Gary Williamson

The Through Their Lens collection explores Gary’s perspective that has been shaped by living with a visual impairment, with 10 images bringing to light how he sees the world. 

The project showcases how innovation can remove certain obstacles and empower creatives to realise their potential for a more accessible future. The work coincided with Word Sight Day, by inviting viewers to experience the world as Gary does and demonstrates how technology and creativity make photography accessible to people who are blind or partially sighted.

Gary discovered a love of photography and storytelling through imagery during art college in 1989. However, he was unable to continue pursuing his passion the following year at age 18, after suddenly and unexpectedly losing his vision due to Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), a rare genetic disease. This changed when the first digital cameras introduced in the early 2000s made it possible for Gary to view the images he had taken on a larger screen. 

Beginning with capturing holiday photos, Gary has since developed his unique style of striking black and white photography over the past 20 years. Relying on his skill for mental mapping, and supported by advances in accessible technology, Gary has now become one of the foremost blind or low vision photographers in the United Kingdom and Europe. 

Biography

Gary Williamson is a photographer from North West England. He is registered blind due to Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), an optic nerve condition. After losing his sight whilst backpacking around Europe at 18 years old, he rediscovered his passion for photography and the ability to capture a story in one moment with the introduction of digital cameras. Gary’s story has always been not to look at what is lost, but what is possible. His photography offers a unique perspective shaped by living with a visual impairment, through which he hopes to challenge stereotypes and reframe beliefs from disability to different ability.