| Brian Cassey Photographer Cairns Australia

Dodho Photo Books … & Bonn …

March 21, 2024March 21, 2024

… always a pleasure when a Dodho Magazine photo book drops into the old post office box (not literally … they are too big !)

Recently Dodho’s latest volume “Fine Art – Best Photographers of 2023” arrived … and therein gracing a prominent whole page was arguably one of my favourite images … “Bonn Marie – Asking the Question”. The portrait of Cairns girl Bonn Marie has been selected in the ‘Top 25’ of images in the latest Dodho Fine Art Awards … very pleased with that …

The large (12″ X 12″ – 30cm X 30cm) hardcover books are beautifully designed and produced and each contains wonderful work from photographers from around the planet. ‘Fine Art’ is now sitting on my bookshelves next to my other Dodho books ‘Portrait’ (with my image “100 Years & 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” inside … also selected in Best 25) … and ‘Colors’ (with my portrait “George Craig – Crocodile Hunter” therein).

Bonn has been an absolute pleasure the other side of the camera. ‘Asking the Question’ has been recognised now in several awards … likely the most prestigious being the winner of 3rd Place in the “International Portrait Photographer of the Year” awards.

Back in December another of my Bonn portraits … “Marilyn Monroe – 60 Years On – by Bonn” … received attention with an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the Fine Art category of the “Budapest International Foto Awards” (BIFA). You can see this work and find more details of how and why that image came about here …

BIG Thanks Bonn, for your patience and professionalism !

If you are inclined … you can grab Dodho’s ‘Fine Art’ book here , ‘Colors’ here … and the ‘Portrait’ book here

Image of Bonn © Brian Cassey

Tokyo … and “Mother Africa” …

December 29, 2022

… nice timing and Merry Xmas …

Early in the hours of Christmas Eve an email dropped in with the nice news that my image “Mother Africa” had been selected again … this time for a “Bronze” award in the ’22 Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) Fine Art category.

So pleased that this work has gained attention. To be accurate the making of this image (in a friends little basic shed studio) engendered a lot of emotion … and tears. My subject, the delightful currently Australia based African American Aurora Coulter, knew the ‘look’ that would make the photograph ‘work’ at depicting the historical … (and still current when you take into consideration the death of black man George Floyd and others at the hands of police officers etc) … treatment of her forebears in the US. Aurora dug into the depths of past memories and experiences for this image … and for that I’m so grateful. Her emotion made it ‘work’.

“Mother Africa” has been selected previously in other awards since it was made in January earlier this (nearly over) year … the International Portrait Photographer of the Year, The Pollux Awards, the International Photography Awards (IPA), Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA), Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA), the Percival Portrait Prize … and … another arguably more prestigious prize that I am not at liberty yet to tell anyone about 🙂

Once again Aurora … the very biggest Thanks … !

Image © Brian Cassey

Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) 2022 - WINNER - Bronze Award - Fine Art - image by Brian Cassey

“Mother Africa” in International Photography Awards (IPA) …

September 26, 2022September 24, 2022

Must admit … there was a lot of emotion entailed in making this image “Mother Africa”. Without getting too personal my captivating subject Aurora Coulter was heavily invested in the subject, history and experience of making this work. Aurora … normally vibrant and ebullient … dug deep into past personal experiences to channel the emotional plight of her African American forebears over the centuries. There were tears …

So … I’m delighted as much for Aurora as for myself that this work has been recognised several times around the planet … the latest being last weeks notification of an “Honourable Mention” in the ‘Portrait’ section of the 2022 International Photography Awards (IPA).

Over the last few months “Mother Africa” … made in January this year in a friends shed studio (Thanks Marc) … has also catalogued other mentions in … the 2022 Pollux Awards (Portrait – Honourable Mention), the Moscow International Foto Awards (People Culture – Bronze Award), the 2022 International Portrait Photographer of the Year (Published in IPPOTY Top 101 Portraits selection and book), the 2022 Percival Photographic Prize (Townsville – Finalist) and the 15th International Colour Awards (Portrait – Finalist).

