Drop the Mask Photography Gallery
Photography
Provocation - or submission objective:
Go out and about in nature and places across Coventry and Warwickshire, your garden, a park, the woods and capture images
'My Walk To Work'
Gemma Gray, ADHD (undiagnosed)
"These images are from my walk to work through woodlands – these are my happy place, and I’ve always spent lots of time wandering in the woods! Some of the pictures I’ve included here are because of the vibrant colours, but others represent what masking means to me, such as feelings of constraint or not fitting in."
"In one word for each image...how does each one make you feel?"
By Willow Grocott (Age 11)
Photography (mobile phone)
Autistic (currently being diagnosed)
'Kiss of Crisis'
By Marie Neville, Photography (digitally edited): ADHD (undiagnosed)
"Fine and Dandy"
By India Holme,Photography (mobile phone):Autistic (diagnosed) and ADHD (awaiting)
I love dandelions—still and in motion, time and regrowth, hundreds of small possibilities.
Every day, I walk through fluorescent-lit rooms where wrappers rustle, perfume drifts and so on. I used to almost hate myself for getting so annoyed—“Why can’t I handle other people’s noise when I do the same?” It felt unfair, like two sets of rules. But I’ve learned that I’m simply more sensitive, and that’s okay. This is who I am, and I deserve to take care of myself.
-
Headphones, music, ear-plugs
-
Work-from-home days: When possible, I choose quieter spaces where I control the environment.
-
Snacks and water on hand
-
Gentle routines: short walk, a few deep breaths, a moment away from my desk can reset my energy.
By the end of the day, we may have lost all our little dandelion fluffs - by harsh lights, loud sounds, and relentless taps—but if we care for ourselves better, then overnight, we’ll regenerate by morning. What we want to avoid are gusts so strong they knock us flat.
If you’re ND like me—constantly navigating intense sensations—know you’re not alone.You don’t need to “fix” yourself. YOU ARE NOT BROKEN.
Instead, try, where you can, to celebrate your sensitivity. Give yourself permission to fidget, to step back, step out and to use whatever tools help you thrive. We all deserve compassion—from others, and most importantly, from ourselves—so we can keep growing and not get flattened by weathering spaces and places that drain us.
Nivaria Morales Salas
Nivi is a photographer based in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
She was one of the exhibiting photographers at Gallery Photiq's Leamington Photofest in 2023, her work has been featured in several galleries across Warwickshire.
Nivi uses photography as a tool to process the world, a way to remind herself of the things she can perceive and a way to process difficult emotions. In recent years, she has been experimenting with macro photography and editing techniques. She has learned to do this through the unique way her eyes and brain work.
Nivi has shared the story of her passion for photography at TEDxLeamington Spa. She was also featured on RNIB campaign HowISee.
She was diagnosed with ADHD last year.
As part of the Drop the Mask project, she delivered a photography workshop where participants were encouraged to use photography as a way to express what dropping the mask meant to them.
To find out more about Nivi’s work visit https://linktr.ee/wonkyvision
People of all ages, whether diagnosed and neurodiverse, awaiting diagnosis or the loved one of a neurodiverse person are invited to help us....
Join our crowd-sourced, co-created - Coventry and Warwickshire generated (we hope travelling) exhibition.
Drop the Mask.
Drop the Mic.
Act Together.
Create Change.
Contact us at
if you would like to get involved.
Photography
Provocation - or submission objective:
Go out and about in nature and places across Coventry and Warwickshire, your garden, a park, the woods and capture images that ...
- Represent the places where you feel safe to be brave and authentically express your neurodivergence. Places where you feel you belong.
- And/or images that reflect your internal experience of neurodivergence, perhaps in different places/spaces Therefore, this could be a more negative a\or challenging aspect, perhaps sensory overwhelm on public transport - as per Iona's Story. Or it could be very joyful, it could be an image to reflect how you feel about a happy place, like woodland, for instance.
- Use any device (camera or smartphone); there are no technical restrictions per se. But please ensure you submit a file we can easily download and upload. Any audio or video can be no longer than 1-2 minutes max.
- We can accept MP3, MP4 and Jpeg images.
- For written submissions - we would like to receive WORD or PDF documents. Please note that whilst we will proof read these for content, we will not edit them - we will not correct spelling, grammar etc., and we will not edit any element of your document. Please include your name on your document and if desired you can add other elements to it, images, annotations, sketches. But please make sure all font is at least point 12 size and clear and legible. Please just use black text and white/or very faded picture based backgrounds. The text needs to be easy to read.
Submission:
- You may submit up to 3 photographs per person.
- Please include a title for each piece or a collection name with your submission.
- Creative editing is encouraged—feel free to experiment with post-production effects to better express your emotions and perspective.
OPTIONAL:
A short description of your submission - this could be about the process perhaps, how you did it, why you took it etc., what you are trying to communicate with it. This can be as short as you like but no longer than 200 words.
We will NOT accept:
-
Any explicit or inappropriate images
-
Any image that could arguably be deemed offensive - and/or - inappropriate for young viewers.
-
The same rules apply to the titles of images/collections and the text that is included.
-
Any submission where we DO NOT have the consent forms completed. We cannot accept or share any images, video or text, without your express consent. For those aged 17 and under, we need parental/guardian consent also. Only those aged 18+ can make a submission, for instance a parent would submit their child's contribution.
-
Any image or text that references or makes clear another person - who has not consented to be in the image. This consent - the consent of other humans or their property in images. E.g., if the place is a shop or a 'place' you feel you can unmask - is with your friend - for instance. Then it is the responsibility of the contributor to ensure they have permission and the rights to share the image. If we receive notification of an image featuring another person or place, where consent wasn't given to the photographer - then we will remove the image until that consent is in place.