Australian Photography December 2022 - January 2023

If last year was the one where covid forced us to shift our perspective from avoidance to tolerance, perhaps this year and next will be the one where it’s remembered for mutating from primarily a health issue to one that has continued to reverberate through the global economy. I’m no economist and I know this ain’t the Fin Review, but you just can’t avoid the high cost of living everywhere you look. I don’t think I’ve ever spent more at the supermarket than I have this year, and I really can’t blame it entirely on having a growing family at my place either. Just look at what’s happened this year in the photographic industry - the price of film for one has ramped up hugely, starting with Fujifilm increasing prices by 60%…

YAN ZHANG Sydney AI professor Yan Zhang is also a landscape photographer with a keen interest in alpine regions. See more of his work on Instagram @yan.zhang. australia BENJAMIN MAZE Benjamin Maze is a landscape photographer based in Sydney with a particular drive to showcase Australia’s unique places and less-explored locations. He offers archival prints as well as workshops. See more at benmazefineart.com MATTY GRAHAM Matty Graham is a photojournalist and former mag editor based in the UK. He specialises in landscape, portraiture and video. See more at MattyGraham.com DYLAN GIANNAKOPOULOS Melbourne-based commercial, travel and landscape photographer Dylan Giannakopoulos has set out to capture all that inspires him. He is a Sony Imaging Advocate for Australia. See more at dylangiannaphotography.com.au…

As photographers, we all have shots we dream of capturing. For me, it’s images of alpine regions that occupy my thoughts. As a result, for the last few years I’ve been working on a project, Deep Mountain, which blends landscape photography with my mountaineering interests. After several reschedules over the past three years, in September 2022 I was finally able to leave my home in Sydney and head to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in the South Island of New Zealand to continue what I’d started years earlier. Along with my guide Roy and climbing partner Sandra, we arrived at Plateau Hut by helicopter. For many years, Plateau Hut has served as a base for climbers attempting the Mount Cook summit – the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3724 meters above sea…

WILD LIGHT: THE PHOTO BOOK MORE THAN FIVE DECADES IN THE MAKING A NEW photography book seeks to share the vulnerability and beauty of Tasmania’s wildest places. Tasmanian landscape photographer Grant Dixon’s newest book Wild Light is, like his previous publication, entirely self-published, and the result of more than five decades exploring the Tasmanian wilderness. “Wild Light evolved from the way I view and understand landscapes,” says Dixon. The new book, which launched in November but can be ordered now, is an impressive stand-alone volume but also a companion piece to the photographer’s 2020 photobook, Winter Light. The trained earth scientist says while the images in Winter Light explored Tasmania’s alpine regions in winter, he was keen to also showcase other aspects of the landscape; Tasmania’s coast, cloaks of vegetation and rocky mountains, all in…

Photographing people when travelling can be nerve-wracking, challenging and for many of us, intimidating. At one time or another I’ve experienced all these emotions as I love to photograph people, but over time I’ve also developed a few strategies for managing my own nervousness behind the camera. Before we start, the one thing I’m convinced of is that having respect for others is much more valuable than being an extrovert when it comes to interacting with people. If you can keep this front of mind when you’re shooting, you’ll get great results. NO TROUBLES Firstly, as a rule, anybody can take photographs of people in most locations around the world as long as they are in public. As with everything travel, it is wise to check the rules and customs of the places…

FOG MEGAN WILLIS Untitled EDITOR’S COMMENT Fog can add a wow-factor to any landscape, and it’s certainly done that with Megan Willis’ winning image this month. There’s a lot going on in this frame, and it starts with the stunning use of layers, that allow your eyes freedom to roam further and further back into the shot. I love the mix of tones and unique elements on each hill – the trees, fences, and that dramatic swirling fog in the top left part of the frame make this a real image to savour. You must have known you had something special when you looked through the viewfinder with this one! TECHNICAL DETAILS Body noindent. Thanks to the team at Blonde Robot, Megan Willis has won a Peak Design Everyday Sling 10L in Ash or Black valued at…