Tanks Exhibition … From 8th December …

The Tanks Arts Centre (Cairns) November/December program of events is hot off the press … and has brought home the reality that the time for my next exhibition is getting close.

“A Photographer’s Life – Part One” will be opening in Cairns on December 8th … and running to the 23rd December (closed for Xmas and New Year) and open again from 2nd to the 30th January.

Very much a retrospective (and in a way introspective) journey through my love affair with the camera and the photographic image from the very first day I clicked a shutter … and continuing on through the decades. It contains many images made in Cairns and tropical north Queensland … and many more from around the planet. Much of the camera and photographic ‘hardware’ from across the decades will also accompany the show. Below is the promotional page from just published ‘The Tanks’ events program.

Tank 4 at Cairns Tanks Arts Centre is a fantastic venue and my sincere thanks is more than due to venue curator Chris Stannard and his team. This will be my second exhibit at Tank 4 following the “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” in 2014.

“A Photographer’s Life – Part One” already enjoyed an ‘ugely successful month long showing during this years Head On Photo Festival in Sydney at the beautiful heritage listed Juniper Hall, Paddington.

You are invited on the 8th December … and more than welcome on that or any other day … so If you fancy … please whack the dates in your diary … will be great to see you there.

Image © Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - exhibition at The Tanks Arts Centre Cairns from December 8th 2017 - by Brian Cassey

‘Armani Refugees’ … Not … !

It’s not too often that your work prompts days worth of National news coverage … but that has been the case since last weeks job for the Daily Telegraph and News Ltd in Papua New Guinea.

The job description from the DT pic desk was succinct … get to Port Moresby and find the first group of refugees that were flying out of Manus Island en route to the United States. In short … I did find them, spoke to them, shared drinks and (almost) a shisha pipe with them … and photographed them at Port Moresby airport as they departed for resettlement in the US.

The images were published page one and page six of the Daily Telegraph (below) … and almost instantly Australia’s Immigration Minister Peter Dutton denounced the asylum seekers in my photographs (variously from Myanmar, Sudan, Bangladesh, Somalia, etc) for their dress and refugee status, during a radio interview with Sydney’s Roy Hadley. The term “Armani Refugees” was bantered about.

This par is from The Guardian … “Mr Dutton, asked about an image of those preparing to depart Port Moresby, said a lot of people who ended up in the island camps had not come from war-ravaged areas but were instead economic refugees. They’d received “an enormous amount of support” from Australian taxpayers for a long time. “We have been taken for a ride, I believe, by a lot of the advocates and people within Labor and the Greens who want you to believe this is a terrible existence,” Mr Dutton said.”

So … there you have it … being incarcerated behind numerous massive razor wire topped fences for a period of around four years, being subjected to physical and mental torment despite being classified as ‘genuine refugees’ by government agencies whist also NOT being a criminal … is astonishingly described by Dutton as “receiving an enormous amount of support”!

Let’s get this straight … the clothing of those asylum seekers who I saw depart PNG was either … donated by charities or government … or purchased on the very cheap from Manus Island road side stalls or shops. Armani or Gucci didn’t come into it.

Labor’s Chris Bowen fired back at Dutton … “They are refugees, they’ve been found by him (Immigration Minister Peter Dutton) and his government to be genuine refugees under the (UN 1951 Refugee) Convention – and he might choose to point that out rather than being the commentator on the efficacy or otherwise of their clothing.”

I spent several hours with the group of refugees in their well hidden Port Moresby hotel … and can confirm that their over riding concern wasn’t for fashion or clothing … but for the fate of the hundreds of their asylum seeker friends still facing an uncertain future at the hands of the Australian Government on Manus Island.

It did take several days … but on Sunday Foreign Minister Julie Bishop DID come out to contradict colleague Dutton and confirm that “people leaving Australia’s offshore detention centres for resettlement in the US were ‘genuine refugees’ (source – The Guardian). At least Bishop showed some integrity … too much to expect any of that from Dutton.

Images © Brian Cassey & The Daily Telegraph

Armani Refugees - Daily Telegraph - Manus Island refugees fly to the US - image by Brian Cassey

Armani Refugees - Daily Telegraph - Manus Island refugees fly to the US - image by Brian Cassey

Image Theft From @everdayclimatechange …

In May I was invited to join the Everyday Climate Change @everydayclimatechange Instagram group … a collaborative feed founded by James Whitlow Delano to highlight the visual effects of warming on our precious planet. It has recently grown to surpass one hundred thousand followers. Delighted to join a group of dedicated wonderful photographers with a vitally important agenda.

Sadly, @everydayclimatechange has been the victim of blatant image theft by a ‘for profit’ company. A dozen contributors, including myself, have seen their work stolen, their personal and @everydayclimatechange image credits stripped … and featured on the companies instagram feed complete with our copyright holders captions in place.

We at @everydayclimatechange are now collectively contemplating what action to take to redress the situation.

