This November I found out about an NHS Tayside Photography Competition in honour of World Aids Day, with the theme of "Overcoming Stigma", and I just knew I wanted to be a part of it. Stigma can affect anyone at any point in their lives, whether it is because of an illness, poor mental health, gender or sexual orientation, and I was so pleased to see NHS Tayside try to tackle the very important issue of stigma in a creative way.
With the help of friends, I took some time to explore what stigma means to people and what overcoming stigma involves for them. After a brainstorm and a photoshoot, I entered the competition and am pleased to say I managed to win 1st prize in the over 18 category with the photo below:
Entitled: 'Don't fight alone'
I entered this photo as I believed for me this is one of the most important parts of overcoming stigma: acceptance. I believe that fighting stigma starts with friends, family and even strangers taking someone who is suffering and providing them with support, understanding and love, and not judging them for something they cannot control.
I am so pleased to have entered this competition, it opened my eyes and gave me a project to really stick my teeth into. I really enjoyed working on this project, and to win 1st prize was just an amazing feeling!
Please see below for a few other photos taken while working on the project.
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