‘Lost Boy’ in The New Republic …

Great magazine with imaginative layouts and excellent writing – ‘The New Republic” – published in the US and covering politics, culture and the arts, is a breath of fresh air in magazine publishing. Great shame there isn’t a mag like it in Australia.

Have just received a hard copy of the latest September edition with several of my images of Restoration Island ‘stowaway’ David Glasheen accompanying a great piece of writing by journalist Kent Russell. The story – entitled “The Lost Boy of Restoration Island – Is It Possible to Disappear Completely” and scrawled over the pages with crayon – runs over all of twelve pages and utilises one of the nicest and most creative layouts I’ve seen in a magazine. The remainder of the issue is full of similarly great reading again using great layouts. Kudos to ‘The New Republic’.

Kent’s words brilliantly capture the character and essence of island loner David Glasheen and his lifestyle on tiny Restoration Island off the coast of Cape York Peninsula near Lockhart River. Six of my images of David, made on the island, accompany the text.

Although the article is best viewed in the print edition to appreciate the fantastic layout, you can also read Kent’s words and see my images online at http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114549/dave-glasheen-lost-boy-restoration-island

Below is a grab of the first two title pages of the twelve page article in the print edition showing the imaginative layout with just one of my images of David.

Image © Brian Cassey

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Fremantle Portrait Prize …

Had the pleasure on the weekend of being a guest at the opening eve of the ‘2013 Fremantle International Portrait Prize’ at the Moore’s Contemporary Art Gallery in … uuumm … Fremantle.

An excellent array of the finest examples of photographic portraiture, I was indeed fortunate to have two of my images amongst the 2013 collection – “Stockman” and “Carol – Burns Survivor”.

Enjoyed the evening’s events with photographic colleagues David Dare Parker, Richard Wainwright, Peter Ramshaw and others as we were entertained by a string quartet (nice touch!).

The exhibited work was of an exceptional standard and a testament to the organisers of the Prize which is in only it’s second year. Work from thirty countries around the Planet were amongst the entries which totalled near two thousand and, indeed, the winning photographer hailed from Croatia! The exhibition runs at Moore’s until September 1st. The next ‘Fremantle International Portrait Prize’ will be in 2015.

Below are pics of the Moore’s gallery space and my two images as they were hung – “Stockman” and “Carol – Burns Survivor” (©Brian Cassey).

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More Manus …

As flagged in the last post below, the ‘Courier Mail’ did, indeed, use my new images from  Manus Island Papua New Guinea in a ‘spread’ in Saturday’s print edition.

The entire essay is now also on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ in ‘Latest Stories’ at … http://www.fotostrada.com/#/latest-stories/the-other-side-of-manus/ … also can still be found at ‘The Australian’ online here … and will soon be added to my personal website.

An image of the ‘Courier Mail’ spread is below …

All images © Brian Cassey

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Manus Island and Papua New Guinea …

Thanks to Kevin Rudd and his new ‘Pacific Solution’ for asylum seekers I got to spend all of  last week in Papua New Guinea and Manus Island for News Ltd.

In Port Moresby we met, photographed and spoke to local Muslims, Bangladeshi shop keepers and local Papuans and listened to their opinions about Rudd’s plan. The images made several spreads in News Ltd publications and front pages of the ‘Courier Mail’ and the ‘Daily Telegraph’. I also photographed the PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill (and one of my images of  him appeared in todays edition of  ‘The Australian’ 30th July.)

Manus Island itself was a revelation. When Manus is mentioned these days most are only aware of the ‘hell hole’ asylum seeker detention centre (at which we managed to get ‘detained’ ourselves for some time!).

In reality Manus is a beautiful tropical island almost on the Equator and home to fifty thousand of the most delightful, beautiful and cheery residents you could imagine. My time on the island (apart from the detention centre incident and difficulties with communications) was an absolute delight.

As well as making images of departing asylum seekers and arriving politicians, I worked on a picture essay entitled “The Other Side of Manus” to contrast the reality of Manus island with it’s perception as just a dismal detention centre.

So far ‘The Australian’ has run the entire “The Other Side of Manus” essay at … http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/galleries/gallery-e6frg8zf-1226687067192?page=1  … and the ‘Courier Mail’ is planning to run it in their print edition later this week.