Below … side by side … are my relevant © contributions to @everydayclimatechange (left) and the stolen works as published (right – with the offending company name etc obscured at present).

Images © Brian Cassey

@everydayclimatechange by Brian Cassey

The Final Frame … Nikon F2 and AFP400TX …

Well that brought back memories …

Back when shooting film and you have one frame left on your roll of thirty six … and something too good to miss presents itself.

Thanks to Renato Repetto‘s excellent AFP400TX project (#AFP400TX, @AFP400TX – see my earlier post) I recently got to revisit that long forgotten scenario. As explained earlier the project aims to get a manual everything Nikon F2 loaded with just one 36 frame roll of Tri-X film into the hands of selected photographers around Australia … and from the resulting images compile capital city exhibitions and a book.

An admirable project that I’m very pleased to be a part of.

I took my turn with the beautiful F2 a couple of weeks ago. Renato has just received my processed images back from the project sponsors Rewind Photo Lab in NSW … and has allowed me to use one image to show you guys what’s going on. (The rest are a secret until the project culmination.)

Prior to making this particular image I had already shot a variety of scenarios and carefully used 35 of the precious 36 frames on the roll. Then I met Geoff …

… and Geoff had a story to tell.

An accomplished musician, Geoff Tozer has been told he is dying. He has been diagnosed with bowel, bladder, bone and advanced spinal cancer. But … he says … “I’m too busy to die”. Geoff told me he’s a friend of Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and accomplished in Wyman’s musicality. He is set to work on the soundtrack of a new movie on the short life of Stones member Brian Jones … possibly alongside musician legends Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Mick Fleetwood.

So … with just that one frame left on my project roll of film I was feeling a bit of pressure when I lined up the image and pressed the shutter to make Geoff’s portrait.

It was with some relief that I received the scanned image (below) from Renato last eve !

The AFP400TX Nikon F2 camera is now winging it’s way down to Victoria for Melbourne photographers Michael Coyne, Jesse Marlow, Tracey Nearmy, Barat Ali Batoor and Andrew Chapman to make their contribution.

Image © Brian Cassey

AFP400TX Project - "Too Busy To Die" by Brian Cassey Cairns Australia

Nikon F2 … Roll of Tri-X … 36 Pics …

Thanks to legendary veteran combat photographer Tim Page (who dobbed me in) … I have this week been wielding on a spare shoulder a pristine circa 1971 manual everything Nikon F2 loaded with a roll of Tri-X film.

The idea … the brainchild of photographer Renato Repetto … is to get the Nikon into the hands of top (and not so top) photographers all around Australia who will each shoot one roll of B&W film … just 36 frames each.

The AFP400TX Project is about seeing life through the eyes of Australian Film Photographers. The Nikon F2 (eye level DE-1 Plain Prism, 1971-1976) no 7587117 with a 55mm 2.8 Micro Nikkor will be used for every exposure of the project, making the only variable the photographer. All rolls of film will be developed by the project sponsor Rewind Photo Lab in NSW to ensure consistency across the project.

My colleagues of note featured in the project include the afore mentioned Tim Page … David Dare Parker, Michael Coyne, Stephen Dupont, Jesse Marlow, Sean Davey, Heather Faulkner, Roger Garwood  … and many maybe not so well known.

A diary accompanying the camera will document the creative thoughts of all the photographers in the project for later  incorporation into a photo book. The book will be launched with gallery exhibitions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne featuring silver gelatin prints of the best photos of the project.

Now … I cut my teeth shooting ‘manual everything’ film SLR’s way, way back when … but can now confirm that ‘going back’ is somewhat of a sobering and frightening experience !!

Below is a pic I made (on a D4S) of Wik Munkan artist Lex Namponan from Aurukun, wielding the precious Nikon F2 used in the project. Lex was born in 1971 … the same year that the F2 was released. I used two precious frames from the Tri-X roll to make a portrait of Lex. Fingers crossed that Lex and I make the AFP400TX Project exhibitions and book …

Image © Brian Cassey

AFP400TX Project - Australia - Brian Cassey

 

Everyday … Climate Change …

During the Head On Photo Festival in Sydney a few weeks back I got to meet with many photographer colleagues … some that have been friends for many years … and many that I was meeting for the first time. Amongst the later was James Whitlow Delano … an American reportage photographer based in Tokyo with a reputation for great work on the subjects of human rights, the environment and culture.

James was a co-member of the Head On Photo Festival featured debate panel on photojournalism … and following the proceedings at The Beauchamp Hotel we had a little chat. James explained that he was the creator of one of the most far reaching and popular ‘everyday’ Instagram feeds … @everydayclimatechange … and invited me to join. Cool bananas … !!!

@everydayclimatechange, as the name suggests, attempts to highlight the problems and challenges of Global climate change through imagery … and it’s photographer lineup is awe inspiring! As well as James … amongst the inspirational and dedicated members are Ed Kashi, Ashley Crowther, Michael Robinson Chavez, Franck Vogel, Palani Mohan, Amnon Gutman, Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert, Matilde Gattoni and Vlad Sokhin … to name just a few from around six continents. (Apparently I’m the first Australasian based member – an honour indeed).

