrow and will run until May 3.