A great and rewarding weeks work in more ways than one …

Below are some of the images and a copy of one of the front pages – from the top – just three chosen from “The Other Side of Manus” essay of 25, an image of a family living inside a WWII bunker in Port Moresby and the front page of the ‘Daily Telegraph’ on the 22nd July.

All images © Brian Cassey

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“From Mansions, To Cages, To Coffins — Hong Kong’s Rotten Property Ladder” …

“From Mansions, To Cages, To Coffins — Hong Kong’s Rotten Property Ladder” … that’s the title that my new story – text, photos, pic essay and audio – is running under in the article published this week in the ‘Global Mail’.

The piece is the culmination of a couple of trips to Hong Kong and months of research and planning … however, the result made all the effort worthwhile.

Pretty grateful that the guys at the ‘Global Mail’ thought my journalistic work in both words and images worthy of publication (and payment of course!). I’m also grateful to the poor of Hong Kong I visited, who accepted my appearance with grace – if not always with outright enthusiasm.

This is the first publication of the wider story of the poor of Honkers which includes the relatively new phenomenon of “Coffin Homes”, the more established rooftop shanty villages, the evictions from old industrial buildings and the homeless – and follows on from my original work on “Cage Homes” (which was published on ‘CNN World’ and in the ‘Daily Mail’ amongst others.)

Below is a screen shot of just the first few pars and
images from the story … you can find the complete story on the ‘Global Mail’ at http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/from-mansions-to-cages-to-coffins-hong-kongs-rotten-property-ladder/626/

Images and Text © Brian Cassey

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Cairns to Sydney to Kuala Lumpur …

An event filled week ! Travelled back to Sydney to take in more of this years ‘Head On Photo Festival’, a bit of the ‘Reportage Photography Festival’, the first ‘Walkley Slide Night’ of 2013 … and … the opening at Global Gallery Paddington of my exhibition “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman”. 

Straight after exhibition opening eve it was off to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for the exhibition and winners announcement at Galeri Petronas of the “2013 Kuala Lumpur International Portrait Awards”.

“The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” exhibition was obviously a highlight … and Global Gallery was chockers with media photographer colleagues, friends and many others enjoying the ‘hospitality’. Moshe Rosenzveig from Head On kindly arrived to give the opening address.

The exhibition comprised fourteen near metre high prints of the entire mustering crew of the indigenous operated APN Cape York operation … including stockmen young and old, helicopter pilot, cook, junior Jillaroos, teacher … even newcomer stockman journalist Michel McKenna (who made the trip from Brisbane for the opening to admire his ‘visage’ !)

The “2013 Kuala Lumpur International Portrait Awards” was also a fantastic exhibition … well worth the effort and some fantastic work adorning the walls of Galeri Petronas under the twin towers … including my selected finalist image “Roustabout” of APN’s versatile do-it-all guy Perry Ward.

Printed almost two metres high on beautiful canvas and displayed spotlighted on a massive black wall, “Roustabout” certainly had the ‘wow’ factor as you entered the gallery! (see image below). Unfortunately it wasn’t selected as a top three winner. The winning image of a street band certainly was a very special image. Not so sure about second and third selected images tho’!

Below is a pic of the “Roustabout” image as it was displayed in KL … and a couple of pics from the Global Gallery  APN exhibition opening eve in Paddington.

© images Brian Cassey

Ex Cairns Australia pic by Brian CasseyPic by Brian Cassey

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Head On Festival and Portrait Prize …

Travelled down to Sydney for the launch of the five week long “Head On Photo Festival” and the announcement of the 2013 “Head On Portrait Prize” winners.

The Turner Hall at Sydney TAFE Institute was packed to it’s (very beautiful) rafters for the Festival launch, the “Head On Portrait Prize” winners announcement and also the announcements of the new “Head Off Landscape Prize” and the “Head On Momento Photobook Awards”.

Absolutely thrilled when Head On director Moshe Rosenzveig announced that I was ‘Winner of Second Prize’ in the portrait award for my image “Stockman”. I was joined up on stage by Jonathan May who made the amazing winning image and third place winner Matthew Reed.

“Stockman” (Dominic Ngakyunkwokka) is just one image from the series “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” originally made for a story by ‘The Australian’ journalist Michael McKenna (who also features in the series). You can see the entire “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” collection of prints at the Global Gallery in Paddington Sydney from the 29th May till the 9th June, as a “Head On Festival” featured exhibition. Please come along for opening night celebrations and a drink or two from 6pm.