The feed is currently (today) followed by over ninety six thousand people World wide … and fast approaching the 100K milestone. It makes fascinating reading and viewing and brings into stark reality the effects that human habitation is having on our Global home.

For myself, already a member of of @everydayaustralia created by Andrew Quilty and currently with over 56K followers, @everydayclimatechange gives me the opportunity for my work to be seen by a wider audience … and perhaps make an infinitesimal difference to the state of our planet.

Please consider following @everydayclimatechange

Below is a screen grab of the @everydayclimatechange page … followed by the image and text of my very first post. Thanks James for the great opportunity.

Images © Brian Cassey (1) and individual photographers.

@everydayclimatechange - Everyday Climate Change - Brian Cassey

 

@everydayclimatechange - Everyday Climate Change - Brian Cassey

L’Oiel … Head On Festival Top Five …

Pretty speechless about this … an article today in France’s brilliant photographic magazine “L’Oiel de la Photographie” (The Eye of Photography) by photographic journalist Alison Stieven-Taylor has my Head On exhibition … “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” … as one of the top five exhibitions in the current “Head On Photo Festival” in Sydney.

Considering that this years “Head On Photo Festival” features photographers work in about a hundred and twenty exhibitions and locations around Sydney city …  that is amazingly gratifying. Especially when, as I have seen, the amazing work from photographers around the planet who have been selected to exhibit their fantastic work on seemingly every available Sydney wall.

Alison rounded out her top five picks with Juli Balla’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, Dina Litovsky’s “Meatpacking”, Astrid Verhoef’s “Inscapes” and “Kings Cross 1970-1971” by Australian legend Rennie Ellis.

However, there are many other exhibitions at Head On this year that will also blow you away … including, but not only, “Amelia and the Animals” by Robyn Schwartz, brilliant “Bowie Unseen” by Marcus Klinco, Michael Amendolia’s work on sight restoration in Africa and Asia, Natan Dvir’s “Platforms” … and … Maggie Steber’s mesmerising “The Secret Garden of Lily Lapalma”.

I’ll be posting more about my exhibition and my time at the festival in the days to come. Do yourself a favour and try and take in as much as you can of one of the Planets greatest photography events.

Below … a screen grab from “L’Oiel de la Photographie” and Alison’s ‘top five’ exhibitions.

Images © Brian Cassey, text © Alison Stieven-Taylor and “L’Oiel de la Photographie”.

 

L'Oiel de la photographie - "A Photographer's Life - Part One" - top five exhibitions Head On 2017

 

 

Canberra, Carol and the NPPP …

Despite the best efforts of devastating Cyclone Debbie, massive floods and Qantas I still managed to make it to Canberra on Friday eve for the official opening bit of the 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery … but with literally just seconds to spare.

Getting to Canberra at all was a massive drama. I spent a near week covering the Cyclone Debbie story in Bowen for Fairfax news. There was a tiny window late on Wednesday – after ‘Debbie’ battered the Whitsundays and before the ensuing massive storms – for myself and three AAP and Fairfax colleagues to attempt to get out of Bowen. Roads north had supposedly been blocked by flood waters in the cyclone aftermath – so when officers left a road block we made a move. In the little car convoy we forded flooded roads and into an almost apocalyptic thunder storm and insanely torrential rains. We eventually came out the other side with the highway surely now impassable behind us and arrived saturated and relieved back in Townsville late that night.

Then Qantas combined with the remnants of ‘Debbie’ to almost thwart the trip to Canberra. In quick succession not one but two of my flights Cairns to Canberra were cancelled. Frantic phone calls, rearranged flights and a car booked to whisk me from Canberra airport to the National Portrait Gallery … and I arrived just as the opening speeches ended.

It had been a badly kept secret … thanks to a great NPPP show preview special article in ‘The Australian Weekend Magazine’ a couple of weeks ago … that my work “The Skin I’m In – II” (below) of burns survivor Carol Mayer was in the mix as a Finalist and in the National Portrait Gallery exhibition. Once again I must sincerely thank the wonderful Carol for her patience and decision to let me make the portrait.

NPPP judge George Fetting had this to say about Carol’s image …  “It’s such a terribly powerful and courageous story and for her to let the photo be taken, presenting such beauty and pain in the same image, moves everyone who looks at it.”

Whilst in Canberra it was great to spend time with photographer colleagues … afore mentioned former Courier Mail and SMH photographer George Fetting, co NPPP Finalist Jon Reid, ex Cairns mate Sean Davey and Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year 2015 Gary Ramage.

