THE daughter of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis has told how growing up with images of her rock star father inspired her to become a photographer.

Natalie Curtis was a baby when the tormented musician hanged himself and only knew her dad through pictures in rock magazines and on record sleeves.

Now aged 25, Natalie has launched a creative career of her own as a photographer after studying art and design at Manchester Metropolitan University.

She said: "Photographs of Joy Division probably had more effect on me than anything else, especially those by Kevin Cummins and Anton Corbijn.

"Kevin's pictures were really beautiful. He took some early shots of Joy Division rehearsing. And Anton Corbijn photographed them in a tube station around the same time. "Quite a few people photographed Joy Division, but these photographs really stick in my memory."

Kevin Cummins' work regularly appeared in NME during the 1970s, while Anton Corbijn's other work included early record sleeves for U2.

Ian Curtis was born and raised in Macclesfield, marrying his wife Deborah before he joined Joy Division.

The band released two critically acclaimed LPs and four singles and were on the verge of international stardom when Curtis, who suffered from depression and epilepsy, hanged himself in 1980.

His suicide came just before his 24th birthday. Natalie, who was then a one-year-old baby, was raised by her mother in Macclesfield.

She attended Henbury High School and Macclesfield College before moving to Manchester where she now lives.

She added: "I grew up with all the publicity surrounding my dad and didn't know anything different. That had its ups-and-downs, but I suppose I've become used to it. I'm really proud of Joy Division's music. I think it's great stuff. And it's lovely that people are still listening to it. I like lots of Joy Division records myself, especially Closer.

"But I'm not musical. I tried playing piano as a kid but I'm really bad."