On Saturday eve my portrait of highly respected Australian artist Tony Clark … made in his tin shed studio at Mission Beach whilst he prepared works for his massive “Unsculpted” exhibition in Melbourne last year … was announced as Runner-Up and ‘Highly Commended’ in the photographic portrait prize. (Top image and third image below.)
The biennial Percival Portrait Prize announcement opening eve at the historic Perc Tucker Gallery was packed to the rafters with invited attendees and a terrific event. The prize has grown massively in stature since its inception way back in 2007 and now attracts art works from Australia’s most talented creatives. The prize is split into three sections … portrait painting, photographic portraiture and animal portraits.
This year the three prizes were judged by very prestigious art experts. The photographic prize was judged by the delightful Serena Bentley … vastly experienced Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra (bottom pic at Saturdays opening). Many Thanks, Serena, for selecting my work “Unsculpted – Australian Artist Tony Clark” to a second place. (It was pleasure being interviewed briefly by Serena during Sunday mornings ‘Judges Talks’.)
The painting prize was judged by renowned art historian, critic and curator Sasha Grishin, who took pains to declare the Percivals painted works more favourable this year than the Archibalds ! Respected art lecturer Ron McBurnie had the fun job of selecting the best of the animal portrait entries.
I also had a further exhibit on the Percival walls. A photographic portrait I’m very fond of featuring friend and subject David Glasheen (who we have sadly recently lost to this World), entitled “Millionaire Castaway”, was also selected as a finalist. (Image 2 below.)
Tasmanian Cassandra McMahon beat me to the $10,000 acquisitive Percival Photographic Portrait Prize with her great work “Empty Vessel”, whilst Elena Churilova collared the painting portrait prize of $40,000 with her work “Smartphonisation”. ‘Animals’ winner was Catherine Stewart with “Eye On The Weather”.
A great and rewarding weekend and well worth the visit to our ‘lesser’ neighbour down the coast 😉 .
Thank you to the Townsville City Council who do an amazing job administering the very special awards … and to the great staff of the Perc Tucker Gallery (special mention for curatorial assistant Chloe Lausen – in 3rd pic below installing the exhibition – from the Townsville Bulletin) … to the judges (in particular photographic judge Serena – bottom pic at the opening) … not forgetting the many artists, friends, family and interested parties who made the weekend so special.
(Oh yes … satisfyingly, it’s now five times in a row that my work has been featured amongst the Percival finalists … and you may see my previous selected portraits here … 2024, 2022, 2020, 2018.)
… delighted to see one of my favourite works once again getting a showing across the other side of the planet … this time in Valencia Spain as part of the “Rostros – The Sea of Cultures” exhibition hosted by Valencia Photo Fest.
‘Alf’ is just one of the forty nine portraits by forty five artists from twenty six countries around the Globe that are now on the walls of two historic beautiful buildings in the centre of Spains third largest city. The exhibition was ‘inaugurated’ in front of large crowds at the two venues on Monday … the October Contemporary Culture Center and the Public Library of Valencia … both wonderful locations.
Very gratified to have my ‘Alf’ image “100 Years & 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” amongst the 49 works chosen from last years massive 270 portraits shown at the Art-Icon “Faces” exhibition in Arles France.
Luckily I have a good photographer friend who moved home to Valencia from the United States fairly recently and he took time out to send me some images of my displayed portrait … Thank You, Michael Robinson Chavez ! ( … he’ll likely tell me orf for this ,,, but he’s won a Pulitzer … twice 😉 ). Curator at ValenciaPhoto, the lovely Vilma Dobilaitė, chipped in with a few images too … and was a pleasure to communicate with.
In case you can’t actually get to Valencia (I can’t 🙁 ) before the exhibition closes on the 1 st of September you can see the entire collection of the 49 portraits here … https://valenciaphoto.es/rostros-el-mar-de-culturas/ (My “100 Years & 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” sits at #8 on the list … and the page does have an English language option :- ) . )
… always a rewarding experience to have a ’new’ image recognised and published nicely in a large format quality hard cover book. This portrait of “Snow” has just been selected at #8 of the Top 25 images in the 2026 Dodho Portrait Awards. The International awards recognises portraits that have “originality, visual impact, and compelling artistic vision”.
I met “Snow” whilst on assignment for Australian Geographic at the ‘Winds of Zenadth’ cultural festival on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait last September. Uncle Saila ‘Snow’ Savage is a Kaurareg Elder and the partner to Betty Mabo, daughter of the historic Murray Island legend Eddie Mabo. “Snow” … as the locals call him … is an utterly charming character and great visual subject matter.
The Dodho awards are the work of the people at Dodho Magazine … an independent International photography publication of some renown. based in Barcelona and “born with the vocation to promote the work and projects of photographers from all over the world”.
It’s the fourth year in a row that I’ve been fortunate enough to have scored a recognition and publication in their Portrait prize … whilst my work has also made an impression in their other category awards (Fine Art, Color and Monochromatic) regularly over the past years.
