Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-02-29)

40 29 February 2020 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113

BACK IN December we announced our

Unsung Hero Award, in partnership with

Ripe Insurance. The award is designed to

celebrate the hard work and community

spirit of people who are using

photography for the benefit of others or

to help make the world a better place,

with the winner getting £1,000 to donate

to a charity of their choice (they also

received the accolade at the glittering

AP Awards on 21 February). After much

deliberation, we are pleased to announce

the winner is Simon Wiffen, a portrait and

events photographer from Yorkshire.

Simon’s son, Ellis, was diagnosed with

cystic fibrosis at three weeks old, which

prompted him to do a documentary

photography book on people living with it.

The book is called 47/A Life with Cystic

Fibrosis, and features portraits of 47

individuals – 47 being the median lifespan

of people with the condition. For each book

sold, £5 is donated to the Cystic Fibrosis

Trust, of which Simon is a passionate

supporter, and it has raised £2,120. We

met up with him to find out more.

A lightbulb moment

‘I was really surprised to be named the AP

and Ripe Insurance Unsung Hero, I wasn’t

expecting it at all,’ Simon explains from his

home in Leeds. ‘I’ve had a passion for

photography since I was a kid and like a

lot of people, I got into it by discovering

my dad’s old gear. When I became a dad,

I channelled this photographic interest

into documenting my kids growing up.’

Simon works as a freelance web

developer, and does some commercial

work on the side to keep his hand in.

Portraits and people shots have

Unsung Hero

Simon Wif fen

Simon is a Leeds-based

photographer specialising

in family, lifestyle, portrait,

commercial and event

photography. He started a

major book project on

people living with cystic

fibrosis after his son was

diagnosed, and it’s for this

sterling work he gets our

Unsung Hero Award in

partnership with Ripe

Insurance

ALL PICTURES © SIMON WIFFIN

Simon with his son Ellis, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at three weeks old

‘Dave’

Canon EOS 5D Mark III,

50mm, 1/200sec at

f/2.8, ISO 100

‘Kyle’

Canon EOS 5D Mark III,

50mm, 1/200sec at

f/2.8, ISO 100

http://www.ripeinsurance.co.uk/

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