The day after the Global Gallery exhibition launch I’m orf to Kuala Lumpur where another image from “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” – “Roustabout (Perry Ward) – is a finalist in the “2013 Kuala Lumpur International Photography Awards” and will be exhibited at “Galeri Petronas” in the Petronas Towers KL from the 23rd May till 23rd June. Winners announcement is 5pm June 1st.

The exhibition of the “Head On Portrait Prize” winning images and thirty seven other Portrait Prize Finalists can be seen at the State Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney until the 23rd June.

There are galleries of winning and finalist images from the Portrait, Landscape and Book Prizes on the web here at ‘TimeOut’ ,  here at “Fairfax News” and here at “Photojournalism Now”

Here (below) is how my “Stockman” image is displayed in the State Library of NSW – image © Brian Cassey

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Cape York Cattle Muster Essay …

Have now found time to post a new photo essay from the Cape York mustering trip – “Cattle Muster Cape York”  – to the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ under ‘Latest Stories’. The new essay is in addition to the “Aak Puul Ngantam Stcokman” essay of portraits posted earlier.

This set of images were made during the mustering operations – by horse back, helicopter and quad bike, on the remote property out from the indigenous township of Aurukun. The stock they are mustering, numbering about 5000, are the remnants and descendants of a failed cattle venture in the 1990’s.  The participants are a mix of elder experienced former aboriginal stockman, young indigenous men from Aurukun keen to learn the ropes, a white family of head stockman, wife and cook and two daughter Jillaroos, a teacher for the kids and a ‘roustabout’ – all of whom are directly involved in the day to day hands on mustering operation.

The venture is an attempt to provide sustainable employment and a sense of pride in the indigenous town – and break the cycle of booze, drugs, violence and welfare dependency.

They have already had some success with the sale of mustered stock fetching record prices at a recent Mareeba cattle auction.

The work was made for ‘The Australian’ newspaper with text by journalist Michael McKenna and was published over four pages (including page 1) of  ‘The Weekend Australian’ edition (see earlier post below.)

Posted below are just three images from the complete essay which can be found in full at http://www.fotostrada.com/#/latest-stories/cattle-muster-cape-york/BCAurukunAPN24

Images © Brian Cassey

‘fotostrada’ … BEST images of 2012 …

As another year draws to a close all of us at the ‘fotostrada’ collective are determined not to be outdone by all the ‘best of’ image lists that sprout online and in apps at this time of year.

So … we’ve come up with our very own “The ‘fotostrada’ BEST of 2012” gallery … which is now live on our web site at http://www.fotostrada.com/#/best-images-of-2012/ !!!

We’re a well travelled lot … and the images in our 2012 BEST collection were made as far afield as Afghanistan, India, China, England, Turkey, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia and Antarctica … as well as all around Australia.

All of us at ‘fotostrada’ hope you enjoy the images … and would like to wish you all an excellent holiday season.

Below are the collected thumbs of the gallery images … click on it to take you to the full size Gallery images.

© Brian Cassey, Dean Lewins, Tracey Nearmy, Sam Mooy, Kelly Barnes, Glenn Campbell, Mark ‘Crusty’ Baker, Graham Crouch, Dean Saffron.

 

Aak Puul Ngantam Portraits …

The complete portrait set – “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” – is now up on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ at “Latest Stories”.

The set includes portraits of all the individuals involved in the cattle venture on Cape York Peninsula,  indigenous and otherwise, made as they returned from a morning muster.

I’ll let the portraits speak for themselves …

Another photo essay on the work of APN including mustering on horseback, helicopter and quad bike and other images, will be posted on ‘fotostrada’ soon.

Both essays will be added to my personal web site when the current site refresh is completed any week now.

Below I’ve posted just two of the set which also link to the full set.

Images © Brian Cassey 2012

 

Indigenous Stockmen Saddle Up Again …

A little pleased with this weekends The Weekend Australian (27.10.2012).

Last Weekend I ventured once again up to the wilds of Cape York Peninsula, this time with journalist Michael McKenna, for a four day visit to Bruce Martin and his APN Cape York cattle enterprise a hundred K out from Aurukun.

APN Cape York is an initiative of Bruce and the collective Wik clans of Aurukun – an attempt to provide sustainable employment and a sense of pride in the indigenous town – and break the cycle of booze, drugs, violence and welfare dependency.

