Rebecca said photography for her is ‘about having fun’
Rebecca Lenney, from Hull, won the People’s Choice Award in the Adult Category(Image: Rebecca Lenney)
A talented photographer from Hull has been voted a joint winner in an international photography competition organised by the Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA). Rebecca Lenney secured the People’s Choice Award in the Adult Category of the My Perspective competition with her clever, colourful image titled ‘Andrew, Where are You?’, which features her friend peeping through a tangle of vibrant streamers.
Now in its 16th year, the My Perspective initiative was launched by the DSA to empower individuals with Down’s syndrome to flip the lens and capture how they see and interact with the world around them, and how they would want the world to see them. This year’s competition drew over 150 entries from around the globe, with photographers submitting work from countries including India, Australia, Guatemala, Canada, the USA, Madagascar, Europe and the UK.
For the first time in the competition’s history, the People’s Choice award resulted in a dead heat. Rebecca shares the top spot with New Zealand photographer Carlos Biggemann, whose striking photograph of a Bolivian street carnival also captured the public’s imagination.
Expressing her passion for the craft, Rebecca explained that she enjoys focusing on bold colours and that photography is primarily “about having fun”. Speaking about her winning photograph, Rebecca said: “I love the different colours and the shape of the ribbons. I can see Andrew’s eye; I see him also in the picture.”
Upon learning of her success following the global public vote, she added: “I feel really excited, shocked, and happy. I feel proud of myself, and my family are proud of me.”
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Carol Boys OBE, Chief Executive of the Down’s Syndrome Association, praised the standard of this year’s submissions and commended both joint winners for their artistic achievement. She said: “There was very strong competition this year, but Rebecca and Carlos’s vibrant and artistic photos obviously won the public over. Rebecca and Carlos’s love of fun through their art really is the essence of what My Perspective is all about – celebrating the joy and connection people who have Down’s syndrome have with the world around them and expressing that through their talents with a camera.”
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