Australian Photography November 2020

For better or worse, the eyes of Australians will be turned stateside this November as the unique spectacle that is the US election comes to town, gripping us with round-the-clock coverage and endless analysis in the lead up to election day. But with all the noise around the election, a new documentary has passed by with barely a whisper – The Way I See It – which takes a close look at the work and legacy of White House photographer Pete Souza. As an official photographer for both President Ronald Reagan and President Barack Obama (for who he was the chief official photographer), Souza was witness to countless moments in history. What is most impressive about his work is he managed to document it while uniquely humanising his subjects and showing remarkable…

PETER HENDRIE Peter Hendrie is a Melbournebased photographer. His professional career involved corporate, editorial and stock photography. To date, he has self-published three books. See more at peterhendrie.com and @peterhendriephoto DREW HOPPER Drew Hopper is an Australian freelance documentary photographer exploring ecological themes, landscape and place. See more of his work at drewhopper.com SHREYAS YADAV Shreyas Yadav is an engineer, and wildlife and nature photographer from India. He is also a writer and lifelong adventure explorer. See more of his work at shreyas-yadav.com MITCH GREEN Mitch Green is a Sydneybased travel and landscape photographer. He can be found at mitchgreenphotos.com, or down by the beach at 5am waiting for sunrise. You can also find him on Instagram @mitchgreenphotos…

This image was made in 2006 when Australian Photography sent me to Hong Kong to attend the launch of Nokia’s new camera equipped smartphones. By chance, another magazine heard I was heading to the region and asked if I would shoot some portraits for them in Vietnam, and so two days after the Nokia launch I was in Ho Chi Minh City. With a day to spare before the assignment, I went exploring the city and as day turned to night I found myself at a martial arts school where dozens of young children were learning self-defence. A tutor gave me the nod to make photos, but rather than just grab a few and move on, I did what I normally do in these situations – wait. If you have patience and…

Becoming a professional photographer has so many variables today that I can not even begin to cover them all here. But I will say that what was once a very specified career with a well-defined apprenticeship model in most photographic genres changed about 20 years ago with the explosion in digital technology. Today, a 15-year-old, or for that matter a 66-year-old who has a personality and is willing to have a go, can call themselves a professional photographer. However, only a select few photographers will ever make their entire earnings from photography. Many balance the sheets with past professions such as accountants, doctors, retailers – the list is long. To be successful today you need to be self-motivated, forward thinking and goal orientated, plus able to manage marketing and finances. Making a…

RECENTLY, we announced the winners of the second annual The Mono Awards, and the public has spoken in our online People’s Choice vote, picking three images across the three categories as their favourites. Interest this year was so great that the image with the highest number of votes eclipsed results from last year. Run by Capture and Australian Photography, The Mono Awards celebrates the finest blackand-white photography across Australia and New Zealand. Category winners of the People’s Choice each take home $250 in cash plus a $250 voucher from our major sponsor, digiDirect.…

CANON AUSTRALIA has closed its online retail space, The Canon Store, citing the company’s desire to support local retailers. The move effectively ends the company’s more than decade-long direct sales model in Australia. In a statement on canon.com.au, the company said that the decision is based on a desire to “drive competition in the local market”. “The unprecedented challenges currently facing the Australian market has seen Canon Australia re-examine the best way to help consumers access our products, services and support,” says Canon. “As a result, we are proudly streamlining our efforts in supporting local retailers to drive competition in the local market and bring you the best value product offers, promotions, services and experiences possible.” The move comes following a busy quarter for the Japanese company, with the recent announcement that the Canon…