The idea of this particular plan of Aak Puul Ngantam (which in Wik mean “our father’s father’s country) is to return to the traditional  ‘country’ – in this case as stockman to manage and profit from the approximately five thousand head of cattle left to run wild after an earlier venture failed in the 1990’s. To work on the land just as their forefathers did many decades before.

Our task was to document the mustering venture in words and pictures for the weekend edition of  The Australian.

It didn’t start well … the ute taking us through the bush shed the drive shaft half way though the journey in the middle of nowhere, meaning we were unceremoniously towed into the mustering camp.

Sometimes, however, things fall into place – and with the help of the entire APN crew present – stockman Jay, Kenneth, Winston, Dominic, Steven, Cameron, Allan and Bruce, roustabout Perry, cook and mum Rebecca, jillaroo sisters Nina (5) and Shae-Anne (10), their teacher Moyra and helicopter pilot Brendan – the coverage went like clockwork (and with a great amount of banter and good humour).

I photographed the team erecting stock fences, mustering on horse back (and in Bruce’s case off the horses back!), helicopter and quad bike and training a herd of cattle to be used as a host herd.

The Weekend Australian used what must be a record number of images on the same subject by the same snapper – 22 of my pics in all over five pages – along with Michael’s excellent thousands of words! They also run on-line a photo essay and a video.

I’ve posted below screen grabs of the pages involved – and the online photo essay can be found here – and the video here.

Also below is just one image from the set of portraits I made of all the camp participants – an essay to be entitled “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” – which I hope to exhibit at some stage in the future.

The full sets of images will appear on my web site when the current site revamp is finished in a few weeks time. They will also feature soon on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’.

© Images Brian Cassey

 

Aurukun and the Grog …

With Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s decision to roll back the indigenous alcohol management plans the excrement hit the proverbial fan! I travelled to Aurukun (via Weipa and a two hour drive each way) on the western tip of Cape York with Brisbane based journalist Jamie Walker for ‘The Australian’ last week – where we covered not only the alcohol issue but also the final declaration of the Wik Native Title Determination.

We were only able to stay in the indigenous township for a matter of a few hours so there was little time for a social ‘chit chat’!

However, our efforts were well rewarded  in Saturday’s Weekend Australian edition with a Page 1 story and large pic (of the very gracious Rebecca and Silas Wolmby), a spill to page 6 with another large image … and the whole of page 21 of the ‘Inquirer’ section with another two photos … all on the alcohol issue. We also scored page 3 and two pics in the Friday edition with the Wik Determination story.

Below I’ve posted a screen image of page 1 of Saturday’s Weekend Australian and also of Fridays page 3 of the Australian (with the image of delightful Aurukun school children and presiding Justice Andrew Greenwood). If you subscribe to the Australian you will be able to view these stories and pics online at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/

© Images by Brian Cassey

Good Weekend … The Last Days of Eden …

The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald weekend mag “Good Weekend” featured Saturday a four page story by Susan Chenery, accompanied by my images, on Restoration Island castaway and all round good guy David Glasheen.

Entitled “The Last Days of Eden” the story told of David’s life of isolation and his current battle to avoid eviction from his island paradise off the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula. I’ve been, indeed, fortunate to visit David several times on ‘Resto’  and he has made me most welcome every time.

Below I’ve posted a screen shot of the “Good Weekend” double page spread … and Susan’s story and more of my images can be found on the Sydney Morning Herald web site at … http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-last-days-of-eden-20121008-277yi.html

David’s fight to stay on the island has spread around the planet and much interest has been forthcoming from diverse parts and publications. My images have featured in some interesting countries … also below are just two screen shots of pages from opposite sides of the World … Colombia and Switzerland.

Images of David Glasheen © Brian Cassey

United Nations Media Peace Awards …

… announced yesterday … a selection of my work from “Life in a Coffin: Hong Kong” has been chosen as one of the three Finalists in the  “2012 United Nations Media Peace Awards” for Photojournalism. The other two finalists in the photojournalism category are Stuart McEvoy from Melbourne and Lee Giriffiths from Western Australia.

The Winners will be announced at a presentation dinner attended by United Nations big wigs and media in Melbourne on October 26th to coincide (almost) with United Nations Day (Oct 24).

