Winners of international My Perspective photography competition for people with Down’s syndrome announced

The winners of the Down’s Syndrome Association’s (DSA) international My Perspective competition have been announced at a prestigious ceremony at Kew Gardens.

Dame Judi Dench announced the winners. Overall winner was Emily Buck with her stunning photograph ‘Reflection’ (pictured).

Emily said of her winning image: “When I went on my canal holiday and I saw this and thought it would make a really nice photo.”

Second place was jointly awarded to Steven Padmore, for his image ‘Raindrops on my Window’, and Carlos Biggemann for ‘Colours of Fire.’

“I took this photo on a rainy day and I can see the window of the house opposite reflected in all the raindrops,” said Steven.

Carlos explained the title of his image: “Colours of the sun, flames and fire,” he said. “These things that you see on this photography you can feel the warmth. The reason why the tree is behind? I have a very good reason for it, it is to break the contrast between the two colours orange and yellow. This was taken in Australia on a sunset in Uluru. This one attracted my eye. I was admired of the whole combination of the sky and the tree behind it.”

Carlos’ image also won the first Stephen Thomas Award, presented to him by Stephen’s brother Paul. The DSA and the competition’s sponsors GSK created this award to honour Stephen Thomas’ life. Stephen, along with his father David, died in a boating accident in Canada in 2015. Stephen was a talented photographer and in 2014 he won My Perspective with his beautiful photograph ‘Moraine Lake’. The prize enables one of the shortlisted international photographers to travel to the ceremony. Carlos travelled with his family from New Zealand to accept this award.

Actress Sarah Gordy also attended, and performed contemporary dance during theES6 evening as part of The Culture Device Dance Project.

The runners up in the competition were:

• Tenzin Andrews, The Netherlands – Blote Billen

•  Alex Auld, UK – Woodland Path

• Konstantina Chamalidou, Greece – The Park

• David Cormack, UK – Winter Sheep

•  Rory Davies, UK – Narnia

•  Christopher Diedo, UK – Shadow Beach

•  Gabriel Dodds, UK – Dartmoor 2

•  Alex Dodson, UK – West Bay Cliff

•  Lucie Fickling, UK – My Favourite Colour

•  Daniel Geeson, UK – Sun Through the Trees

• Claude Gonsalves, UK – Paint Fun 3

•  Klay Green, UK – Sunny Afternoon

•  Daniel Harrison, UK – Spring Time

• Kosmas Karikas, Greece – View

• Ben Larkin, UK – Bumpy Tree

• Hubert Lawless, UK – Secret Pond

•  Stephen Lucas, UK – Grizzly Bear

•  Maria Mantzolopoulou, Greece – Cycle

•  Edward Phippen, UK – Derwent Water

•  Gabrielle Shann, UK – Flowers

• Harry Smale, Channel Islands – Bella Landscape

•  Gordon Stewart, UK – Norwegian Fjords

The DSA launched My Perspective in partnership with the hugely successful Shifting Perspectives. In years gone by, people with Down’s syndrome were photographed as exhibits; the viewer was not supposed to see the person, just the difference. My Perspective turns the camera around and gives people with Down’s syndrome the chance to show the world from their point of view.