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"Port Talbot is a dreamland," says Roo Lewis. "It's like a dream."

The Dorset-born photographer is talking about his latest project: Port Talbot UFO Investigation Club.

Despite the title, the book is not about analysing claims of spherical flying objects carrying extra terrestrial life, but rather an intimate portrait of the town's landscape and some of its more interesting and eccentric characters.

Taken over a two-year period, the images provide an often unseen side to the steel town.

"My grandad was a proud Welshman," said Roo. "He grew up in Milford Haven and he would mix and deliver lubricants and oil for big lathes, one of which was at Port Talbot steelworks.

"We would drive past the steelworks and he would say it was a space station.

"And it's always been in my head that there was this enchanted land there, so I had to come in and explore it."

It was during Roo's exploration of the town that he came to appreciate that there was a lot more to Port Talbot than its industrial, smoke-strewn skyline.

"What you've actually got are these beautiful mountains, these beautiful dunes, one of the longest beaches in Wales, beautiful reservoirs and lakes," he said.

"And I just thought, this is like a photographer's dream."

Roo lamented the negative portrayal of the town due to its industrial heritage.

"It's easy to tell negative stories. It's not easy to elevate it. You really have to understand the feeling and the culture and the emotion there."

And in searching for that understanding, Roo had to reach out to some of the town's more interesting personalities.

During his two years back and forth to the town, the photographer captured the portraits of Port Talbot's Captain Beany, Pancho of Dirty Sanchez fame, Michael Sheen's father Meyrick Sheen and many others.

"There's a wonderful rhythm to the Welsh accent that lends itself to storytelling.

"And I think we learn best as humans through storytelling."

"I put posters saying 'Have you seen a UFO?' and that got a lot of attention.

"And that got a lot of people talking to me about the town and you meet all sorts of people."

And it was the people that intrigued him most.

"You can laugh with the absurdity of it, but we're not laughing at it.

"It is meant to be a love letter to the town and I think Port Talbot is like a dream."

More than anything, Roo hopes the book will give people a new perspective of the town.

"It's almost like the steelworks is like furniture pointing towards the TV.

"And if you care to look the other way, there are so many other things to see."

Port Talbot UFO Investigation Club is published by GOST books