Sean has created a great photo gallery in Canberra – The Photography Room – which is currently showing Gary’s excellent work – “Afghanistan” – made during his 2011 embed with Australian forces. Gary and Sean gave me a private showing before a lunch to chew over all the industry ‘goss’. Both the gallery and the exhibition are well worth a visit …

A massive, rewarding and eventful week …

(Below – “The Skin I’m In – II” at the NPPP © Brian Cassey)

 

The 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize: - Canberra - "The Skin I'm In II) - Carol Meyer - by Brian Cassey

The 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize: - Canberra - "The Skin I'm In II) - Carol Meyer - by Brian Cassey

The 2017 National Photographic Portrait Prize: - Canberra - "The Skin I'm In II) - Carol Meyer - by Brian Cassey

10th International Color Awards …

Nice to receive some news from the 10th International Color Awards last week … and it appears that my work had some success. The awards are an annual event showcasing the best of the Planet’s color (sic) photography.

Abdullatif did it again … with the image I made of the Iraqi refugee battered in a Manus Island PNG police cell – “Beaten Asylum Seeker” – taking out ‘3rd Place – Honor of Distinction’ in the ‘Photojournalism’ category. Images by UK’s Filip Warwick (‘Over the Border’) and USA’s Sebastian Meyer (‘Newroz in Kurdistan’) were awarded first and second prize.

Also pleased to note a smattering of other acknowledgements in the list as well … one of my images of burns survivor Carol Mayer (‘The Skin I’m In’) was honoured with an ‘Honorable Mention’ in the ‘Portrait’ category … whilst an image I made of a large turtle landed at Lorengau, Manus Island (‘Turtle, Manus Island’) was selected as a nominated ‘Finalist’ in the ‘Photojournalism’ category AND the ‘Wildlife’ category.

The announcement of winners and nominees and their works was made in a three and a half hour live broadcast on the internet … but I missed that bit.

My works mentioned are shown below … images © Brian Cassey

10th International Color Awards - Portraits - Honorable Mention - 'The Skin I'm In' by Brian Cassey

10th International Color Awards - Finalist - Photojournalism & Wildlife - 'Turtle Manus Island' by Brian Cassey

 

‘Fluorescing’ Coral … and the SeaLife DC2000 …

… following a catastrophic incident with an underwater housing and not wishing to face the prospect of drowning a perfectly good and expensive Nikon D5 and turning it into a salty paperweight, I searched for an underwater camera that wouldn’t break the bank, shoots raw, has an off camera strobe, versatility … and would be stress free.

I came across the new SeaLife DC2000 when it was first announced. The specs included a SONY 2.5cm back-illuminated 20MP CMOS image sensor, RAW & JPEG capture, built in underwater colour correction, full Manual, Auto and Mode shooting, a comprehensive selection of lighting options and accessories … and both the housing AND camera are waterproof to depths far below that which I will descend to.

Surprisingly the BEST price deal on the new kit … I opted for the kit which included the Sea Dragon Flash … can be found in Australia from Tim Hochgrebe at Underwater Australasia. His price is way under anyone else I could find around the planet (including B&H) and he expedited stock into the country, offered free shipping AND a free extra battery. He still has some stock I believe and it can be found at https://underwater.com.au/shop/sealife-dc2000-camera-pro-flash-set.html.

I’ve now used the SeaLife DC2000 (pic bottom below) on a couple of occasions on news stories on the Great Barrier Reef … and have found it easy to shoot … admittedly a little slower and more measured than a housed DSLR … and easy to view and make adjustments underwater. For my shooting style adding the SeaLife ‘Fisheye’ (which it isn’t) wide angle lens to the setup was a no brainer.  The image quality from the camera is fine …

It isn’t perfect … what camera ever is … but the SeaLife has provided me with a relatively stress free setup to use for underwater news jobs.

The image below (with marine biologist Sam Grey from Silver Sonic) was taken with the SeaLife at Moore Reef on the GBR this week … and … before you mention the vivid colours I should explain that many of these corals are ‘fluorescing’ … showing amazingly vibrant and brilliant colours as they become stressed by too high water temperatures. These colours are exactly how the coral appeared … particularly striking was the plate coral near the centre of the frame. A prelude to bleaching and possibly coral death. I also witnessed large gardens of totally white ‘bleached’ coral. Our Great Barrier Reef IS under threat from Global Warming.

Main Image © Brian Cassey

Fluorescing coral Great Barrier Reef Moore Reef by Brian Cassey

SeaLife DC2000 underwater camera with Sea Dragon flash

 

Eric the ‘Beef Boss’ … & Lunch …

Eric Rosendale of Bonny Glen Station, Cape York Peninsula says he needs to clear more of his land for grazing and to make it possible to muster stock on horse back. He was critical … in a story by The Australian journalist Michael McKenna … of the Queensland Governments proposed tree clearing crack down.

I’ve just learnt that the picture I made to accompany the story has now been recognised in the ‘2017 Queensland Rural Press Media Awards’ … and I get to go down to Brisbane for a nice lunch at the Stamford Plaza in a couple of weeks to receive a couple of rural ‘gongs’ … courtesy of the Rural Press Club.

