A new photography conference and awards event in Narre Warren has brought a fresh perspective to the Australian photographic community.
Over four days, the Australian Photographic Prize saw those at the top of their fields in professional landscape, portrait, commercial and wedding, as well as student and amateur photography, come together to celebrate their creative endeavours.
The Australian Photographic Prize Nikon Digital Awards celebrated the best of amateur photography with almost 600 entries.
The EIZO Photographic Artist Prize had over 100 entries and celebrated photographic artistry, and the Australian Photographic Prize Epson Print awards received 700 print entries showcasing the best of the photographic industry.
As an inaugural event, Australian Photographic Prize directors Karen Alsop and Robyn Campbell achieved higher than expected award entry numbers and although event attendance could have been stronger, given the current societal shift away from face-to-face interaction due to pandemic concerns, attendance numbers were promising for future growth.
Livestream attendance was in the thousands across all events, with students from Charters Towers in Far North Queensland, through to overseas entrants from America tuning in.
Camberwell Camera Club member David Bignell was the winner of the Australian Photographic Prize Nikon Digital Award with a reflective self-portrait.
“I’m elated to have won the 2022 Australian Photographic Prize. My photo is one of a series I made during lockdown,” he said.
“It employs a visual metaphor to convey the message of someone who is literally washed out.”
North Queensland-based professional photographer Charmaine Heyer was the winner of the Australian Photographic Prize Epson Print Award.
“This image from the creative category started from a fashion shoot. My intention was to morph an insect and a human to highlight our interdependence,” she said.