Top here below is this years Dodho Portrait selected work of “Snow” … whilst below are my three previous Dodho Portrait works … “Do Not Resuscitate – Peter “Potter” Thompson (2024), “100 Years & 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” (2023) and “The Skin I’m In II – Carol Mayer” (2025).
Dodho also produce wonderful hard cover books showcasing the work of their selected photographers. Thanks Dodho … happy you are not extinct ! … and Thanks “Snow” !
The 2026 Dodho portrait publication “Portrait – The Best Photographs 2026” will be published and on sale in June.
Twenty years ago today, 19th March 2006, category 5 Cyclone Larry was zeroing in on Innisfail, just like Cat 5 Cyclone Narelle is arrowing in on Coen Cape York Peninsula, landfall tomorrow.
At daybreak on that Friday the 20th March ‘06 Larry barrelled into the township and across much of the Cassowary Coast, leaving devastation and ruined lives in it’s wake.
Working for newspaper media, I arrived in a peaceful Innisfail on the 19th and booked into the Riverside Motel … only half of that motel survived the cyclones hammering. Wind gusts, some over 240 km/h, made short work of infrastructure across a large area between Cairns and Townsville.
The story of Cyclone Larry kept me occupied for many months after that fateful emotionally and physically exhausting day. Here (below) I’m featuring just some of the many images I made showing the extent of the cyclone damage and the stoicism of the people of far north Queensland. They were published widely and syndicated around the planet.
It appears that the inhabitants of the Coen area may well tomorrow experience cyclonic winds in excess of Larry’s 240 km/h … and I have a first hand understanding of what that will mean for them. I wish them luck and safety …
Way, WAY back in the late 80’s a handful of disenchanted The Cairns Post staff and contributors changed editorial track and published a new Cairns newspaper specifically catering to the northern beach suburbs communities.
The weekly ‘Northern Beachcomber’ became a reality in 1989 produced by the tiny team of Geoff Cooke (Editor), wife Rhonda Cooke (Reception & Admin), Pam Cooke (Typesetter), journalists Cat Atkins (Lindsay) and later Margo Nugent (Zlotkowski) … with myself producing all the photography. (NB … back in those days I was a shy young pup and all my photographs were published under my by-line ‘Sport ‘n’ Life Pictures’ ! )
For three years the ‘Beachcomber’ … Initially printed in Port Douglas … became an integral part of the beaches community and regularly broke stories regarding the colourful residents of the Cairns northern beach suburbs and anything specific to the area.
A thorn in the side of the Cairns Post until in 1992 News Ltd chose to ‘buy’ the ’Northern Beachcomber’ to nullify the opposition. The Post then ran the ‘Northern Beachcomber’ for a short while before closing it.
I must have known something back in those days as I carefully hoarded TWO copies of each edition in boxes under the house ! Coming across them a little while ago I offered a complete set of the newspaper to the Cairns Historical Society, who gladly snapped them up for historical reference and preservation ! They can now be accessed on request (I believe) at the Cairns Museum in the School of Arts building, corner of Lake and Shields Streets.
Just returned from a journey to the UK and Europe where a large part of my time was spent exploring the many brilliant exhibitions of photography by some of the planets most accomplished talents, past and present.
So, it was a no brainer to make a little side trip from a journey to the UK to explore Tallinn’s version of ‘Fotografiska’. Once again … ‘Fotografiska’ got it very right … brilliant displays of top photography. The 50 years of work by ‘Anton Corbijn’ portraying many of the World’s greatest musicians and entertainers across the decades, was truly remarkable.
In contrast to the Corbijn work was a stunning emotional exhibition by Swedish photographer Emilia Bergmark-Jiménez ‘To Be Born and to Give Birth’. The very intimate work (oft graphic) provided a wonderful insight into the birth of humans. You may see what most struck me at ‘Fotografiska’ Tallinn in the top four images below … Nick Cave and the Eurythmics by Corbijn, two works by Bergmark-Jiménez and the gallery in the snow.‘ Fotografiska’ now has galleries in Berlin, Stockholm, Shanghai and Tallinn. If you are in the vicinity of any I urge you to visit.
In London a priority was to visit the exhibition ‘Lee Miller ‘ at the Tate Britain and managed to get a ticket for one of the last sessions on closing day. Magnificent …
Well over two hundred works documenting the life and work of Lee Miller … which Tate accurately described as one of the 20th century’s most urgent artistic voices … adorned the walls of the historic gallery. Legend photographer Man Ray played a part in the exhibit with his stunning early photographs of his muse Miller … whilst you discovered her evolution as a photographer though the genres of fashion, portraiture, eroticism, surrealism, landscape, documentary, magazine and eventually hard hitting war photography. Her images from the German concentration camps are particularly confronting and important. Lee Miller was so much more than a photographer sitting in Hitler’s bathtub !
My images from ‘Lee Miller’ are fifth to eighth below … a metres high portrait of Miller greets visitors at the Tate exhibition entrance, my favourite image of Miller by Man Ray (cropped by Miller herself), Millers image of a Burgermeister’s daughter who committed suicide as allied forces approached Leipzig in 1945 and Millers image of the execution of Prime Minister of Hungary Laszlo Bardossy in Budapest 1946.
