Moscow, Moscow …

MIFA - Moscow International Foto Awards - Winner Editorial Sport - 'Tomotaro on the Block' - image by Brian Cassey

… Thanks to a congratulatory Facebook post from AP photographer and mate Mark ‘Crusty’ Baker, I learnt that my image “Tomotaro on the Block” has been announced as Second Place (Silver) Winner in the ‘Editorial Sport’ category of the 2019 Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA) … and will be shown at the Moscow Photocenter, Gogolevsky Boulevard, 8 Moscow (119019, г.Москва, Гоголевский бульвар, д.8) from the opening event on 19th June to the 24th June. (The original notification from ‘MIFA’ ended up in my ‘Junk’ folder … Thanks Crusty!)

Sadly … as much as I’d like to … I can’t make it to Moscow to see it and the other winners on show. (unless someone out there feels inclined to donate a return airfare 😉 !  … NB … I haven’t yet visited Moscow !)

As I bit of compensation, however, it turns out that I also received a ‘Highly Commended’ for another of my images … “Victims of Sorcery – Dorcas” in the ‘Editorial Conflict’ category … a combined result that almost mirrors that of a few months ago in the 2019 Tokyo International Foto Awards (see post ‘Two Up in TIFA’ here). Gratified that both these images have so far picked up several accolades between them.

The image of Tomotaro was made whilst covering the Pan Pacific Para Swim Games in Cairns (for the Canadian swim team) … whilst the image of Dorcas was made whilst working on a story on sorcery and witchcraft in Papua New Guinea for News Ltd’s News 360.

Below … the two awarded images from the “Moscow International Foto Awards” web site (click on each to take you to the full web site page) … Images © Brian Cassey

 

MIFA - Moscow International Foto Awards - Winner Editorial Sport - 'Tomotaro on the Block' - image by Brian Cassey

MIFA - Moscow International Foto Awards - Editorial Sport - 'Tomotaro on the Block' - image by Brian Cassey

12th International Color Awards …

Just a little pat on the back for the pic I made … ‘Tomotaro on the Block’ … (below) … of Japanese amputee swimmer Tomotaro Nakamura competing at the Pan Pacific Para Games in Cairns last year. The image received an ‘Honorary Mention’ in the ‘Sport’ category of the 12th edition of the ‘International Color Awards’, which was announced during a two and a half hour live online ‘Photoshow’ this morning. (and no … I didn’t watch it all.)

‘Tomotaro on the Block’ also recently won a ‘Silver’ award at the 2018 Tokyo International Foto Awards.

The ‘Sport’ category was won by UK photographer Ian Macnicol with a ‘not entirely unachieved before’ swimming image … ‘Honey Osrin’. His image also won Ian the overall title of ‘Photographer of the Year’.

The only other Aussie based photographer to get a mention in ‘Sport’ was adventure photographer Aidan Williams for his dramatic National Geographic published image made in Portugal … ‘Freedom’.

A second image … my pic from Papua New Guinea entitled “Victim of Sorcery – Dorcas” … was selected as a ‘Nominee’ (Finalist) in the ‘Photojournalism’ category of the Awards.

The Awards attracted over seven thousand entries from photographers based in seventy nine countries around the planet.

Below … ‘Tomotaro on the Block’ …  image © Brian Cassey

 

'Tomotaro on the Block' - image by Brian Cassey - winner 'Honorary Mention' 2019 12th Edition 'International Color Awards' 'Sport' category - amputee swimmer Tomotaro Nakamura 

Two Up in TIFA …

Nice start to 2019 … just advised that TWO of my images have been selected as Winners in the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) 2018 announced today.

The two winners … both Silver Awards … are … ‘Tomotaro On The Block’ in the Editorial Sports category … and … ‘Victim of Sorcery – Dorcas’ in the Editorial Conflict category.

The image of Tomotaro was made whilst covering the Pan Pacific Para Swim Games in Cairns (for the Canadian swim team) … whilst the image of Dorcas was made whilst working on a story on sorcery and witchcraft in Papua New Guinea for News Ltd’s News 360.

Great that the only other Australian Winner in the Editorial category was colleague and mate Jason O’Brien who also scored a Silver in the Sport category for his brilliant (and often awarded) image of the dive by French Tennis player Gael Monfils at the Australian Open. Congrats Jason … and nice to see our images side by side.

The Overall Winners in the Editorial category were … a disturbing image ‘Slaughterhouse’ by Spanish photographer Aitor Garmendia (First) … and another disturbing image because of the subject matter … ‘Donald and Hilary’ by US photographer Aude Guerrucci (Second).

There’s some great images from photographers from all around the Planet amongst this years TIFA Winners … and they are well worth the time to take a look here.

Below are my two Winners … top … ‘Tomotaro on the Block’ … bottom ‘Victim of Sorcery – Dorcas’. Images © Brian Cassey

Winner - Silver Award - TIFA - Tokyo International Foto Awards - Editorial Sport - Japanese swimmer Tomotaro Nakamura - who had both arms amputated below the shoulder at birth - looks towards the setting sun as he prepares on the block for the start of his S5 50 metre freestyle final at the 2018 Para Pan Pacific Championships at the Tobruk Pool in Cairns Australia. Nakamura won Gold. He is one of Japans most accomplished paralympic swimmers. Image by Brian Cassey
Winner - Silver Award - TIFA - Tokyo International Foto Awards - Editorial Conflict - “Victims of Sorcery - Dorcas” - from the series “Victims of Sorcery” Dorcas Nunugi recovers from a ‘Sorcery' attack in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Dorcas, accused of sorcery following a family death, was attacked with an axe and her arm almost severed. She received other axe wounds to her thigh and head. She was then tortured with iron bars heated red hot in a fire, leaving massive scars on her torso, breasts and legs. Somehow she escaped alive -many victims don’t - their bodies dumped in the river or a convenient hole. Sorcery attacks have reached epidemic proportions in PNG. Image by Brian Cassey

Honorary Canadian at Para Pan Pacific Games …

Born in England, live in Australia … so have never thought I would be considered ‘Canadian’.

However, I found myself part of the wonderful Canadian paralympic swim team last week … in the role of team photographer … at the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Games over five days in Cairns. I was presented … and wore … the tee shirt emblazoned with a large red maple leaf to prove it.

The Canadian team is full of charming characters and great competitors and it was a delight to watch and photograph their combined efforts against teams from the United States, Japan, India, Brazil, Costa Rica, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. The Canadians collected forty medals, twenty four personal best times … and one World record to Aurelie Rivard in the 400 metre freestyle S10 …  over the championships.

It was an uplifting, sobering and emotional few days … and brilliant to be involved with so many true athletes and watch the wonderful camaraderie between nations and competitors.

Arguably, however, the most emotionally charged images I made were quick grabs … whilst the Canadians were not swimming … of Japanese swimmers Tomotaro Nakamura and Takayuki Suzuki.

I had just finished photographing Aurelie Rivard win another medal when I noticed Nakamura mount the starting block for his 50 metre freestyle final … and look skyward as if to steel himself as the light bathed him. Just made a couple of frames before the moment was over. The image of Suzuki was made at the moment he lost contact with his starting block during his heat swim.

Below, © Brian Cassey, are the images of Nakamura (top), Suzuki (middle) … and Canadian Aurelie Rivard during her World record swim (bottom).

 

Pan Pacific Para Games - Tomotaro Nakamura - image by Brian Cassey

Pan Pacific Para Games - Takayuki Suzuki - image by Brian Cassey

Pan Pacific Para Games - Aurelie Rivard - World record 400 metre freestyle - image by Brian Cassey