The image of Eric (below) was selected as the Winner of the ‘People’ category in this years photography awards … and then also selected as ‘Overall Winner’ across all photographic categories. It will now go on to represent Queensland in the Nation wide ‘Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography’ which is decided by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists. If successful there it will move on to represent Australia in the planet wide competition run by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) to be announced in South Africa. Some ‘If’s involved in all this … but pleased to receive the recognition so far and to follow up last years similar win with ‘Beef Farmers’.

‘Beef Boss’ Image © Brian Cassey

'Rural Press Photography Awards Queensland 2017' - Winner - 'Beef Boss' by Brian Cassey - Eric Rosendale of Bonny Glen Station, Cape York Peninsula

Bi ’16, Hi ’17 …

Thanks to Murray Young for pointing this out (I was across the other side of the planet so initially missed it) … great showing in the first publication of 2017 in the Sunday Mail, January 1.

The S Mail used my image of beaten asylum seeker Abdullatif Almoftaji across the entire front page cover of their photographic retrospective special … ‘2016 Pictures of the Year’ … which also included some mind blowing and soon to be, if not already, ‘iconic’ (for want of a better term) images … including Cameron Spencer’s Getty image of Usain Bolt, Burhan Ozbilici’s startling AP image of Mevlut Mert Altintas after murdering Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov, Jonathan Bachman’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ Baton Rouge protest pic of leshia Evans … and Mahmoud Raslan’s haunting image of 5 year old Syrian child Omran Daqneesh in Aleppo. All images that will go down in history.

Real Chuffed to have my image part of such an amazing collection.

My pic of beaten 20 year old Iraqi asylum seeker Abdullatif was made at the Manus Island Papua New Guinea police watch house during a visit to document the island’s detainees. In December it was recognised as the winner of the Nikon Walkley Portrait Prize for 2016.

Below is a grab of the January 1st three page Sunday Mail special ‘In the Frame – Pictures of the Year’ (Abdullatif image © Brian Cassey)

Pictures of the Year 2016 - Abdulaftif Almoftaji - Manus Island by Brian Cassey

Pictures of the Year 2016 - Abdulaftif Almoftaji - Manus Island by Brian Cassey

 

Sensational Walkley’s …

What a night … and a what a result … !

The 2016 Walkley Awards on Friday eve at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre heralded an historic ‘first’ … the mega talented and great guy photojournalist Andrew Quilty the first photographer to ever take out the biggest prize – the ‘Gold Walkley’.

Nobody deserves it more …

Andrew is totally dedicated to his craft and gave away a job at Fairfax to move to Afghanistan as a freelance. His work is extraordinary.

I was fortunate – by way of my Nikon-Walkley Portrait win – to be seated at the same table 55 as Andrew on Friday eve … along with the incredibly legendary war photojournalist Tim Page and partner Marianna Harris, Walkley advisory board member and photographer Michael Amendolia, prolific photography journalist Alison Steven-Taylor (‘Photojournalism Now’), my Cairns photographer mate Marc McCormack and Mrs Sandra, Tanie Harris Sansey … and Andrew’s delightful mum Ann.

Definitely the best table of the night !

Before the evenings events commenced Andrew had already bagged the Nikon-Walkley ‘Photo of the Year’ award … and soon added the ‘News Photo’ award … before thrilling the scores of media photographers – and everyone else in the room  – with the final award of the night – the ‘Gold Walkley’. Magic …

A absolute pleasure to chat with Tim … and delighted that he suggested we swap prints … my Portrait Prize pic for one of his amazing historic combat images. Pretty stoked about that …

The rest of the Nikon-Walkley photography awards were also ‘spot on’ … with Alex Coppel taking out ‘Press Photographer of the Year’, Cameron Spencer the ‘Sports Photography’ award and David Maurice Smith the ‘Feature/Photographic Essay’ award … all against some amazing ‘Finalist’ opposition.

Well done Walkley’s and Nikon … truly memorable !

Below is top … Tim Page watching the announcement of my ‘Nikon-Walkley Portrait Prize’ win from our table … and below … the older PJ legend Tim chats with the newer legend Andrew Quilty after his ‘Gold Walkley’ win.

Images © Brian Cassey 2016

2016 Walkley Awards - Nikon-Walkley Awards - Gold Walkley, Andrew Quilty - Portraiture, Brian Cassey

Walkley Awards 2016 - Nikon-Walkley Awards - Winner Gold Walkley, Andrew Quilty - Portraiture, Brian Cassey

21st QMMA’s …

Enjoyed a great night last Saturday at the Cairns Reef Hotel Casino celebrating – with colleagues from the media and advertising industries –  the twenty first Queensland Multi Media Awards.

At the end of a very entertaining evening and after enjoying some great company and many laughs, I left lugging awards for ‘Best Editorial Photograph’ (Ravenshoe Blast Survivor) and ‘Best Photographic Image’ (Manus – Beaten Asylum Seeker).