Onto another legend … New York born photographer Richard Avedon died in 2004 but his portraiture works are timeless. The Gagosian Gallery in London are hosting an amazing exhibition of his portraits ‘Richard Avedon : Facing West’ until early April. The beautiful contemplative gallery in Grosvenor Hill is displaying (and selling if you have the $s) twenty two of Avedon’s portraits not seen since their debut in 1985, curated by his daughter Caroline Avedon. The highly detailed works were made on large format film in the late 1970’s and early 80’s and are spectacular ! Below in places nine and ten below are two of favourites in the show … ‘James Kimberlin, Drifter, New Mexico, 1980’ and ‘James Story, Coal Miner, Colorado, 1979’. Great chance to visit if you are currently in London.
I was very fortunate to catch up with UK photographer friend/colleague, little pocket rocket Jennifer Forward-Hayter, whilst in London. Jen was recently a winner in the prestigious ‘Portrait of Britain’ award and was soon off to Melbourne on another assignment. However we managed to spend a great day together at the Victoria and Albert Museum rummaging through the museums various photography exhibits and libraries.
Main exhibit of several showing was ‘American Photographs’ … over 100 years of images from ‘Merica by photographers including Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier-Bresson (how’d he git in there ?) , Cindy Sherman and many more. A very comprehensive collection of Americana. We also scoured the photography library … 20000 books, journals and manuals which members (Jen is one) may access at any time. How good is that ? At image eleven below is a startling self portrait by Cindy Sherman from ‘American Photographs’.
Back to another Gagosian Gallery later in the visit to take in Nan Goldin’s stunning, sometimes confronting, ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’ … all 126 photographs from Goldin’s genre-defining photobook of the same name published forty years ago. The mass of images on the walls makes for a time of study and reflection … very effective. Images below thirteen and fourteen show one of the gallery walls and perhaps my favourite image from the collection.
Now … more Lee Miller ! Strangely the tiny Lyndsey Ingram gallery in London chose to also present an exhibition of Lee Miller’s wonderful work entitled “Lee Miller : Performance of a Lifetime” … thirty four works, which as far as I could see, were also included in the Tate Britain exhibition. However, without the Tate’s crowds the quiet little gallery was much more conducive to the quiet contemplation of Miller’s works. At image fifteen below are two of my favourites on the wall … both made in war damaged locations … ‘Model Elizabeth Cowell 1941’ and ‘Imgard Seefried Opera Singer 1945’.
Phew … sorry this is so long … it would have been longer If I’d had more time!
Images … from top … Nick Cave by Anton Corbijn at Fotografiska Tallinn Estonia, Eurythmics Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart by Anton Corbijn at Fotografiska Tallinn Estonia, two works from “To be Born and to Give Birth” by Emilia Bergmark-Jiménez at Fotografiska Tallinn Estonia, the Fotografiska Gallery in the snow in Tallinn Estonia, two images of Lee Miller from “Lee Miller” at Tate Britain London, two works by Lee Miller from “Lee Miller” at Tate Britain London, two works from Richard Avedon at the Gagosian Gallery, Cindy Sherman self portrait from “American Photographs” at the V&A, two images from Nan Goldin’s “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency” at Gagosian and finally, two images from “Lee Miller – Performance of a Lifetime” at the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery.
… lovely to have a couple of images … one new and one old … selected by “Atlas of Humanity” and to be exhibited in Paris later this new year.
“Atlas of Humanity” is an international imaging project based around the UNESCO Declaration on Cultural Diversity and uses quality photographs to document cultural and ethnic diversity around the planet.
My two selected images … “Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman – Dominic” – & – “Gama Warrior Woman – Tsumeriyah” … will feature in the event “ImageNation Paris 2026” at the Galerie Joseph Le Palais, one of the most beautiful galleries in the very heart of the Marais quarter central Paris just a few steps from the iconic Centre Pompidou. The exhibition … scheduled during Paris Photo Week in November … will feature my Dominic portrait framed large on the walls … whilst the Tsumeriyah work will be projected and online.
My portrait of Dominic Ngakyunkwokka as he returned to camp from an Aak Puul Ngantam mustering operation out from Aurukun, Cape York Peninsula, was made some years back and won a Head On Portrait Prize.
… this past week I had the very real privilege and pleasure to meet … and photograph … little twenty month old Tobias and his family.
The story of Tobias is heart breaking and, at the same time, miraculous and inspiring. In August 2024 at age of four months he was struck by the meningococcal disease. Within hours of the onset he had been flown from Cairns to Townsville Paediatric Hospital by helicopter, had lost both arms, both legs and twice, very nearly, his life. Paediatric surgeon Dr Harry Stalewski said he had never seen a meningococcal case so severe.
