The photographer with Down Syndrome who has 'opened people's minds'

A remarkable young man with Down's Syndrome has exceeded a £10,000 fundraising target and raised £14,500 through crowdfunding, enabling him to create his first ‘coffee table book,’ featuring landscape and wildlife photographs.

Oliver demonstrating his love for photography

After raising a substantial amount of money on his JustGiving page, with an abundance of support from over 62,000 Facebook fans, Oliver Hellowell, who was born with the genetic condition Down’s Syndrome, has been able to design and publish his own photography album.

Titled ‘Oliver’s Book’, his dreams of becoming a professional photographer have come true, as the album showcases his unique and remarkable photographic skills.

Commenting on Oliver’s ambitious desire to photograph from a young age, his stepfather, Mike O’Carroll, said: “Around five years ago Oliver started to take an interest in what I was doing as a professional photographer and while taking pictures on holiday in Wales, he wanted to take pictures like me.

“We gave Oliver a small Panasonic bridge camera which satisfied him only long enough to become hooked and then he desired a ‘proper camera’, so he started using my Canon 5d which he still uses.”

Oliver’s story has also become popular with many celebrities, including Louis Tomlinson from One Direction, who invited him to a Charity Ball in London.

Most recently, Oliver’s work has been recognised by the National Diversity Awards, held on 15 September 2015, and he has been shortlisted as a Positive Role Model for Disability.

‘Oliver sees the beauty in the world the ordinary eye might miss’

Oliver's ‘coffee table book’ features 128 pages of beautifully captured landscape and animal imagery, illustrating his unique view of the natural world. With a keen interest in photographing the natural environment, Oliver’s parents believe that their son’s condition has allowed him to see the beauty in the world that the ordinary eye might miss.

One of Oliver's photographs

Mr O’Carroll added: “Oliver doesn’t like being anywhere that is too busy and never took an interest in photographing people. Instead, he has had a lifelong interest in wildlife and wild places and has a huge collection of books. He absorbed the content to the point where, if he saw something on television he would know if he had it in one of his books - demonstrating his exceptional visual memory. It was not a surprise that these would be the images he wanted to photograph.”

Oliver’s passion for photography has continued throughout his education and into early adulthood. However, while studying for a GCSE in Photography, Mr O’ Carroll revealed: “The staff responsible for submitting Oliver’s exam piece did not believe that he had taken the pictures himself and refused to enter his work. “After this, we tried to get Oliver onto a photography course at college but they were not willing to allow him to access the course at his numeracy and literacy level. With his 60,000 plus fans on Facebook, this did not deter him.”

As well as publishing a photography book for his world-wide fans, Oliver continues to promote further awareness surrounding Down’s syndrome.

With every one of his ‘coffee table books’ sold, Oliver offers a donation towards ‘Ups and Downs’, a South West charity founded by his mother after he was born. The charity offers advice and support to over 400 individuals living with Down’s syndrome, their families, as well as for schools and care professionals.

An example of Oliver's photographic skills

One in 1,000 babies born in the UK will have Down’s Syndrome

The National Health Service (NHS) has estimated that around one in every 1,000 babies born in the UK will have Down’s syndrome, with over 40,000 people in the UK currently living with the condition.

The Down’s syndrome Association has suggested that the condition is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the body’s cells and can cause a degree of learning disability and delayed development. However, this varies widely amongst each individual.

Yet, this condition has not prevented Oliver from pursuing his photography ambitions. Oliver held his first photography exhibition in November 2012, and due to the success, has gone on to display at several more, including an exhibition at Westonzoyland hall in Somerset.

Commenting on the popularity of Oliver’s fundraising, photography and charity work, Mr O’ Carroll said: “The response and size of his ‘active’ following on Facebook has been very rapid, with our initial target being met in less than 12 days. Oliver understands that many new parents are worried about what the future may hold for their young child living with Down’s Syndrome and relishes the fact that so many people see him as an inspiration.”

‘It’s so nice to see a young person really exploring and improving their talents’

Both Oliver and his family have received many supportive messages from the public. Some of which include: “It’s so nice to see a young person really exploring and improving their talents,” along with; “Just one of Oliver’s photographs capture a moment in time that will last forever, Oliver specialises in doing the impossible, opens our minds and captures the beauty that surrounds us.”

With this support in mind, Oliver hopes to make photography his full time profession, with a particular focus on capturing images of birds. He said: “I want to try new styles, get new birds, try to use long shutter speeds.”

Oliver Hellowell

It is hoped that the additional money raised from Oliver’s JustGiving page will provide him with the photographic equipment required to help him achieve his future photography ambition.

After achieving so much already this year, Mr O’Carroll has praised his son’s commitment and dedication to his hobby and profession. He commented: “Oliver has inspired himself with his own success and wants to broaden his skills. He has even taken pictures of a few people recently which is very surprising, but he is still focussed on his favourite subjects of wildlife and landscapes which allow him to work at his own pace, when he feels inspired and not to anyone else’s timetable!”

Mr Hellowell’s photography website can be visited at www.oliverhellowell.com or via his social media account at www.facebook.com/OliverHellowellPhotographer.

To find aditional information or advice on Downs Syndrome, please visit www.upsanddowns.net.