My portrait of Amanda is shot on film with a Mamiya RB67 camera. Amanda wishes she was born a woman. She is not comfortable dressing as a woman in public. This shot was taken in her bathroom at home.
The women Photographing Australia's Climate Crisis
Honoured to be a participant in this important visual petition on climate change. My photos from the Lismore floods and Byron Bay's Main Beach erosion are included.
Living Memory: National Photographic Portrait Prize Finalist 2021
2021 sure has been a year like no other. This year’s National Photographic Portrait prize was themed Living Memory, and the collection of 79 finalists encapsulated the year that was.
The exhibition opening event scheduled for 30 July was cancelled due to COVID. Unlike Sydney, regional NSW wasn’t in lockdown and the ACT was still letting us in. The 11 hour drive to Canberra from Byron Bay was eerily quiet with only semis on the highway, and the odd car.
The exhibition didn’t disappoint. The images summed up the last 12 months of drought, bushfires, our collective isolation, fear and joy.
I hadn’t seen my portrait yet. The image went straight from my laptop to my printer and framer in Melbourne, and then onto a truck bound for Canberra. When I finally spotted it on the wall, Steve was viewing it from his wheelchair. His carer let me know it was Steve’s favourite portrait as it reminded him of his father. They were just about to take a photo of Steve with my portrait to send to Steve’s dad. I hadn’t won the prize, but meeting Steve had made the long drive worth it.
My portrait was of surfer Rusty Miller. 2020 was a tough year for Rusty with cancer taking its toll on him. I took this photo of Rusty on his verandah at home in Byron Bay as he reflected on the changes he was seeing in the town with the wave of cashed up migrants from the COVID cities. Rusty is the author of Turning Point: surf portraits and stories from Australia’s golden era of surfing in the early 70’s. The book is a reminder of our free-spirited, countercultural past when living was cheap and easy. Rusty is considered surfing royalty, and is featured in one of the most recognisable images in surfing: the poster for the classic 1972 movie Morning of the Earth.
Rusty Miller 2020
Rusty & Steve hanging out at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture Finalist 2021
My portrait of Bundjalung woman Ella Noah Bancroft was a finalist in this year’s award. It was an honour to share the wall space with so many incredible contemporary Australian photographers. Ella is a Bundjalung woman born in Australia with blood lines to Scotland and England. As a proud Aboriginal gay woman she is the minority of the population of Australia. Growing up she could shape shift into most communities, both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous, but often was confronted by both about being a ‘White Aboriginal’ or not being black enough. It was confusing for Ella constantly being challenged about her Aboriginality and then later in life being constantly challenged about her homosexuality. Apparently she didn’t look Aboriginal and didn’t look gay. This photo of Ella is taken on Bunjdjalung Native Title Land and encapsulates being caught between both worlds. Her glance was accidental, she looked the other way as a stranger walked past.
Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture 2019 Finalist
My current series of portraiture is called Water. The series is a collection of portraits taken of people who use our local beaches. This portrait is called ‘Swim’ and was shot in Byron Bay last summer. All three women swim daily. Since taking this portrait, Sophie has given birth to a healthy boy named, Ocean.
The Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture is a $20,000 biennial national award for excellence in photographic portraiture dedicated to the memory of photographer Olive Cotton. The winning work is acquired for the Tweed Regional Art Gallery’s Collection. The exhibition is selected from entrants across Australia and is a significant opportunity for photographers living and working in Australia.