| Brian Cassey Photographer Cairns Australia

6th Photography Masters Cup …

February 25, 2013February 25, 2013

Just been advised that one of my images “Homeless in Seoul” won an ‘Honorable Mention’ in the ‘Photojournalism’ category of the “International Color Awards – 6th Photography Masters Cup”.

Nice …

The image was made at Seoul Railway Station South Korea and shows a child peering at a homeless man preparing his cardboard box bed for the night in an underpass at the station. The homeless at the station are embroiled in a battle with state owned railway operator Korail who have evicted several hundred homeless from the railway precinct.

Two of my other images – “Chook” (an image of Kowanyama elder ‘Chook’ with his grand children) and “The Seventh Second” (an image of indigenous rodeo rider Elroy Josiah eating the dirt) – were also Nominess in the ‘People’ and ‘Sport’ categories.

The complete list of winners and nominees can be found here at http://www.thecolorawards.com/6thphotoshow/index.php

The winning and nominated images are also shown below …

“The Seventh Second” at the Clarions …

August 26, 2012

Queensland’s media congregated at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre last Saturday eve to recognise their collective achievements over the past twelve months … courtesy of the MEAA and The Walkley Foundation.

Approximately 300 attended “The Clarions” and celebrated awards across the spectrum of the states media – TV, radio, online and print. As is usually the case when the media congregate – the drinks flowed rather well.

Half way through the evening I was summoned to the stage to collect the award for “Best Sports Photograph” for the image I made last year at the Mareeba Rodeo – “The Seventh Second”. A little pleased about that!!!

Here’s the caption for the image –

“It’s The shortest ride in sport. Eight seconds is all it takes to record a ‘ride’ in the rodeo saddle bronco event.

Indigenous Bull riding specialist Elroy Josiah was a fraction of a second from ‘scoring a ride’ at the Mareeba Rodeo in far north Queensland when … at the 7 second mark … he gave his mount ‘Arrow’ a little too much respect and rein !

It was all that ‘Arrow’ needed and … sporting an dastardly evil grin … ‘Arrow’ dispatched Elroy and he was eating the Mareeba dirt.

For Elroy, who hadn’t been on a horse for 5 years as he usually is content to just ride bulls, you’d think it would have been a salutary warning. But Elroy is ‘hooked’ on the pain! “I love the riding,” he says, and adds, “I love feeling the pain, too. I’m not just saying that. Pain is my middle name.”

Then Elroy couldn’t wait to jump back on a bull … ”

The image was published as a double page spread in The Australian Weekend Magazine “Heart of a Nation” feature section with great text by journalist Ross Bilton.

“Pain Is My Name” …

April 28, 2012October 2, 2011

For some time now one of my fondest places to see my pictures published has been the “Heart of the Nation” weekly feature in the “The Weekend Australian Magazine” – a rare image driven feature that runs ‘out of the ordinary’ photos from around Australia and matches the images with great in depth ‘words’.

Now it’s even better … the mag has had a recent major revamp … and “Heart of the Nation” has moved from a single page at the back of the book to what is often a double page spread near the front under the additional title ‘ForeWord – People & Observations”.

The new format looks sensational … and the images leap off the pages at you at about (in my old measurements) 14 inches by 10 and half inches … a size that is pretty rare in newspaper colour mags.

This weekend the mag featured an image I made at the recent Mareeba Rodeo of a chuckling horse dispatching his rider to his destiny and a face full of dirt. Great words, as usual, from journalist Ross Bilton and the two page spread as run and Ross’s words are shown below.

“Heart of the Nation” is a great window for Australia’s fantastic depth of photographic talent … and picture editor Christine Westwood, feature journalist Ross Bilton and the new magazine editor Christine Middap deserve congratulations … and the gratitude of photographers.