Clarion Awards …

The Finalists in the 2011 Queensland “Clarion Media Awards” were announced last Thursday eve and the nice surprise is that my work covering category 5  Cyclone Yasi’s vicious onslaught on far north Queensland has been selected in both the major photographic categories – “Best News Photograph” and “Best Photographic Essay”.

Rounding out the other finalists in each category are Neville Madsen (image from the Toowomba floods) and Rob Maccoll (image from Cyclone Yasi coverage) in “Best News Photograph” – and in “Best Photographic Essay” – once again Rob Maccoll (for state wide disaster images) and Harrison Sarogossi (for images from a night in Brisbanes’ Valley).

Rob Maccoll, staffer at the Courier Mail, and I have been friendly rivals over many years … and the ribbing will be on again this year for sure!

The big media awards presentation night and dinner is on Saturday 10 September at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and is organised by the hard working crew at the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) and the Walkley Foundation.

For the list of all finalists from all the media categories across Print, TV, Radio and Online – and details of how to book for the big evening – go to the “Clarion Awards” page.

Below is just one image from my finalist entries – “Lives Laid Bare” – an aerial image of just one of the residences destroyed by Cylone Yasi at the luxury resort island of Bedarra. Clicking on the image will take you to the full Cyclone Yasi essay on my web site proper.

Image © Brian Cassey


 

Almost …

Visited Sydney this week to attend both the “Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize” and the “Head On Portrait Prize” after two of my images – ‘Cyclone’ and ‘Carol – Burns Survivor’ respectively – were selected as finalists.

In each of the photo prizes 40 finalists were chosen (out of many thousands of entries) and it was, indeed, an honour to be amongst the great work on display and in contention.

Nice surprise then, when ‘Cyclone’ (see earlier blog post ‘Moran Prize…’ for the actual image) – was adjudged “Highly Commended” and runner up to Moran Prize winner Jack Atley – who pocketed a cool hundred grand winners cheque! Unfortunately my award cheque was somewhat way smaller than Jacks!

However, both exhibitions are now under way and very much worth a visit – they both contain magic and inspiring images from Australia’s top photographers and photo artists. You can see all the finalists at the Mitchell Galleries, State Library of New South Wales until 26th June for the Morans … and at the Australian Centre for Photography in Oxford Street, Paddington till June 6th for Head On .

 

Head On Portrait Prize …

Hot on the heels of the news about the Moran Prize Finalist image a couple of weeks ago … just received the great news that my image ‘Carol – Burns Survivor’ has also been selected as a ‘Finalist’ in the massive 2011 Head On Portrait Prize. Apparently there were well over 2500 entries this year so it is indeed an honour to have an image selected in the final cut.

Also selected as finalist was an image by my ‘fotostrada’ colleague Dean Lewins entitled ‘2.39am’. We’ll both be watching the Winners announcement with interest when the exhibition opens at the commencement of the Head On Photo Festival in Sydney early in May.

Below is my selected image – ‘Carol – Burns Survivor’ – © Brian Cassey

Moran Prize …

When I first arrived in  India I received the pleasant news that two of my images made the semi-finals of the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize 2011.

A few days later whilst well into our Rajasthan road trip the news got even better and  that yet another of my images was selected as a Finalist and a contender for the huge $100,000 prize. (Not that I have any illusions that it will be successful in that regard!)

The Moran is the richest and one of the most regarded photographic prizes in Australia (indeed the World) and it is indeed an honour to be selected alongside the work of some amazing photographers.

The three images selected are below … top is the ‘Finalist’ … an image entitled ‘Cyclone’ taken in the wake of category 5 Cyclone Yasi. Below are the two semi-finalists … ‘Carol – Burns Survivor’ and ‘Ivan Bamboo – Meths Drinker’.

All images © Brian Cassey