I learnt of the terrible plight and journey of Tobias from a photographer colleague and family acquaintance. A couple of weeks ago Renee Ping arranged an introduction to little Tobias and his delightful mother Katie to discuss the possibility of documenting the heart-rending story. After conferring with husband Steven the couple came to the decision that ‘it was time’. I put them in touch with health specialist journalist Jackie Sinnerton and arranged to make the images to accompany Jackie’s eventual piece.
The story has now been published in today’s print edition of The Sunday Mail and also online accompanied by some of the many images I made of Tobias and his family during our photo sessions.
I was fascinated to watch and interact with Tobias to make those many images … and it was truly inspiring to see how he was developing and learning to adapt without the use of limbs. Tobias can now gently grasp a ball, can burst a bubble, loves splashing in water, can sit upright unaided … and more. Most impressive was seeing his obvious thought processes on how to try and make things work.
To say I have a huge soft spot for Tobias is a great understatement !
Mother Katie, father Steven and Tobias’s siblings Zakoa, Hunter and Baylee form a remarkable team, brilliantly guiding and nurturing their little son and brother along a most difficult path. I am in awe …
The top photo is the image that I am most fond of from the hundreds I made of Tobias. However, the paper preferred to go with the other pic that you may see on the screen grabs below of pages 1, 4 and 5.
Oh Yes … the family have to make frequent road trips from Cairns to Townsville for Tobias’s treatment … but their vehicle is too small for all of them. The FNQ Youth Assistance Fund is organising fund raising to finance a larger vehicle. If you can help please donate at … https://www.fnqyaf.org.au/youth-support/donations/ … by selecting ‘Wheels for Tobias’ under ‘Donation Type*’. Thanks !!
… meet “Bronto” … the NEW ‘Big Boy’ at Marineland Melanesia on Green Island, Great Barrier Reef … 4.7 metres of croc attitude !
I made this image … very carefully … of “Bronto”, during a recent days work documenting the family owned croc park and reef tourism venture on Green Island, Great Barrier Reef. “Bronto”, raised by the late croc icon George Craig from a hatchling 55 years ago, has long lived in the shadow of infamous record holding “Cassius”, who lived at the park until his sad death just over a year ago at age estimated over 110. “Cassius” had for many years held the title of the World’s largest captive crocodile at 5 48metres. “Bronto” now steps into the starring role and snappy attraction …
This week also marks the return of “Cassius” (in an inanimate form) to the island park, following a magnificent job of taxidermy. “Cassius” now shares his own brand new room at Marineland Melanesia with memorabilia of his life and achievements … and details of the wonderful relationship that he shared with George over several decades. In a poignant twist both “Cassius” and George passed away within a just a couple of weeks of each other in November 2024. The new exhibit at Marineland pays tribute to both the wonderful characters who shared an incredible connection. Well worth a visit …
… my exhibition “Achromatic” sadly ended at The Hound Small Bar Edge Hill a little while ago now … however … only three images from my “Cold War” series, made in the atmospheric little lounge, were able to be featured amongst the dozen black and white works that made up the collected image selection.
So … as a big Thank You to my patient and wonderful “Cold War” talent … fellow photographer Emese Gyalog and Will Davey … I’m taking the opportunity to post more of the work, belatedly, here !
The catalyst for the “Cold War” series of images was the superb work of director Paweł Pawlikowski in the making of the gorgeous black and white Polish film “Cold War” (2018). The photography and light in the film is truly beautiful … and the emotion charged movie is arguably up there as my all time favourite.
In my images paying tribute to the film, Emese elegantly played the part of ‘Zula’ (Polish actress Joanna Kulig) and was supported manfully by Will as lead character ‘Wiktor’.
Thanks once again to Ana, manager at The Hound, who brilliantly facilitated both my “Achromatic”exhibition and a whole evening to make the “Cold War” image set. (Of course, … The Hound is always a wonderful venue for drinks any time !)
A shout out too to Cass from Cass Elmer Makeup, Cairns for her work.
A truly brilliant launch eve at the Bondi Pavilion to open this years festival … great large crowd of attendees and some lovely photography, awards and prizes, fat hot dogs and wine … perfect.
Was in Sydney for the festival in my capacity of featured exhibition exhibitor, award finalist, panelist … and more. This year the festival hosted well over a hundred exhibitions of photography … and I was thrilled and fortunate that one of them was my exhibition of work “Up North – Tropical People”. My featured collection … shown in prime position in the tranquil contemplative beautiful surrounds of the Paddington Reservoir Gardens … consisted of images of many of the characters that make Cairns and the tropical north home. Thanks Head On …
Also in the Reservoir Gardens complex was the collected works selected as ‘Finalists’ in the Head On Exposure Awards … and I was again delighted to be selected amongst their number with my image “Crush of Humanity – Dahi Handi – Mumbai”, made on an Indian adventure some years back.
The quality of the work in all this years Head On Awards … Portrait, Landscape and Exposure … was truly very special. Honoured to be amongst the list.
The winner of the Exposure Award was a remarkable, powerful, tragic and thought provoking image entitled “Faith Amidst Genocide”, made in war torn Gaza by Turkish photographer Abdelrahman Alkahlout.
