A devoted dad who has snapped a picture of his son nearly every day since he was born has turned them into a touching film charting his life - from bouncing baby boy to blowing out the candles on his 21st birthday cake.Ian McLeod's video clip - which speeds through pictures of his son Cory asleep, laughing and pulling faces - has now become an internet sensation after the proud father posted his labour of love on YouTube.The six-and-a-half minute time-lapse film, which has been watched over 600,000 times online, is believed to be the first of its kind. Life's journey: Mr McLeod's photo record captures Cory as a newborn, left, on his 21st birthday, right, and almost every day in between Mr McLeod, 56, said his epic project, entitled '21 Years', had started as a 'daft idea' he expected he would stick to for a year or two, but ended with him snapping an incredible 7,500 photographs that fill over 70 albums and chart almost every day of Cory's life so far. 'It was a daft idea really.

One I came up with after a drink or two, maybe,' said Mr McLeod, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire.'I was thinking I could do it for two years at most.'But then you get to the point where you wonder if you'll regret it if you stop. You brush your teeth twice a day, what's hard about a click?' This boy's life: Ian McLeod's film shows his son Cory as a toddler on Halloween, left, and smiling for the camera in the garden, right Growing boy: Dad Ian gave Cory instructions to take his own picture when he was away on school trips or holidays to make sure the record was as complete as possible Mr McLeod duly stuck to his routine of taking his son's picture almost every day for more than two decades - although minor mishaps along the way mean there are a couple of gaps in his record of Cory growing up.A whole month's worth of pictures were lost at one point when the film in his camera wasn't winding, and on another occasion it was stolen while the family were on holiday in Chile.'I used to find it awkward, I didn't realise the value of it'Cory McLeod

At other times, the clock slipped past midnight before Mr McLeod realised he hadn't taken a picture, but Cory said his dad never succumbed to the temptation of substituting a photo from another day.'He's never cheated,' he said. 'Even at five minutes past, he wouldn't take it.'Mr McLeod, who said he panicked the first time a day was missed, has slotted sketches of his son into his time-lapse film to make up the gaps.Persistent Mr McLeod followed Cory to friends' houses and armed his son with a camera of his own for school trips and holidays to make sure the photo record was as complete as possible. When the 21-year-old spent three months travelling around South America with friends last year, his dad made sure he didn't miss a single day.'My dad's had to drive to a friend's house before,' Cory said. 'I got a bit of stick for that. I used to find it awkward, I didn’t realise the value of it.'It was only when I got to 16 or 17 that I started to appreciate it, and realise what it could be,' he said.

School days: Cory says he isn't fazed by his father's epic project, which takes in pictures of him in school uniform, left, and pulling faces for the camera, right Growing up: Cory, now 21, is seen with friends as a teenager, left, and as a student at Leeds Metropolitan University, right, where he is studying film and television production The film starts with the first picture of Cory as a newborn at Harrogate General Hospital, and documents school days, childhood football matches, new jobs and trips to Leeds Festival and Macchu Piccu in Peru.But the majority of the pictures were taken at home, typical photos of a cherished son; tahari grommet curtainseating an ice-cream, enjoying a family Christmas, or suffering with a hangover. curtains kesho'There are lots I look back at now and think I wish I hadn’t pulled that face,' said the Liverpool FC fan.hookless shower curtain hotel quality

Mr McLeod said he had been left stunned by the overwhelming response to the results of his 'chaotic' project.'We just didn’t know,' he said. 'It was like we were unleashing something unreal. I had been a bit wary, my hand hovered over the upload button. But we did it. It was like opening Pandora’s Box.'When I started this, there was no YouTube,' added Mr McLeod, who works at a picture framers and also as a care assistant with disabled adults.'All I had in mind was a video. latte suede blackout curtainsThat was as far as the idea went.'asda blackout curtains Labour of love: Ian McLeod, seen left with Cory, has now handed over the project to his son, who has left home to study film and television production at Leeds Metropolitan Universitywaverly damask curtains target

Ian spent three months scanning the pictures one at a time last year. In the end there were more than 7,500 images, in 71 albums.'It’s never been straightforward. We weren’t organised, it’s always been chaotic,' he said.In the two weeks it has been online, the video has had more than 610,000 hits. Bizarrely, 300,000 of these were in Japan in just one day last week, and Cory has seen his Twitter followers increase dramatically after a particularly enthusiastic response from female viewers of the video.'I'm not fazed by it, it's like I'm on The Truman Show,' he said.'Someone commented that I should show my face more, but then someone else pointed out that it shows a story. ready made curtains ligne rosetYou can’t say I’ve got a boring life.'The project is still ongoing, but is in Cory’s hands now as he is living with friends while studying film and television production at Leeds Metropolitan University.'When do you stop?' he asked.