Australian Photography August 2021

Have you ever heard this quote above? It has been accredited to a few people over the years-Steve Jobs, Pablo Picasso, William Faulkner-but whoever said it first, the essence is the same – that stealing is a part of artistic genius. Now I can’t claim to be the first to consider it in the context of photography, but recently I watched a YouTube video by Ted Forbes of channel The Art of Photography (You can watch it here: https://bit.ly/3ADFgoq) who did just this, and much more eloquently than I ever could. As he says, while inspiration is essential to photography and copying a picture can teach you a great deal, there is a point where you have to dig deeper and try and find your own voice. YouTube videos, Instagram, photography magazines-whatever…

MICHAEL SNEDIC Michael Snedic is one of Australia’s most experienced professional wildlife and nature photographers. See more at wildnaturephotoexpeditions.com. DOUG GIMESY Doug Gimesy is a professional conservation and wildlife photojournalist who focuses on Australian issues. His clients include National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, bioGraphic and others. See more at gimesy.com. DREW HOPPER Drew Hopper is an Australian freelance documentary photographer exploring ecological themes, landscape and place. See more of his work at drewhopper.com. MATTY GRAHAM Matty Graham is a photojournalist and former mag editor based in the UK. He specialises in landscapes, portraiture and video. See more at mattygraham.com.…

MARTIN KANTOR PORTRAIT PRIZE RECOGNISES 27 AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS THE finalists for the 2021 Ballarat International Foto Biennale’s (BIFB) Martin Kantor Portrait Prize have been announced, with 27 photographers recognised in the annual portrait photography competition. The Martin Kantor Portrait Prize is both an exhibition and award for a photographic artwork of a significant Australian. Images must be a portrait of a living individual distinguished in art, letters, science, sports or politics. The award is named after the late photographer Martin Kantor, and is an acquisitive prize, with first prize also winning $15,000 AUD. The finalists were selected by judges Naomi Cass, Max Delany, Bill Henson and Fiona Sweet. The finalists for 2021 are George Angelovski, Graeme Armstrong, Fiona Bowring, Su Cassiano, Anna Maria Antoinette D’Addario, Elise Derwin, Stephen Dupont, George Fetting, Julia Firak, Lisa…

When you think of snow, you probably have visions of snow-capped mountains or glaciers in some faraway winter wonderland. Snow in Australia is not something many people associate the country with, and neither is snow surrounded by stark industrial landscapes or suburban sprawl like I captured here during a snowstorm in June. When I heard that snow was forecast, I was keen to try something different, so I made an overnight trip up the Northern Tablelands, and to the small mountain town of Guyra in New South Wales. Here I was greeted with an unusual scene of snow in Australia. Some people would call this low graphic style of photography ‘boring’, or describe the image as a “snapshot”, yet despite its banality, I believe that even bland subject matter can take on…

Join Australian Photography editor Mike O’Connor and TV presenter and pro photographer Darran Leal for a 5-day creative photography workshop in the Cradle Mountain region, Tasmania from 13-17 September 2021. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned photography enthusiast, this workshop will help you take your images to the next level. Just a few hours west of Launceston, you’ll be immersed in an incredible natural landscape and have the opportunity to learn from talented photographers and make good friends with like-minded people. To help you make the most of the workshop experience, group sizes are limited to just five photographers per tutor. This means that you’ll have access to personalised advice during shoots and afterwards when you’re editing your images. Field workshops are a great way to hone your skills and refine your…

I never quite expected to reach this milestone when I first started writing for Australian Photography back in 2010, but this is my 100th Straight Shooter feature! Over the years I’ve shared hundreds of images and written thousands of words about photography on these pages, and yet I still get the same kick out of it today that I did when I first picked up a camera as a young guy who dreamed of being a photographer. When I first took on writing for the mag, I was always keen to focus my features on practical advice, and today I see my goal as to help photographers learn, improve and be challenged to be better creative artists. Every Straight Shooter is based on targeting a particular facet of photography. First, AP’s editor…