Bondi Pavilion and the Bondi Promenade hosted many awards and exhibition collections for thousands of beach goers and tourists to take in … including a great exhibition of sport images (by many of my friends and colleagues) to celebrate the Walkley Awards 70th year … “Sporting Moments Through the Lens”. Pretty classic, that one …
One of the less obvious highlights was somewhat of a festival coup … the screening (first in the southern hemisphere) of the film “The Stringer”. Somewhat controversial, the film documents the authorship disputation of the iconic Vietnam war photograph “The Terror of War” (more commonly referred to as “Napalm Girl”). The screening also saw a live appearance by one of the films main characters and ‘witness’ … former Associated Press Vietnam pic editor Carl Robinson … who verbalised his account of the proceeding fifty years ago. Fascinating stuff … but far too complicated to go further into it all here. (“The Stringer” launches on Netflix later this month … ).
Now for a shameless bit of name dropping … just some of the co-panelists, photographers, award nominees, festival attendees and thoroughly nice people that I engaged with over my five days at the festival in Sydney … Dave Gray, John Swainston, Kate Geraghty, Glenn Lockitch, Judith Nangala Crispin, Paul Blackmore, Tegan Sadlier, Michele Aboud, Sebastian Giunta, Tim Levy, Jess Prescott, Bronek Kozka, Pia Jessen, Guy Templeton, Fiona Bowring, Grace Costa, Birgit Neiser, Anastasia Trahanas, Dianne Brooks … and many many more … AND … of course … the Head On crew that made it all happen … Moshe, Anita, Stephen, Paula and all the others involved in keeping the wheels turning. Thank You !
When travelling I do make a point to research any photographic exhibitions showing … and outside of Head On in Sydney I found a couple worth visiting at the State Library of New South Wales … “Merv Bishop: Close Up” (Merv made that iconic image of Vincent Lingiari and Gough Whitlam with red dirt running through his fingers) and “PIX: The Magazine that Changed Everything” (brilliant nostalgic exhibition exploring the fantastic photography in the publication that spanned thirty four years of the twentieth century). Both shows an added bonus to the Sydney visit …
… not my every day work … but very pleased to have a photographic piece on the wall in the important “Sex and Politics” exhibition in Paris France … opening this evening 13th November !
The exhibition description supplied … “Sex and Politics” is a contemporary photography exhibition taking place in Paris from November 13–16, 2025, which coincides with Paris Photo. The show, located at the Bastille Design Center, explores how sexuality, desire, and power intersect in photography. It features artists whose work addresses themes like the political nature of sexuality, the body in culture, and digital intimacy. “Sex and Politics” explores the intersections of sexuality, representation, and power in contemporary photography. The exhibition features artists whose work engages the body, desire, and the cultural ideologies that shape them.
Fortunately I had one image that I felt fitted the bill … and Danila at Art-Icon agreed.
I made the photograph of delightful Cairns girl Bonn Marie a couple of years ago. The rationale was to revisit the impact that the “Red Velvet” images of infamous actress Marilyn Monroe back in 1949 made in a building a sexual revolution in the 50’s.
2022 marked the 60th anniversary of the death at 36 of Marilyn … the planet’s greatest ever sex symbol . There were countless photographs made of her during a far too short career as an actress and centre of massive unrelenting attention. What I aimed to portray was an image of ‘Marilyn’ in the vintage style of the mid last century when she infamously captivated audiences around the World. The image mirrors the work of US photographer Tom Kelley, who originally shot those infamous “Red Velvet” photographs before her acting career took off. Tom’s image didn’t receive much attention until Hugh Hefner selected it as the first centrefold in the very first edition of Playboy Magazine in 1953.
Marilyn Monroe’s Playboy centrefold was historically significant, influencing the portrayal and public acceptance of the female form in a ground breaking way, shattering norms and redefining the place of women in society. The image was a pivotal element in Playboy’s goal to define sex as a socially acceptable subject and provide a new outlet for female sexuality. . Kelley’s image played a key role in shaping 20th century history, spawning a new reality of female sexuality and a sexual revolution, whilst catapulting the subject of feminism into the political arena. Female empowerment was on the march …
Will be eternally grateful to Bonn for her stunning portrayal and interpretation of an historic photograph that changed so much … Massive Thanks, Bonn.
Also like to sincerely thanks Danila and Slavica from Art-Icon for inviting me to exhibit.
… this time last week (Saturday 18th) two young British women were battling gusting twenty knot winds as they rowed their nine metre vessel ‘Velocity’ towards terra firma in Cairns.
The previous day I had taken a little voyage myself … a fifty nautical jaunt on the 12.5 metre Reef Adventures boat ‘Lethal Weapon’ … in the opposite direction. The rationale was to journey out past the edge of the Great Barrier Reef into the Coral Sea to meet Miriam Payne (25) and Jess Rowe (28) on the last stage of their epic 8213 nautical mile row across the Pacific Ocean.
The girls left Lima Peru on the 5th of May. 165 days later they stepped ashore at the Marlin Marina in Cairns after battling storms, massive waves, technical issues that nullified all their electronics … and a lack of chocolate … setting a new record as the first all-female pair to row across the Pacific Ocean nonstop and unsupported.