I’m very grateful to the subjects of my images … former Ravenshoe cafe chef Noeleen Avenell who suffered massive burns and months of painful recovery (which continue to this day) … and young Iraqi asylum seeker Abdullatif who suffered detention on Manus Island at the whims of the Australian government. (As a footnote – Abdullatif, now just twenty one, was recently deported back to Iraq … and in past weeks I have managed to track him down to Turkey where he fled after finding Iraq ‘too dangerous’.)

Below are the two winning images … © Brian Cassey

Thanks to the 2016 QMMA organising committee … and ‘bring on’ the 22nd QMMA’s in 2017 … !

 

Winning Images - Queensland Multi Media Awards 2016 - 'Best Editorial Image' - "Ravenshoe Blast Survivor" - 'Best Photographic Image' - "Beaten Asylum Seeker" by Brian Cassey

Front on Fairfax …

I certainly don’t do as much work for Fairfax publications as once I did (newspaper budgets across the board have sunk almost out of sight) but still get various odd commissions from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and the The Australian Financial Review.

So it was a pleasant surprise to get a message from The Age pic ed Leigh Henningham with the news that one of my images was on their front page on Friday … and turns out it was also page 1 of the SMH. It’s been a while since a pic of mine has graced both major Fairfax newspaper front pages on the same day …

The pic of a surgeon who wished to remain anonymous (creating a little challenge) was made inside a hospital surgery several weeks ago.

Below is a pic of The Age newspaper page 1 … the layout in The Age is marginally better than the SMH … and The Age managed to spell my name correctly in the pic credit … doh !

Image © Brian Cassey

The Age, Sydney Morning Herald -page 1 - 23.09.2016 - image by Brian Cassey

Delayed Gratification …

Nice publication this week in a brilliant innovative UK print magazine … ten pages of my images and words in “Delayed Gratification – (the Slow Journalism Magazine)” –  finely orchestrated by DG director Marcus Webb.

The mag takes a refreshing and unique look at the news.  It’s stories re-analysis news events three months after, “picking out what really mattered and returning to events with the benefit of hindsight so we can give you the final analysis rather than the first, kneejerk reaction.”

The classy elegantly designed and printed publication takes the form of a quarterly historical document with “lots of beautiful infographics, which we use to draw out patterns from the quarter and give new angles on stories.”

They proudly boast … “We invest in the best long-form, in-depth journalism in the world, accompanied by stunning images and photo features.”

My work – “Between Heaven and Hell”  – tells in images and words the story of Manus Island and the impact of Australia’s contentious two billion odd dollar Lombrum asylum seeker detention centre on the Papua New Guinea island and it’s indigenous population. It was the result of two visits (totalling three weeks in July 2013 & May 2016) to the island, working as a freelance for News Corp Australia (who kindly OK’d the use of my images in the mag).

Below you can see the ten magazine pages of the article … and if you’d like to read my words I strongly suggest you take out a subscription to what is a truly wonderful magazine! You won’t regret it …

As “Delayed Gratification” say on their web site … “It even smells good !”

Images © Brian Cassey, News Corp Australia & Delayed Gratification

Between Heaven & Hell - Asylum Seekers on Manus Island - by Brian Cassey in Delayed Gratification

Hell or Heaven … Manus …

… it all depends on your perspective …

As intimated in an earlier post … my new pic essay from the work on Manus Island Papua New Guinea documenting the plight of detained asylum seekers and the lifestyle of the islanders – entitled “Manus Island – Heaven & Hell” – is now up on both my personal site and that of the photojournalist collective ‘fotostrada’.

Twenty six images contrasting the idyllic but basic lifestyle that Manus Islanders have enjoyed for centuries with the new phenomena of asylum seekers from the Middle East, north Africa and west Asia amongst their midst. A distinct clash of culture.

The essay may be found on my personal site here “Manus Island – Heaven & Hell” … and on the  ‘fotostrada’ site here “Manus Island – Heaven & Hell”.

Below is just one image from the essay … one that I missed during my edits on the island but found recently whilst doing a recap !

Image © Brian Cassey

Manus Heaven & Hell by Brian Cassey - Manus Island PNG

Bowness & Beef Barons …

‘The William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize‘ – (known more briefly as the ‘Bowness Photography Prize’) – was established just ten short years ago by the Monash Gallery of Art but has grown to be one of the most important … and lucrative … photography prizes in Australia. It is an ‘open’ prize and attracts all forms of photography with no thematic restrictions – and entries this year numbered nearly two and a half thousand from around six hundred artists.

So … to receive the email today from Bowness with the news that one of my images has been selected as a ‘Finalist’ was something of a shock and a buzz!

My ‘Beef Barons’ image –  of Daintree cattle farmers 71 year old Janice and husband 84 year old Keith Osborne – made the shortlist cut, along with a truly extraordinary collection of work by fellow finalists. (After checking out the rest I’m under no illusions that ‘Beef Barons’ will progress any further in the prize.)

