How a photographer with Alzheimer’s is working to destigmatize cognitive disorders

(InvestigateTV) — Mark Sennet knows more about photography than most people ever will.

“My parents didn’t want me to do this, but I did it anyway,” he said.

He is living proof that mom and dad don’t always know best.

You might not recognize his name, but there’s a good chance you’d recognize his work.

Sennet spent three decades — the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s — as one of the nation’s premiere photographers, working for Life and People magazines.

He’s snapped photos of Stephen Spielberg, Mick Jagger, the British royal family, Richard Pryor, the Boston Strangler and more.

But his subject on Saturday was not a director, rock star or a head of state, but Dr. Seth Stern and his wife. It’s part of a project Sennet is working on to photograph celebrities and non-celebrities alike.

“It’s very impressive being photographed by Mr. Sennet,” Stern said.

Stern has frontotemporal dementia, a cognitive disease that affects speech, personality, and movement. There is no cure.

“Just because you have a memory disorder doesn’t mean you’re a vegetable,” Stern added.

The end goal of the project is a coffee table book destigmatizing cognitive disorders. Sennet is working in conjunction with the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Reporter Joshua Skinner shares more of Mark’s story here.

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