Following a rather bumpy trip on ‘Lethal Weapon’ through choppy waters last Friday, we found Miriam and Jess rowing steadfastly towards the edge of the Great Barrier Reef … and I made many images (just five of them here below). An hour or so later we shot back to Cairns. The pics were syndicated by Agence France-Presse/Getty around the planet. Very nice to see my work in The Times, The Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the Guardian (all UK) … and many more around the World.
( Arguably Miriam and Jess’s feat was more impressive than their Scottish male counterparts when taking into consideration ‘manpower’ or ‘womanpower’. Although the three Maclean brothers were quicker at 139 days … just the two of Miriam and Jess managed the journey only 26 days longer .. do the figures and go girls ! )
I had the pleasure of meeting Jess and Miriam (again) on dry land at a Salt House reception on Wednesday eve. A nicer couple of young ladies you could not imagine … vibrant, down to earth and full of humility. Many Thanks for the opportunity to meet you and your families properly … and thanks also to Cairns PR Pip Miller and Dave Gray from Agence France-Presse for your support.
Good (great) news stories are so good to cover …
You may see more of my images of these two amazing young ladies and their huge adventure on my Instagram here … and my Facebook here .
… some unabashed self indulgent promotions and, well, recent updates regarding my work :-).
Firstly … … can now reveal the image that was selected as a ‘Finalist’ in the prestigious Perth Centre of Photography portrait “IRIS Award” (see top below). My selected work “Unsculpted – Australian Artist Tony Clark” was kept confidential until last Friday eves exhibition opening event.
It’s the fourth time in a row that I have had works selected and exhibited as a prize finalist in this bi-annual award ( see my earlier ‘finalists’ from 2023, 2021 and 2019 ).
PCP describes the portrait prize thus … “Embracing unrestrained approaches to portraiture, the Award celebrates works of nuance, raw emotion, and personal connection — revealing the essence of human relationships and lived experience, whether in love, joy, desire, distance, or disconnection. We are invited into the shifting constellations of human sentiment, a space for reflection and dialogue on intimacy and identity in contemporary life.”
The PCP “IRIS” exhibition of the thirty finalist portraits runs from the 4th to the 18th October at Cheap Tongue Gallery, Walyalup (Fremantle) Tuesday–Friday 10am–3pm. If you are in ‘The West’ I hope you can take it in … 🙂 .
My latest exhibition in Australia’s premier photography festival … “Up North – Tropical People” … has now been confirmed. The work, pictorially portraying the wonderful inhabitants of the northern tropics of Australia, will grace the tranquil rustic walls of the Paddington Reservoir Gardens, Sydney from the 8th to the 30th November … and is free for everyone who wanders into the unique venue (second from top).
Lastly … this post is getting a bit long … very happy to receive a ‘finalist’ recognition for a black and white version of my “Millionaire Castaway – David Glasheen” image in the ‘People’ category of Australia’s 2025 “Mono Awards” (bottom image below).
Have just had the great pleasure once again … for the tenth year … of judging the annual Trinity Bay High School photographic Portrait Prize … and what a show it was.
In the intervening years I’ve been fascinated and oft times stunned by the photography produced by this schools visual arts students … a testament to their dedicated and enthusiastic teachers. Each year the newest crop of students step up and produce both thoughtful and quality portraits making the winners selections a difficult task. This year was certainly no exception …
Ultimately I selected the work “Hood Rat” (top below) by Tyquon Prasad O’Brien as this years winner … a beautifully composed and produced portrait that spoke of the seeming fragility of being a teenager in today’s world. Tyquorn was presented with a Nikon Z mirrorless camera kindly sponsored by Camera House.
Just behind Tyquon’s work was Sujan Rai’s portrait of subject Paula Moana Schwertfeger channeling “Taylor Swift” … a technically brilliant portrait based on a ‘Swiftie’ album cover. Sujan was presented with a polaroid camera. (More on album covers below … 🙂 ).
Also recognised were two Highly Commended portraits … “Twins” by Nyota Asumani Lufugula and “Motown Vibes” by Keanu Sudiana … great works both. I also found myself drawn to an emotive and different portrait on the wall by Lillian Orr entitled “Our Last Sunrise”. Something resonated with me and it turned out that the back story to the image was both emotional and very personal. It certainly deserves to be recognised.
The new ‘Junior’ category was won by Eva Nomotu for a nice portrait of her mother … ‘Peoples Choice’ went to Ally Payett for the ‘Wolf’ portrait … and the ‘Staff’ winner was Virgil Gill’s work “Kilth”.
Which brings to this years new innovation … a special project posed to the students to visually recreate music album covers ! Using photography and editing software the students created around sixty ‘takes’ on original CD covers … many technically great, some highly amusing and collectively a fantastic show. (see bottom image below for part of it). I selected the diptych by Aniisa Idai as the best in show, but in all honesty all the works were really all highly competent and highly entertaining ! (Especially liked ‘Kiss’, ‘The Group Fire’, ‘Fake it Flowers’ and, of course, ‘Amy Winehouse’ !)