Really excellent to be selected in the final three … although Stuart and Lee’s work will both provide tough competition for the prize.

One of my selected images is shown below … whilst the entire “Life in a Coffin: Hong Kong” essay … and the story … can be found on the site of my photojournalism collective ‘fotostrada’ here.

© Image Brian Cassey

Dogs … Pooches … Woofers … Whatever …

“The Dogs of Sai Kung” photo essay that I made in Hong Kong recently has been a bit of a hit with the Daily Telegraph in the UK.

Their glossy weekend magazine ran the pics as a full four page spread under the title “Barking Mad” using seven images and a very nice story by journalist Jessica Salter. (Thanks Jess !)

On the Daily Telegraph web site TWO of the images from the set starred – alongside images of Prince Will and Princess Kate, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Islamic protests against THAT movie, the Aurora Borealis through the polar ice and other pics from around the World  – in the “Pictures of the Day” gallery for the 18th September. 

The DT also ran another separate full gallery of seventeen Sai Kung doggy images under the title of  “The Pampered Dogs of Hong Kong”.

Nice to get a good run with these images that, to be honest, were not a priority at the time on the Hong Kong trip … and were all made just on a nice Sunday at the very pleasant Sai Kung seaside.

Below I’ve posted – from top – two images of the Daily Telegraph magazine four page spread “Barking Mad” and one image each from the “Pictures of the Day” gallery and “The Pampered Pooches of Hong Kong” gallery.

The complete essay (twenty six images) can be found either on my my personal web site at … https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/images.php?imagefolder=saikung 

… or on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ at … http://www.fotostrada.com/#/latest-stories/the-dogs-of-sai-kung/BCskDogs1

All images © Brian Cassey

Nikon Walkley Slide Win …

Took a quick trip to Brisbane on Tuesday to attend the Nikon Walkley Photographers Slide Night at the Powerhouse.

An excellent evening was made even more so when my slide piece “Life in a Coffin: Hong Kong” was voted by the majority of the assembled throng (which numbered about 70) as the Winning Entry.

The event attracted twenty multimedia movie entries from a talented bunch of photojournalists on a diverse range of subjects including ‘seagulls ‘n’ chips’, ‘disaster in Bangladesh’, ‘Anzacs’, ‘trawlermen’, ‘actors’ and ‘Shanghai fashion week’ … so to be selected as the best by one’s peers is, indeed, an honour.

Thanks to Nikon I left with a prize of a Nikon 1 V1 camera and a couple of lenses.

“Life in a Coffin: Hong Kong” consists of a collection of still images from my recent visit to Hong Kong to document the plight of the twenty percent and rapidly increasing poor in a city that is arguably the richest on the planet.

You can see the complete Winning presentation below .. albeit at a lower resolution than the original.

Images and Movie © Brian Cassey

Thousand Kilometre Images …

Often the easiest part of making images is pressing the shutter … and the hard part is getting to the right place to take them!

Such was the case this week on a job for ‘The Australian’ broad sheet.

The object was the take pics to accompany a story by Brisbane based journalist Sarah Elks on the subject of the controversial and now doomed Queensland Wild Rivers legislation and the opinions of grazier Scott Harris at Strathmore Station between Georgetown and Croydon in remote north west Queensland.

It entailed a round trip drive of well over a thousand kilometres dodging rock spitting road trains …  a substantial amount on corrugated gravel roads … which equated to almost fourteen hours behind the wheel over two days. A few of the native wild life met their demise over those hours including a rather fat bird of prey who obviously over indulged feasting on a road side roo carcass, failed to gain sufficient height on take off and smashed into my windscreen. Had to confess the rather large crack from top to bottom of the screen to the hire car company on my return.

Grazier Scott Harris and his wife Kerry were extremely gracious hosts and we spent dinner in the evening with their crew planning the best scenario for images.

Strathmore muster by helicopter and quad bike (not a horse in sight) and we made a plan to make the images of the choppers mustering stock across the Einasleigh River at dawn.

At first light we took off in the Robinson 22 helicopters and watched the sun peak over the horizon from a thousand feet.

The mustered cattle did their part as Scott and contract pilot Mike Fleming coaxed them across the river and the images were made. ‘The Weekend Australian’ ran with a large image on page 1 and a further 3 images and story on page 5.

The Australian also ran a ten image slide presentation “Helicopter Cattle Muster” on their web site which can be viewed here.