I notice that two of my matey photographer colleagues – Stephen Dupont and Russell Shakespeare – are also ‘shortlisted’, but many others on the ‘list’ are unfamiliar to me which can only point to the wealth of photographic talent that abounds in this country.

The work of all finalists will show at the Monash Gallery of Art in Victoria from September 1st till October 16th – and the big night opening and award of the 25 grand prize money and other prizes will be on Wednesday September 7th.

‘Beef Barons’ is shown below … Thanks to my subjects Janice and Keith ! (The pic has already picked up an earlier win in a remarkably different prize – the ‘2016 Rural Press Club – Excellence in Rural Photography Award’ – and was originally published in the Courier Mail)

(Press Update – since the Bowness announcement various stories have been published about the work of the finalists – including this one at ‘The Creators Project’ which features eight of the shortlisted images including ‘Beef Barons’. Click here to view.)

UPDATE … 23rd July … this pic ran today in the ‘Weekend Australian Magazine’ as a double page spread in the weekly feature ‘Heart of the Nation’ … with a great story by Ross Bilton. You can read Ross’s revealing interview with charming cattle farmer Janice, and see the pic in larger format, at … http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/heart-of-the-nation-daintree-4873/news-story/9095105782e96acff07346c557c50306

Image © Brian Cassey

Bowes Photography Prize 2016, Wilfred and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, Beef Barons, Finalist 2016 by Brian Cassey

 

Ravenshoe Blast Survivor …

Sometimes good things just happen … sometimes very bad things just happen …

The Courier Mail journalist Peter Michael and myself were on the Atherton Tablelands covering the story of the virus that had killed four elderly patients at Herberton Hospital. On the very off chance we also dropped into an address that we had for one of the most badly injured of the survivors of last June’s appalling and unfathomable ‘Serves You Right Cafe’ explosion in Ravenshoe. (For the few that may not remember – an out of control ute inexplicably careered into a large gas bottle at the rear of the cafe – causing a massive explosion that killed two and injured twenty more).

Noeleen Avenell answered her door to us dressed in one of her full pressure suits – a fact of her life since the explosion – and invited us in. We then sat enthralled as she regaled us with her story over the months since the accident.

Noeleen was the chef at the cafe that day and told us of the the moment the vehicle smashed into the gas bottle followed seconds later by the massive explosion that, mixed with the burning cooking oil she was working over, engulfed her. She was dragged from the smouldering cafe by her ankles – the only parts of her body that weren’t burnt – and remembers being placed into the ambulance. She woke up from a coma a month later in the Royal Brisbane Hospital with burns to near sixty percent of her body and rated only a five percent chance of survival, spent four months in intensive care and has so far endured eighteen operations – but it was evident from her talk with us that she has not lost her sense of humour.

More of Noeleen’s saga … and evidence of her wicked sense of humour … can be found in Saturdays The Courier Mail story here (possibly only to News Ltd subscribers unfortunately).

Thank You Noeleen for your incredible story, allowing me to make your portrait … and for showing truly amazing strength and dignity.

Below is one of the portraits made … and grabs of page 1 and page 12 of Saturdays The Courier Mail.

Images  © Brian Cassey

Noeleen Avenell - survivor of the Ravenshoe 'Serves You Right' cafe blast - portrait by Brian Cassey

 

Noeleen Avenell - survivor of the Ravenshoe 'Serves You Right' cafe blast - portrait by Brian Cassey

Great Bit of the Barrier Reef …

Over the decades I’ve been fortunate to visit many Great Barrier Reef dive sites working on reef stories for various publications … but this one spot – the Fish Bowl at the Sno Dive Site at Opal Reef out from Port Douglas visited whilst working for the Courier Mail just before Christmas …  is really something else !

Just before my visit the BBC selected this very reef spot and spent two weeks here filming a documentary and searching for the ultimate reef footage and ‘money shot’.

In this pic made on a Nikon D4s in a Ewa Marine housing, Heather Baird – a 23 year old dive master from the reef boat Calypso – is swimming amongst an amazing variety of corals.

Lets hope the threats of global warming, coral bleaching, ocean acidity, fertiliser runoff … and the crown of thorns star fish … do not impact this beautiful irreplaceable environment.

(September 2016 Update – I returned to the Sno Dive Site. It appears that the vivid colours of the coral in this image from December 2015 MAY have been due to the coral being ‘under stress’ from sustained high water temperature … as the bleaching process began. Certainly, on my return to Sno there were no corals showing such intense colouration.)

Image © Brian Cassey 2015

Opal Reef - Great barrier Reef Australia

Sarah Floating with Fishes is the ‘Business’…

Great to see this image (below) of Belgian visitor Sarah Idriss Yazami at the Great Barrier Reef used really nicely on the cover of the current Queensland Business Monthly magazine published on Friday. I made the pic with the help of the delightful Sarah and dozens of cooperative reef fish at Green Island several months ago – originally to accompany the story of the The United Nations World Heritage Committee decision against listing the Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’.

