1854 Media

Portrait of Humanity … Covid, Leanne & Ice Cream …

Stoked to once again be selected on the ‘Shortlist’ of the prestigious “Portrait of Humanity”.

The 2022 edition of the “Portrait of Humanity” awards have just been announced … and I’ve been buzzing about this for some time but was sworn to secrecy until Thursdays official ‘announcement’. … so pleased to be ’Shortlisted’ again for the International POH awards with my work “Covid Vax & Ice Cream” .

Now in it’s 4th ‘edition’ and organised by the British Journal of Photography, 1854 and Magnum … “Portrait of Humanity” has fast become one of the most select collections of portrait photography on the planet. 

The image of Leanne with her ice cream was made after she received a Covid Pfizer vaccination in her home from a team of roaming ‘door to door’ doctors and medical staff … followed by a pink ice cream van (complete with musical ‘Green Sleeves’ tones) dispensing free ice cream to the newly vaxed and the communities numerous children.

The portrait will be amongst the other short listed works published in the “Portrait of Humanity 2022” hard cover book printed by Hoxton Mini Press.

I was also stoked to be ’short listed’ in the first and second editions of POH a few years back and three of my winning portraits … “Aurukun – Generations”, “Ramnami” and “The Skin I’m In” where exhibited in the stratosphere above the planet and then digitally transmitted through the unending vastness of space, as a result.

My photo of Leanne and her ice cream was published in The Australian newspaper in October 2021 and further images of the home vaccination program were used on their Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/p/CU_0dItvoAX/ .

Thanks to my (almost) unwitting subject Leanne at Yarrabah, who I’m sure will be as pleased as I am when she finds out ;-).

… and all absolutely nothin’ to do with the Easter Bunny 😉

Below – “Covid Vax & Ice Cream” © Image by Brian Cassey

… They Did It ! Pics in Space X 3 …

… PICS IN SPACE! … They did it (and included THREE of my portraits !)
Released overnight as promised by the British Journal of Photography (1854 Media) with the help of ‘Sent Into Space‘ … the film of the ‘Portrait of Humanity’ (2019 & 2020 projects) shortlisted images and their screening twenty four and a half miles ABOVE the planet in the stratosphere with the backdrop of space.

VERY pleased to have three portraits screened … ‘Aurukun – Generations’ (selected in the 2019 POH), ‘The Skin I’m In’ and ‘Ramnami’ (both selected in the 2020 POH) … as planet Earth rotates in the blackness of space. All the photographs were also transmitted out across the Universe and beyond as binary files … just in case there is anyone/anything ‘out there’ wondering about life on our little blue planet .

Here is a short video of my three portraits ‘in space’ with a few introductory pars from ‘Portraits of Humanity’ on broadcasting a message of peace and unity from humankind onto, well … infinity.
You can watch the entire 42 minute film of the exhibition of 400 images as the earth turns below … and how they did it … here … https://access.bjpsubs.com/portrait-of-humanity-sent-into-space/

Images X 3 © Brian Cassey, film © Portrait of Humanity & 1854 Media

Portrait of Humanity …

… very, very, very pleased to learn that one of my lesser known images has been selected for the ‘Shortlist’ of the massive and prestigious “Portrait of Humanity” World Wide portrait photography project and exhibition … and will be published in the hard cover book collection of the same name.

The grand stated aim of “Portrait of Humanity” … a collaboration between Magnum Photos and 1854 Media (the publishers of the ‘British Journal of Photography’) … is to “create one of the greatest collaborative photography exhibitions in history”. The 200 short listed images from all around the planet were chosen for their “expressions of individuality, community and unity”.

Photographers were initially asked to document “the universal expressions of life … laughter, courage, moments of reflection, journeys to work, first hellos, last goodbyes, and everything in between.” Tens of thousands of submissions came from every corner of the globe.

In news released this week “Portraits of Humanity” said that “Together the winning and shortlisted images create a powerful and diverse Portrait of Humanity. Fifty photographs will tour the world as part as an exhibition and 200 images will be featured soon in a 322 page volume published by Hoxton Mini Press”. (My image graces page 272.)

(Sadly there was only one other Australian based photographer amongst the two hundred selected … indigenous photographer Wayne Quilliam with his image from the Tiwi Islands.)

The selection of my work … of Aurukun indigenous elders Silas and Rebecca Wolmby with their twin great grand children Shalona and Keola and entitled “Generations” … was a very pleasant surprise.

I’ve photographed Silas and Rebecca in Aurukun many times over the decades … they have always been wonderfully polite and obliging and they were a voice of sanity in their ‘unsettled’ remote Cape York community. Sadly Silas died recently and Shalona and Keola will be unlikely to grow up with a memory of their respected great grandfather.

As a ‘short lister’ I receive a copy of the “Portrait of Humanity” book filled with truly wonderful portraiture. If you wish to invest in this great collection you can do so here at the Hoxton Mini Press web site.

Image of Silas and Rebecca (top) ©Brian Cassey … and book publication (below … mine is on the left page 🙂 ) is ©1854 Media & Hoxton Mini Press

"Portraits of Humanity" - International Portrait Photography Project 2019 - Aurukun elders Silas and Rebecca Wolmby with their great grand children Shalona and Keola Wolmby - Image by Brian Cassey, Cairns
"Portraits of Humanity" - International Portrait Photography Project 2019 - Aurukun elders Silas and Rebecca Wolmby with their great grand children Shalona and Keola Wolmby - Image by Brian Cassey, Cairns