Below I’ve posted a grab of the image of  The Weekend Australian’s front page, another of page 5 … and an image of grazier Scott preparing to take off pre dawn.

Images © Brian Cassey

Life in a Coffin …

The second pic essay from my recent trip to Hong Kong … “Life in a Coffin – Hong Kong” has been posted to the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’.

The pics – along with 1800 words – portray the situation of the poor of the former British Colony in the lowest cost housing alternatives of ‘coffin’ homes, bed space cage homes, wire cage homes, illegal rooftop shanties and illegal cubicles in old factories and industrial buildings. Although these still cost the residents more per square foot than the most expensive of Hong Kong’s luxury apartments, for the unfortunate they are just a step away from a life on the street.

The story also attempts to provide some historical perspective to the situation as the number of poor in HK exceeds the twenty percent figure (and the number of billionaires – which currently stands at 36 – continues to grow.)

The new essay can be found on ‘fotostrada’ in “Latest Stories” here … and will be posted to my personal site when time permits …

… whilst my older essay on the Hong Kong cage home dwellers – “Cage Dogs” – can be found on my web site here and on ‘fotostrada’ here.

Below I’ve posted a small selection of the many images from “Life in a Coffin – Hong Kong”.

© images Brian Cassey 2012

 

Off to Sweden …

Unfortunately its not me off to Sweden but one of my images! Several posts ago on this blog I mentioned one of my images was selected as the winner of the ‘People’ category of the “2012 Queensland Rural Press Photography Awards”. Since then the image has gone on to represent Queensland in the Nation wide “2012 Australian Star Prize for Rural Photography” where it also won the “People” category. Cool.

The image will now whisk it’s way to Sweden to represent Australia (along with two other Aussie representatives in the “Production” and “Nature/Landscape” categories) in the “2012 IFAJ WORLD Star Prize for Photo Excellence”. (I kid you not – Grand Title!)

Winners will be announced in August at the ‘International Federation of Agricultural Journalists Congress’ at Lake Mälaren just outside of Stockholm.

Lucky Image … !

It was made in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi at a cattle property on the Atherton Tablelands and features stockman Shane O’Brien attempting to clear felled trees (that killed many of his cattle) from his farm. The Australian published the image on the 14th February 2011 and the text of the story can be found here.

Below is another look at the winning image …

© Brian Cassey

“The Dogs of Sai Kung” …

Have just returned from Hong Kong where I worked on several new photo essays … and the first of these – “The Dogs of Sai Kung” – has now been posted to my web site and the site of my collective ‘fotostrada’.

The fishing village of Sai Kung in the New Territories of the former British colony  is a microcosm of the now Hong Kong obsession with the dog as a pet … and not as a menu item. Here’s the text that accompanies the essay …

“The Chinese – and by obvious association the Hong Kongese – have long been accused of devouring ‘anything that moves’ including meals of our beloved canines.

However, the fishing village of Sai Kung in the New Territories of Hong Kong has embraced the dog as members of the family unit with a passion bordering on obsessive. In the 1970s Hong Kong government policy was to actively dissuade the population from having too many children. It worked … and the human birth rate in Hong Kong is now one of the World’s lowest at 1.10 per woman of child bearing age (2010), far below the replacement rate of 2.1. To compensate the locals have taken to treating their pet woofers as an integral and substitute part of the family.

Sundays sees the locals parading their pooches in prams along the pretty waterfront where they join their human ‘parents’ for exercise and lunch at the tables in the seafood restaurants. The town is awash with dog boutiques and even a doggy bakery where you can buy your precious pooch individual doggy pies and other fresh baked treats.

Lavish attention is paid to the grooming of the creatures and competition is fierce … just like comparing human babies.”

I’ve posted below a small selection of images from the new essay … the complete item can be found on my site here and on  ‘fotostrada’ here.

Images © Brian Cassey 2012

 

Two in Show …

Just received the news that two of my images – “Rajasthan Dancers” and “Carol – Burns Survivor” – have been selected as ‘Finalists’ in the United States based “2012 Kellicutt International Juried Photo Show – Through A Lens: Vibrant!”.

My images, along with other finalists from the US, the UK, Australia, India, Hong Kong, Canada and Puerto Rico, are part of the hanging exhibition that will be shown in galleries around California.