Another image from the same set was used to accompany that original story in Queensland Newspapers ‘Sunday Mail’, and this pic languished for a few months until picked up for the QBM cover of their new issue focusing on the resurgence of Queensland’s reef island resorts.

Sarah – a member of the Save the Turtle program – was a model of patience as we waited on the rain swept island for the tide to recede and for the sun to emerge … several hours later the rain clouds parted and we had a tiny window to make the pics before the ferry headed back to Cairns. Cue fish … !

Image © Brian Cassey

Swimming with the fish at Green Island Great Barrier Reef

 

 

‘Head On’ Blog Feature …

Nice to be included amongst great company in the ‘Head On Photo Festival’ blog ‘Best Lessons in Photography’ feature – alongside current ‘Nikon Walkley Press Photographer of the Year’ (and bloody genius), Andrew Quilty –  and ‘Head On Landscape Prize’ winner, Alfonso Perez de Velasco.

In retrospect – perhaps I should have put just a little more thought into the photography ‘tip’ that I provided for the ‘Best Lessons’ segment – but I was off choofing around the countryside when the call from Head On’s Lauran Hohmann arrived. (Yeah, no excuse I know).

Lauran also posted four examples of my work along with the segment … and Lauran … I’m very grateful !

The work and the photography ‘tip/lesson’ (?) are shown in the screen grab below – or can be seen alongside the work of Andrew and Alfonso on the ‘Head On’ blog site at … https://www.headon.com.au/blog/best-lessons-photography-brian-0

Images © Brian Cassey

Head On Photography Lessons Brian Cassey

Words ‘n’ Pics on Sex in PNG …

The illegality of female and male sex for sale and homosexuality in Papua New Guinea does not mean that these practises are not flourishing in our nearest neighbour … with the resulting growth of HIV/AIDS, sexual violence and rape.

To compile this story and images  – “Lives On The Line – The Risky Business of Selling Sex in PNG” – for Papua New Guinea’s Lily magazine (the first of hopefully more newspaper/magazine publications) – I spent some considerable time last year in ‘establishments’ in Port Moresby that most would politely describe as ‘questionable’ and/or ‘risky’ to say the least. However, most of those I spoke to in relation to their work selling sex did so with polite acceptance and frankness. Photographs were made that would not make their identity and involvement obvious to the authorities.

Amongst those providing me with remarkable insights were a self confessed middle aged lesbian pimp who has the health and well being of her teenage charges very much at heart, two teen girls (16 and 18) who cruise a well known Port Moresby ‘patch’, a ‘working girl’ (Pamuk Meri) who bases herself in an infamous ‘club’ and admits to half a dozen or so ‘clients’ a day … and a young gay man to whom payment for sex is just ‘normal’.

“Lives On The Line” is the third story that I have had published in Lily Magazine – a quality glossy women’s print mag that would well and truly hold it’s own on Australia’s news and magazine stands. (… and Many Thanks to Lily Managing Editor Margo Nugent for her hospitality and assistance!)

If you are interested in the full story and publishing “Lives On The Line” please send me an email at … …

Below are pdf’s of the eight pages of the article in the mag …

Magazine © Lily 2015, images and words © Brian Cassey

Lily Magazine article on Sex in Papua New Guinea - words and images by Brian Cassey

Lily Magazine article on Sex in Papua New Guinea - words and images by Brian Cassey

Beautiful One Day …

In the week before departing for the New York trip I had the very real pleasure of working alongside ultra talented journalist Trent Dalton at Palm Island (once nicknamed “Coconut Alcatraz”) in the Coral Sea on a story for the Australian Weekend Magazine. That story – entitled “In Their Own Words”– was published last weekend.

I strongly suggest that you take time (if you haven’t already) to read Trent’s wonderful story. It may be found here … http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/palm-island-after-100-years-of-trauma-writes-a-new-storyline/story-e6frg8h6-1227532935088 (with several of my images).

Trent and I spent several days with the people of Palm Island – mostly with the cast and crew of the theatre production “Beautiful One Day” – a play created by Palm Islanders that documents the troubled history of the indigenous island settlement from establishment early last century by the Queensland Government through to the Mulrunji Doomadgee ‘death in custody’ tragedy and the resulting furore. (I wouldn’t even attempt to match the words written by Trent so do suggest you read his complete story here !)

“Beautiful One Day” – the central element of the magazine story – came ‘home’ to Palm Island after successfully touring in London and around Victoria and is also currently showing at the Brisbane Festival QPAC till September 26.

The Palm Islanders and the crew of “Beautiful One Day” were more than gracious hosts … and I had a ball making images of the theatre production and the people and lifestyle on the island.

Below is a grab of the opening title spread in last weekends magazine and also the image in question – one of six used with the story.

Images © Brian Cassey

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