Even later news (from just last eve) … “Mother Africa” will be one of the thirty works exhibited in an inaugural portraiture exhibition at the Crate 59 Gallery in Cairns.

“The Burning Cane Portrait Exhibition” (for portraiture in any medium made this year by Queensland artists) will open on the 4th of November and run for three weeks. “Mother Africa” will be there (very) large on the walls from the celebratory opening event … which, sadly, I will miss as I’ll be at the launch of the 2022 Head On Photo Festival in Sydney. More on both of these events at a later date.

Image © Brian Cassey (and massive Thanks again Aurora !)

One Place Better … International Portrait Photographer of the Year …

July 10, 2023June 25, 2022

Chuffed … ! The results just in for the 2022 ‘The International Portrait Photographer of the Year’ awards … and two of my images are represented.

‘The Yarrick Family of Kunhanhaa’ (top below) has been selected as the winner of Second Place (The Family Sitting) “The International Portrait photographer of the Year” … and, very nicely includes the award of some ‘folding stuff’ and … rare these days … a glass trophy to whack in the ‘office’. It will also be showcased TWICE in the accompanying book ‘The Top 101 International Portrait Photographs of the Year’ … firstly in the ‘winners’ section and then in the ‘Top 101’ portraits section.

Also selected in the ‘Top 101’ section of the book is my portrait of gorgeous African American Aurora Coulter … ‘Mother Africa – Aurora’ (also below).

‘The Top 101 International Portrait Photographs of the Year’ book will be available in hard cover and as an ebook in the very near future. Stay tuned for the link …

Both portraits have featured in other earlier International and Australian award selections. Check ’em out on my ‘awards’ page here …

Images © Brian Cassey

2022 International Portrait Photographer of the Year - WINNER 2nd Place - "The Yarrick Family of Kunhanhaa" - The Family Sitting - "Mother Africa - Aurora" - by Brian Cassey

International Portrait Photographer of the Year … Wow !

June 25, 2021June 25, 2021

Chuffed … ! The results are just in for the inaugural ‘The International Portrait Photographer of the Year’ awards … and two of my images are represented.

‘Bonn Marie – Asking the Question’ (below) has been selected as the winner of Third Place – The Character Study … and, very nicely includes the award of some cash and … rare this days … a trophy to whack in the ‘office’. It will also be showcased TWICE in the accompanying book ‘The Top 101 International Portrait Photographs of the Year’ … firstly in the ‘winners’ section and then in the ‘Top 101’ portraits section.

Also selected in the ‘Top 101’ section of the book is my portrait of Kate Yeoman … ‘Kate – Waiting For Her New Breasts II’ (also below) … a slightly different version of the original newspaper published image. This version has Kate with her eyes closed and I now feel it evokes more emotion than the earlier pic.

‘The Top 101 International Portrait Photographs of the Year’ book will be available in hard cover and as an ebook in the very near future. Will post a link …

Both portraits (or very similar in Kate’s case) have featured in other earlier International and Australian award selections. Check ’em out on my ‘awards’ page here …

Here’s just a few of the other International sites that are featuring this award and my portrait of Bonn Marie …

https://www.diyphotography.net/this-touching-and-trippy-portrait-wins-the-international-portrait-photographer-of-the-year-2021/

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/au/news/stunning-and-evocative-images-celefutbrated-in-new-global-portrait-photo-contest

https://www.dpreview.com/news/9899566132/slideshow-winners-of-the-international-portrait-photographer-of-the-year-awards

https://www.oceanroadmagazine.com.au/winners-of-the-international-portrait-photographer-of-the-year-2021/

International Portrait Photographer of the Year - 3rd Place - "Bon Marie - Asking The Question" - The Character Study - by Brian Cassey

International Portrait Photographer of the Year - "Kate - Waiting For Her New Breasts" - The Top 101 Portrait Photographs of the Year 2021 - by Brian Cassey