The work presented at the show is a testament to the amazing talents of TBHS visual arts teachers … Janelle Williams, Caroline Mudge, Luke Marsden, Clair Lloyd and Melanie Tuxworth … the students are indeed lucky to have you. Take a bow …
You can view all the TBHS students winning works from the previous nine years by clicking here … 2024 … 2023 … 2022 … 2021 … 2020 … 2019 … 2018 … 2017 … 2016 …
AAP Magazine has published a beautifully produced magazine featuring the “Portrait” award winning works of 25 portrait photographers from around the planet … from the USA, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, China, Israel, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Italy … and two from Australia … myself … and friend Carole Mills Noronha whose work graces the magazine cover.
My winning image … “100 Years and 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” was accompanied in the publication by two other of my portraits “Millionaire Castaway – David Glasheen” and “Neville Henry – Kowanyama”, under the title “Australians” over a two page spread (see top below).
The hard copy publication really feels more like a book than a magazine … stout card cover and ultra heavy weight paper throughout the 96 pages … beautiful simple layout showing the work at it’s finest … and no advertising whatsoever. A pure pleasure to be included …
… delighted to announce my new exhibition of photographic works … “Achromatic” … at the beautiful atmospheric surrounds of “The Hound” bar, Edge Hill from the 17th to the 29th September.
The exhibit is my first ever collection of purely black and white photographic works … blending in with the theme of this gorgeous little whiskey/cocktail bar and celebrating its milestone first anniversary.
The definition of the title “Achromatic” … ‘free from extraneous colours, possessing or involving no hue’ … and the collection demonstrates how reducing a photograph to black and white emphasises contrast, form, and texture, allowing viewers to focus on composition and the interplay of light and shadow without the distraction of colour.
The photographs in the collection are varied and include, landscape, portraiture, photojournalism and more … and also includes three images made at “The Hound” as a tribute to the beautiful Paweł Pawlikowski film “Cold War”.
The exhibition is tailored specifically for the “The Hound” in conjunction with the amazing and motivated bar manager Ana Belen Hernalz … and I also owe a massive vote of thanks to fellow photographer Emese Gyalog and Will Davey who played their parts beautifully in the “Cold War” images.
Sadly I’ll be working in the Torres Strait when the exhibition first opens … but on return the plan is to organise a photographers eve and/or a closing event at the “The Hound” … very likely on Thursday 25th September. Put it in your electronic diary !
Last Saturday 30th August, three Scottish brothers rowed into Cairns in a tiny row boat at the culmination of an incredible 14500 kilometre unsupported voyage from Lima, Peru.
Brothers Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan comprehensively smashed the world record for the fastest human-powered Pacific Ocean crossing, completing the journey in 139 days.
I covered the arrival of the brothers in Cairns at Marlin Marina … where a crowd of family, friends, onlookers and media gathered … for AFP (Agence France-Presse).
The images are being widely published around the planet … and these are just a few of the pages they have ended up gracing … ‘The Scottish Sun’, The Scotsman’, ‘The Edinburgh News’, ‘The Taipei Times’ (Taiwan), France24, ‘The Malay Mail’ (Malaysia), ‘The Omak Chronicle’ (USA), ‘Digital Journal’ (Global), ‘Non Stop Local KHQ’ (Idaho USA), ‘ETV Bharat’ (India), ‘Barron’s’ (USA), AS Sports (Spain) … and arguably the three most prestigious … the UK publications ‘The Times’, The Independent’ and ‘The Daily Mail’.
A nice and positive story to cover … the brothers feat is really incredible as was the support that Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan received from a large and vociferous gathering of family and friends. Here are just four of the many images made on the day and syndicated by AFP.
From top … the brothers arrive at the Cairns Marlin Marina and celebrate with flares and bagpipes … Lachlan, Jamie and Ewan prepare for dry land … Lachlan and Jamie hug their girlfriends Heide and Emily after stepping ashore … Lachlan, Jamie and Ewan celebrate their remarkable success with the Scottish flag.
… fabulous to be part of a major portrait photography exhibition in Arles, France … with my work “100 Years & 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” exhibited over two and a half metres high overlooking the majestic Rhone River bank.
‘Alf’ wasn’t on his own … the river side walls were covered with scores of large images by the best portrait photographers from around the planet which made up the Art-Icon exhibit “Faces” (“Visages”) …. a major draw card in the just concluded 2025 Arles International Photo Festival (Rencontres d’Arles).
Sadly unable to travel to France for the show, It has been my real pleasure to vicariously enjoy it via the many photographers, both “Faces” participants and festival guests, who were lucky enough to ‘be there’ and nice enough to post images of the works very literally ‘on the walls’.
Good friends, Head On Photo Festival director Moshe Rosenzveig OAM and Pulitzer winner Michael Robinson Chávez, were attending the festival in Arles and took time out to make and send me pics of the exhibition and my ‘Alf’ work … whilst many of the “Faces” artists in attendance also splashed images around social media for those unable to get there ( See images below 🙂 ).
