Here at SPARK, we want to give a platform to disabled creatives that need recognition, so here are four disabled photographers you should consider looking into.
Dexter McLean
Based in London, Dexter McLean is a portrait photographer who focuses on the underrepresented people in society, mainly black and disabled people. Some of his most notable works include his Aspire Gym series, a series which aimed "to give a perspective that society has not seen before", due to a lack of representation of disabled athletes outside the Paralympics. This series saw him taking portraits of wheelchair rugby players who met in a gym for socialising, as well as training.
McLean has Cerebral Palsy, a condition that affects movement, something that the school he went to in Jamaica was not equipped to help with. However, he gained an interest in photography at a young age. He eventually gained a degree in photography at Middlesex University and participated in many exhibitions.
Walter Rothwell
Continuing with London-based photographers, Walter Rothwell is an award-winning photographer who has done various work, including street photography, documentary photography, and some commissioned projects. One documentary series he has done called "Leprosy Hospital" includes various shots taken in a leprosy hospital in Bangladesh, and "Port Wine Production" which documents people working at a vineyard.
When he was 10, his eye was sliced by ice, causing him to be partially blind. Through his eyes, he reacted more to shapes, tones, and lighting than colours. As a result, a lot of his work focuses on contrast and black and white, as he wants to express how he sees the world through his photography.
Achmad Zulkarnain
Indonesia is where this talented photographer resides. Zulkernain, who also goes by Bang DZOEL, was born without arms or legs and has his own ways of operating a camera. He uses his mouth to switch his camera on or off while using the extra skin on his arms to use the shutter since he has no fingers. With his unique dexterity, he can stabilise his camera to take his pictures, despite his disability.
Zulkarnain mainly specialises in fashion photography, but has also done wedding photography. Originally, he started as a landscape photographer, but transitioned into fashion photography, as many areas where Zulkarnain would do his landscape photography were not easily accessible due to his disability. His aim is for people to recognise him for his creativity, not just his disability.
Giles Duley
Giles Duley is an English documentary photographer who has focused his work on bringing attention to the effects of war. He has done photography in places like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, bringing attention to the struggles people face in war-torn countries. He has also become the CEO of a charity called Legacy of War Foundation, an international charity that aims to help people affected by conflict.
In 2011, Duley almost died after stepping on a landmine while in Afghanistan. The injury caused him to have many surgeries and amputations, but he made a recovery and continues to work today. He is currently covering the struggles that people face in Ukraine.
Words by Ryan Say
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