CLIP, Rural Press and Head On …

A hectic but rewarding three days this week … although the majority involved sitting on various aircraft.

On Wednesday I was kindly invited to luncheon in Brisbane by the Rural Press Club of Queensland … and very pleasant it was too. At the Tattersall’s Club function Rural Press announced the winners of the their annual media awards and I was most pleased to receive three awards for best ‘People’ photograph, best ‘Production’ photograph and … most pleasing … the overall ‘Excellence in Rural Photography Award’. The two winning images involved were ‘Beef Farmers’ in the ‘People’ and ‘Overall’ categories (made of a lovely elderly cattle farming couple at the Daintree) and ‘Banana Farmer’ (of a banana farmer at his tiny road side stall at the time when Panama disease race 4 was discovered locally). Both pics are posted below.

The afternoon was made even more special when my Courier Mail wordsmith colleague Michael Madigan took out the main journalism prize on offer … and we joined in much mutual back slapping and a long celebration.

Thursday … another plane … this time to Perth for the ‘CLIP (Contemporary Landscapes in Photography) Awards’ and exhibition opening at the beautiful Perth Centre for Photography.

Was wrapped with the selection of my work ‘Number 55’ as a finalist in an award that describes itself as ‘an internationally recognised photographic prize for new perspectives in natural and urban landscape photography’. My first real ‘Landscape’ photography recognition.

The gallery space was full of charm and character, the exhibited works indeed diverse and challenging … and I was pleased as punch to see ‘Number 55’ hanging amongst such an excellent collection of images. The home of photography in Perth also boasts a beautiful garden area where the bar was doing a roaring trade. Mike Gray took out the main prize with his image ‘Backyard Bag Study ‘, with Matt Abbott awarded the second prize for his great work ‘Dogs’. An extremely pleasant evening of great landscape photography at an excellent venue. If you are in Perth the exhibition runs till April 17th.

Below is a pic of part of the CLIP exhibition featuring my piece ‘Number 55’ on the wall – very nicely printed and mounted by Perth’s Fitzgerald Photo.

The one event I couldn’t quite squeeze into the schedule was the opening in Sydney on Wednesday eve of the ‘Head On Portrait Prize In Retrospect‘ exhibition as part of Art Month Sydney. The exhibition includes my previous portrait prize Finalist work ‘Disko Meri’.

Finally … this post is being strung together Friday on the long haul from Perth back to Cairns.

Images below © Brian Cassey – Rural Press Winners “Beef Farmers’ and ‘Banana Farmer’ … and CLIP Finalist ‘Number 55’ at the Perth Centre for Photography.

'Excellence in Rural Photography'' Winner 20126 - Brian Cassey

Excellence in Rural Photography - Production - Winner - Brian Cassey

CLIP Awards 2016 - 'Number 55' - Brian Cassey

Blimey ! Landscape ! …

‘Landscape’ is a photography genre that I haven’t really touched on over the years … I’m much more comfortable with actual humans taking up pixel space on my rectangles (or squares). Don’t get me wrong … I have a hell of a lot of appreciation of, and respect for, the wonderful landscape work of photographers such as Murray Fredericks and Peter Solness and more.  I suppose I just haven’t embraced it …

So … it was with much surprise and delight … that I received an email last eve with the news that I have been selected as a Finalist in the prestigious and International ‘Contemporary Landscapes in Photography Award’ (CLIP for short).

Clip describes itself thus – “The CLIP Award is an internationally recognised photographic prize for new perspectives in natural and urban landscape photography. The selection criteria focuses on images which are original, stimulating, and that challenge traditional notions of landscape photography.”

The image ‘Number 55’ marks my first ‘success’ (of sorts) in Landscape photography … and it will form part of the CLIP Finalists exhibition at the Perth Centre for Photography commencing mid March when the Winners will be announced. The pic was made on New Years Eve 2015 as I was passing an emerging blaze in a house just five minutes drive from my home in Cairns.

Not sure whether I can justify a trip to Perth for the opening eve and Winners announcement … but sure would like to see my work hanging amongst the other selected landscapes. We’ll see …

Details of the awards, the Perth exhibition and the list of Finalists are on the Perth Centre for Photography Facebook page here … https://www.facebook.com/pcpwa/

Below is my selected landscape image – ‘Number 55’  © Brian Cassey

Ex Cairns to the Cairns Post 31.12.2015 Aeroglen House Fire - Not the Way To End The Year- Pics by BRIAN CASSEY, A house burns at Aeroglen before the arrival of the fire brigade today - New Years Eve.