Charming photo of a ladybird on a sunflower among the winners of My Perspective 2025

'Ladybird on a Sunflower' by Samuel Chapman (Australia), winner of the My Perspective Stephen Thomas Award in the My Perspective 2025 photo competition, which is run by the Down’s Syndrome Association
'Ladybird on a Sunflower' by Samuel Chapman (Australia), winner of the My Perspective Stephen Thomas Award in the My Perspective 2025 photo competition, which is run by the Down’s Syndrome Association (Image credit: Samuel Chapman)

The winners of the Down's Syndrome Association's international photographic competition have been announced.

They come from the UK, France, Singapore and Australia and were unveiled at a ceremony at the Langdon Down Center in London, England, earlier this month.

The My Perspective competition received a record-breaking 252 entries this year, from countries around the world including the UK, Australia, China, El Salvador, France, Indonesia, Iran, New Zealand and Nigeria.

This 15th year of the awards saw the inaugural recipient of the new Langdon Down Award for UK entrants, named in honor of Dr John Langdon Down.

The pioneering work of this physician changed how people with learning disabilities were viewed and treated, and led to the World Health Organisation taking his name when it formally classified Down’s syndrome in 1965.

A cheeky selfie from the youngest-ever entrant, a dramatic seascape of Cornwall in England, and an atmospheric shot from a rain-drenched street in France were amongst the winning images. Scroll down to enjoy all the winners…

My Perspective Judges' Choice Award (Adult) winner

'After the Rain', by Brieuc Devaud (France) (Image credit: © Brieuc Devaud / Down’s Syndrome Association)

Image description: This is the first time Brieuc has entered a photography competition. His stunning picture of the reflection of a building caught in a puddle after a rain shower is one of his favourite ways to compose images.

"Photography is an activity I shared with my father during the Covid lockdown," he says. "All the people I show my photos to like them, and that makes me happy."

My Perspective Judges' Choice Award (Child) winner

‘Say Cheese’ by Beatrice (Bea) Lawson (United Kingdom) (Image credit: © Beatrice Lawson / Down’s Syndrome Association)

Image description: Four-year-old Bea loves capturing selfies of herself, often giving the camera what her mum Lucy calls a 'cheesy grin'. Bea's joyful and unselfconscious self-portrait captivated the judges, making her the youngest-ever winner in the competition.

My Perspective Peoples' Choice Award (Adult) winner

‘The Different Colors’ by Enoch Tan (Singapore) (Image credit: © Enoch Teh / Down’s Syndrome Association)

Image description: Enoch says he discovered his love of photography after discovering that he could use phone images as a way of making it easier to communicate with his parents and the wider world. The contrasting colors of the walls in his image appealed to him and he asked his friends to pose to add to the composition.

My Perspective Peoples' Choice Award (Child) winner

‘My Happy Mummy’ by Mabel Hetherington (Northern Ireland) (Image credit: © Mabel Hetherington / Down’s Syndrome Association)

Image description: eight-year-old Mabel captured her mum Elaine's smiling, windswept face on a sunny day on Rossnowlagh Beach in County Donegal because, she says, 'the beach is our favourite happy place.'

Langdon Down Award for UK entries

'Godrevy Lighthouse' by Stephen Lucas (Wales) (Image credit: © Stephen Lucas / Down’s Syndrome Association)

Image description: Stephen's stunning black and white shot of a Cornish seascape was taken while he was on holiday and reflects his love of nature and the sea, as well as his fascination with lighthouses. The judge for this category, renowned photographer Rory Langdon Down, is the great great grandson of Dr John Langdon Down, whose name was used by the World Health Organisation when it formally classified Down's syndrome in 1965.

My Perspective Stephen Thomas Award winner

'Ladybird on Sunflower' by Samuel Chapman (Australia) (Image credit: © Samuel Chapman / Down’s Syndrome Association)

Image description: Samuel was inspired to take the photo because he says yellow is a 'happy color' and he thought the ladybird looked wonderful against the vivid yellow of the sunflower.

The Stephen Thomas award is presented to honor the life of past My Perspective winner Stephen Thomas, a talented photographer who died in a tragic boat accident along with his father in 2015. Each year Stephen's mother Julie, and his brother Paul, select their favorite photograph from My Perspective's overseas competitors.

See all the My Perspective 2025 shortlisted entries

(Image credit: © Down’s Syndrome Association)

Click here to see the shortlisted entries to the My Perspective 2025 photo competition, and to view the online exhibition.

Niall Hampton
Editor

Niall is the editor of Digital Camera Magazine, and has been shooting on interchangeable lens cameras for over 20 years, and on various point-and-shoot models for years before that. 


Working alongside professional photographers for many years as a jobbing journalist gave Niall the curiosity to also start working on the other side of the lens. These days his favored shooting subjects include wildlife, travel and street photography, and he also enjoys dabbling with studio still life. 


On the site you will see him writing photographer profiles, asking questions for Q&As and interviews, reporting on the latest and most noteworthy photography competitions, and sharing his knowledge on website building. 

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