Groups in pledge to remember photographer Danny Beath
An award-winning photographer from Shropshire who died earlier this week is to be commemorated by the two organisations that were closest to his heart.
Danny Beath, a nine-times winner of Shropshire Photographic Society's Photographer of the Year award, collapsed and died on Monday.
The society is now considering naming its photographer of the year award after Mr Beath in his memory.
And Autonomy, a Shropshire group for people with autism and Asperger's where Mr Beath, 52, was a trustee, is also planning to change its logo to include a blue butterfly in their tribute to him.
Judy Mainwaring, competition secretary at the photographic society, said changing the name of the organisation's annual prize was 'in the pipeline'.
"It is something we hopefully will do. His family were happy with it," she said.
Sara Heath, who is one of the leaders of Autonomy, said her organisation would also be remembering Mr Beath, who had Asperger's syndrome himself.
"Danny had an amazing use of language and often used analogies and metaphors by using plant and animal imagery to explain how he was feeling, he could paint a visual picture with words," she said.
"One of his favourite sayings was that he was a 'blue butterfly in a field of meadow browns'. This analogy explained his feeling of being different from other non-spectrum people and also the fact that he stood out as different and was noticed more – a reference to the bullying he had experienced in the past.
"He was, however, also proud to be a blue butterfly as they are distinctive and quite rare. In honour of Danny, Autonomy now has a new logo which incorporates the blue butterfly symbol, so he will live on in our thoughts and the work of Autonomy in the future."
Family and friends hailed 'inspirational' self-taught photographer Mr Beath following his sudden death, from a suspected heart attack. He died just a day after moving into a house in New Street, Shrewsbury.