Prize winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the Coastal Arts League Gallery in Half Moon Bay CA on July 7th before the exhibition moves to the Calumet Gallery in San Francisco in August.

You can see all the selected finalists images at … http://www.coastalartsleague.com/kellicutt/2012/HangingInShow/index.html … and I’m in some very good company. The selected photographs seem to cross almost all photographic disciplines and styles and will provide a fascinating exhibition.  Just a pity I probably won’t be there to see it!

Below I’ve posted the two images selected as ‘Finalists’ – “Rajasthan Dancers” and “Carol – Burns Survivor”

Images © Brian Cassey

Portraits on a Bus …

The ‘fotostrada’ photojournalist collective – of which I am one member of a total of eleven  – is showing a group exhibition entitled “Portraits on a Bus” as part of the “2012 Head On Photo Festival” .

The exhibition runs at the Global Gallery, Paddington, Sydney from Tuesday, 29th May to Sunday 3rd June with the grand opening eve on Wednesday 30th May from 6pm. All are welcome to attend.

Here’s the exhibit description from the Head On Festival program and web site …

“The bus is ubiquitous. Every country on the planet has some form of bus transportation.

From cramped roof top rides on dishevelled buses in India … to tiny ‘bemos’ in Indonesia, mundane mass transport in Hong Kong, luxury express buses in Australia … even a work bus in Antarctica – the ‘fotostrada’ collective team has captured all in images which convey the very essence of the travelling bus passenger and the machines that carry them.”

Several of my images made during visits to India, Hong Kong and Indonesia are featured in the exhibition alongside other great work by colleagues Dean Lewins, Tracey Nearmy, Graham Crouch, Sam Mooy, Renee Nowytarger, Mark ‘Crusty’ Baker and Melanie Russell.

I’ve put together my own personal extended version of “Portraits on a Bus” from all my images that made the short list for the exhibition collection … and this essay has been added to my personal web site at https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/images.php?imagefolder=bus.

Posted below is a small selection of my “Portraits on a Bus” images.

Look forward to seeing you at the exhibition …

Images © Brian Cassey – from Hong Kong, Rajasthan India and Sukawati Bali Indonesia.

 

Walkley Mag Splash …

The Walkley Magazine has published my “Soulless in Seoul” pic essay (retitled “Sleepless in Seoul”) as a double page spread in the centre of this months new edition. A great layout and a great shop window.

The images in the essay show the plight of the hundreds of homeless who are currently being evicted from Seoul Railway Station and precinct by South Korea’s super efficient state rail authority Korail.

Bizarrely, Korail have stated that the homeless pose a ‘terrorist threat’. In the latest twist the newly elected mayor of Seoul has asked Korail to reverse the decision to evict – but Korail have no intention of doing so.

I came across the sorry story during a brief stopover in Seoul whilst returning from exhibiting my work “Cage Dogs of Hong Kong” at the Gwangju Design Biennale in the south of South Korea.

Below I’ve posted an image of the Walkley Magazine spread and one larger image from the essay.

The full “Soulless in Seoul” essay can be viewed on my personal website at https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/images.php?imagefolder=seoul … and on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ at http://www.fotostrada.com/#/brian-cassey/soulless-in-seoul/BCSeoul1s

© images by Brian Cassey

 

Nikon-Walkley Comes to ‘Brissie’ …

Thanks to the Walkley Foundation, the MEAA and – not least of all – Nikon Australia, I travelled ‘down south’ to Brisbane last week to attend the opening of the 2011/2012 Nikon-Walkley Photographic exhibition at the Powerhouse – and the Australian Institute of Professional Photography “Hair of the Dog” conference.

It was excellent to attend the Nikon-Walkley opening eve and to catch up with colleagues and friends – and an honour to give the opening floor talk and to receive an embarrassingly over the top introduction by MEAA Federal Secretary Chris Warren ! Thanks Chris!

It was also an honour to have my image “Carol – Burns Survivor” exhibited amongst some truly fantastic work from Australia’s best press photographers.

(Something I was not so excited about was the ABC radio and TV interviews I was required to do – a learning curve.)

The Powerhouse is a fantastic exhibition space oozing character, all the works were all very well lit … and the staff were super attentive and efficient.

The exhibition runs to February 27th and is very well worth a visit.

Below is an iPhone pic of my image nestled in the Powerhouse’s beautiful exhibition space.

Image © Brian Cassey 2012