There is also a physical pictorial book of the “Faces” portrait exhibition in the works.
Once again I’d like to thank DanilaTkachenko and Slavica Veselinovic (@shavi_veselinovic) from Art-Icon for their tireless work creating this massive exhibition of poraiture and taking it to the World.
… Yay ! Great News … selected as one of three Finalists in the “Kennedy Awards” … “Outstanding Portrait Photography” category. The prestigious awards describe themselves as “a truly independent, national celebration of the best Australian journalism … the Australian media’s night of nights”.
The black tie awards presentation dinner is in the very plush surrounds of the Ballroom, Royal Randwick, Sydney on August 15th.
Sounds very flash … and yeah … will be packing the ‘whistle ’n’ flute’ and winging it down to Sydney for a couple of (likely dangerous) days meeting up with many photographer and journalist friends and colleagues.
You’ve likely seen my selected finalist image before in earlier posts ( here, here and here ) … and it’s described below so I won’t bombard you with it again.
… great to have a cover photo (and more pics inside) in the the current edition of The Australian Weekend Magazine … running with a story on former journalist colleague, Walkley Award and Prime Minister’s Prize for Literature winner now author, Nicolas Rothwell and his talented co-author wife Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson.
It’s long been a pleasure to work alongside Nicolas whenever we crossed paths … a supreme journalist when at The Australian for decades covering International news stories, indigenous affairs, arts … and more.
Nicholas and Alison have now co-authored the book “Yilkari – A Desert Suite” … launching July 29th by Text Publishing … a fictional tale centred on Alison’s Western Desert Luritja-Pintupi country in the Northern Territory.
So … it was a great thrill for me to be re-acquainted with Nicolas … and meet Alison … in their remote Great Dividing Range hideaway … and take a few images.
A distinct pleasure and a nice pic run too 🙂 … below is the magazine cover, a portrait of Nicolas which runs over the entirety of page 14 … and a cosy pic of the two of them on page 17.
In February I posted an ‘update’ on World renowned island castaway David Glasheen and his then health issues. I’m so sad to advise that the former millionaire and later decades long island recluse passed away last weekend. His family have told me that he never really recovered over the five months since that hospitalisation for a heart attack.
So … I make no apologies for once again running this ‘last image’ portrait (top) that I made of David in the Red Cross accomodation following his discharge from Cairns Hospital back in February. That portrait was the catalyst for an another lengthy story on David’s island life in the Courier Mail newspaper.
David’s story … of losing a business fortune in the 1987 economic crash and dropping out to live a solitary life for decades on a remote tiny island off the coast of northern Australia … resonated around the planet. His book “Millionaire Castaway” (illustrated on the cover with another of my ‘David’ portraits) was a best seller around the World.
I had the pleasure of visiting David (and his mannequin friend) on remote Restoration Island three times over the years. He was always a gentleman, a fascinating wonderful host … and a great subject. (His island brewed beer was pretty good too.) Below I’ve also posted a few more pics of David when on his island home in healthier times, with his dog Quassi and his ‘friend’ Miranda.
Restoration Island (and the World) has lost a unique resident … they don’t make ’em like ‘Resto Dave’ anymore …
… very happy to be featured nattering to Podcaster and former journalist/photographer Issac McCarthy for … whoa … an hour and twenty odd minutes about photojournalism and my pictorial work over the last several decades. Isaac hosts “How Good Are Humans” podcasts available on Spotify, Buzzsprout and Apple etc … and my little natter with him is his 54th Episode since beginning in 2020.
Isaac entitled this episode “Getting the Shot in Brothels, Refugee Camps and Disaster Zones | Photojournalism | Brian Cassey” … and it can be listened to right here …
Isaac is a terrific talented compere, extremely knowledgable about the media and certainly completes pain staking research on his subjects. In our hour and twenty four minutes and 32 seconds chat Isaac and I touch on the ethics of photojournalism, working and making images in hostile environments, gaining the trust of pictorial subjects, telling stories that inform the planet and ‘keeping the bastards honest’, the stories around several of my favourite images, the future of photojournalism … and much more …
If have you any interest about what I’ve been up to for the last few decades and curious about the ‘realities’ of photojournalism and media photography … pull up a comfy chair (and a couple of glasses of Shiraz or similar) … and relax for near an hour and a half.
… SO nice ! … very happy to be announced a winner in the 22nd International Pollux Awards with my image “Millionaire Castaway – David Glasheen”. Fifth year in a row I’ve had the honour of winning the major Pollux gong in People … and each time also awarded extra Honourable Mentions as well :-).
My portrait of 82 year old Restoration Island castaway and former business tycoon David Glasheen will be exhibited on the walls of the new Mediterranean House of Photography (formerly the FotoNostrum Gallery) in Barcelona, Spain in the first quarter 2026.
I made the portrait of David following his discharge from hospital after earlier suffering a heart attack. He plans to return to life on isolated Restoration Island when fully recovered.
