Photographer turns negatives into a positive

Exeter-based photographer Mark Sanders is aiming to put motor neurone disease firmly in the spotlight with a sale of images from 100 of the biggest names in photography.

They include contributions from Devon-based photographers Jem Southam, Robert Darch and Brendan Barry.

Mark, whose mum, Lin, died from motor neurone disease (MND) earlier this year, has pledged to raise as much as possible on behalf of the MND Association which supports people living with the disease across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Inspired by the statistic 1 in 300 which illustrates an individual’s lifetime risk of developing MND, Mark has created MND300 – an online sale of prints which will run for 300 hours from 7pm on Wednesday, October 16.

To complement the sale, which will also feature work from Rankin, Jack Davison and John Spinks, an exhibition of the prints will be held in London on the same day.

The money raised will help to fund research into potential new treatments for MND – a disease which affects up to 5,000 people in the UK at any one time.

Mark explained: “MND really is a brutal disease as anyone who has witnessed it will know.

“Mum was diagnosed a couple of years ago with only a few symptoms. By the end of last year her condition was much worse and she died in April.

“I had the idea for MND300 during that time and shared it with her. She said I should do it, so she is very much at the heart of everything I am doing.”

With generous support from across the photography world, Mark has curated a sale featuring a broad range of styles, from landscape to still life and celebrity portraiture.

For more information about MND300 or to purchase prints from 7pm on October 16 visit www.300mnd.com. To book tickets for the event visit prints@300mnd.com

For more information about MND and the work of the MND Association in your area please visit www.mndassociation.org