Super snapper Mark will put you in the picture
A multi-award winning photographer from Castletownroche will put down his lens and give an interactive slide-show on his work which is all in aid of little Faith Browne.
Faith, who also hails from Castletownroche has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, a condition which severely inhibits movements in her lower limbs, resulting in stiffness and balance issues, which means she is unable to stand, walk or even crawl without help. She also has Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), a rare hearing condition which blocks the transmission of sound from the inner ear to the brain. However, there is the hope that Faith, who is three and a half, may be able to walk thanks to a hospital in the US which specialises in an operation which helps people with spastic cerebral palsy to move independently. In order to cover the estimated €100,000 cost of the operation, along with travel and accommodation and post operative physio and specialist equipment, the aptly named ‘Hope for Faith’ fund was set up last year.
Mark, who is a former photographer of The Corkman and who is now with The Independent said when the organiser of the fundraiser Harry Farrell contacted him about the possibility of showcasing his work for Faith, it was something that he simply had to do.
“I’m a parent myself and when I got the call from Harry, I knew there and then that I would do this for Faith as she is a little local girl and no one wants to see any child suffer in any way,” said Mark.
On Monday, May 22 at the Castletownroche Community Centre, Mark will give an interactive slide-show of his work which has taken him all over the world. He will show some of his award winning pictures but equally so pictures which always trigger a memory for him.
Mark has notched up accolades for his work as fast as the can photograph and he has been to far flung destinations such as Gaza, Nepal, Syria and Sudan.
Mark will talk about his work and how each day is different from the one which has just past.
“It is really about a night of engagement with people. While I will be talking about my work and photographs and how they came about, I will of course also take any questions from the floor. If anyone is also interested in photography, then this night has all the hallmarks of being a good night,” he said.
From Mark’s years in photography, he readily admits that he has been close to “a few scrapes” every now and then. However, one of the times that he felt most at danger was when he covered the Ebola virus in West Africa. “It was a scary time as I had to be completely covered up but yet had a job to do,” he said.
As a young man growing up in Castletownroche, he readily admits that photography was always his dream.
“It was something that I was always drawn to and I just followed it. What I do know for me is that every day is different,” he said.
Despite winning numerous awards over the years, the North Cork man is still after “that perfect shot but I am following it though,” said Mark with a beaming smile.
Mark will give his interactive slide-show at the Castletownroche Community Centre at 7.30pm on Monday, May 22 and the entry fee for the fund-raiser is €20.