‘Ruby’ … Her Story … Her images …
Thanks to the brilliant explosive but so so sad comprehensive three part story penned by journalist Kristin Shorten, I’ve in the past few days had an exceptional run in The Australian three editions in a row with several different portraits of ‘Ruby’ … a startlingly brave but severely damaged twenty one year old indigenous mother from the remote Northern Territory community of Yuendumu.
Over three front pages over three days and several more inside, Kristin tells in graphic horrific and ultimately the saddest detail, the story of ‘Ruby’ (not her real name), her multiple rapes at the hands of her father, the violence that is endemic in her NT community … and the aftermath of that violence as she fled to the relative safety of Cairns. For ‘Ruby’ that was indeed ‘relative’ as she found herself in jail and separated from her one year old son.
‘Ruby’ … who not surprisingly has difficulty trusting anyone … was charming to portray and, eventually, to talk to.
An aspiring artist, ‘Ruby’ uses her art to forget her brutal past. Sincerely hope her art thrives and the story of her future with her son is much brighter.
Huge thanks and a pleasure to be a part of Kristin’s fabulous work on this story that had to be told.
Here are my personal favourite portraits of ‘Ruby’ (from top) and grabs of The Aus page 1 and some of the other pages with my pics. Kristin’s comprehensive harrowing stories and more of my images can be found online … with a subscription … at …
Images © Brian Cassey
Cracking Clarion Winning Eve in Brisbane …
Great evening at “The Clarion Awards” 2022 … the night where Queensland wide media gather together in Brisbane to party, generally misbehave … and share a few awards around.
Very pleased to have picked up one of those awards … ‘Best Photographic Essay’ … with my work from the indigenous community of Yarrabah, “Covid Vax & Ice Cream”. The pic essay consisted of twelve images narrating a door to door covid vaccination campaign by doctors and medical professionals organised to increase extremely low inoculation uptake amongst the populace. I covered the door to door program (with an arranged ice cream van following dispensing free treats) for The Australian who used most of the work either in print or in on-line galleries. One of the pics contained in the essay … of 67 year old Leanne Bulmer with her post Pfizer jab ice cream … has also found much success on it’s own, previously winning several awards around the planet (see here, here, here, here and here … and bottom below.)
The second Clarion photography award category … ‘Best News Photograph’ … was also of a covid nature and taken out by the Courier Mail photographer Lachie Millard. His terrific work showed three year old Memphis being reunited with his mother at Archerfield air field following a two month covid border closure separation.
Magic to catch up with many friends and colleagues from around the State. It’s such an enjoyable annual event and get together. Huge thanks to all at The Clarions and the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance for their great organisational skills and presentation at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Wonderful …
Below are just four of the twelve images that make up my winning “Covid Vax & Ice Cream” photo essay. To see the complete essay go to my ‘Awards’ page at … www.briancasseyphotographer.com/awards .
Images © Brian Cassey