landscape

Dodho ‘Fine Art’ … Again …

… really cool to once again be selected as a ’Top 25’ Finalist’ in the International Dodho Photography ‘Fine Art’ Awards … and soon to be published in their wonderful hard cover beautifully produced volume “Fine Art – The Best Photographs”. The work selected in the collection is one I am fond of … “Rain Over Black Mountain” … which I was lucky enough to make a few years back from an aircraft just before landing in Cooktown.

The pic (top) has a little bit of history  too …

It was selected as a ‘Finalist’ in the highly prestigious (but now sadly no more) ‘Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize’. It was also a feature of my latest little exhibition “Achromatic” at ‘The Hound’ bar in Edge Hill late last year.

I’m a bit of a fan of Dodho’s support of photographers’ work in their awards and their great books … they seem to attract a really high level of imagery and do a great job of featuring beautiful images from some of the best photographers from around the planet on their website and in their publications. It’s the third time in a row I’ve been fortunate to feature in these ‘Fine Art’ awards and book. The 2024 and 2023 selected images are also here and very different in subject and concept to this years … “Mother Africa – Aurora” (below left) and “Bonn – Asking the Question” (below right).

Currently have nine Dodho volumes containing my images across the variety of Portraiture, Color, Fine Art and Monochrome … and this latest will make it a nice round ‘ten’ 🙂 … Thanks Dodho !

You can see the all new Dodho ‘Fine Art’ finalists here … https://www.dodho.com/winners-fine-art-awards/ 

Image © Brian Cassey

New Exhibition … “Achromatic” at “The Hound” …

… delighted to announce my new exhibition of photographic works … “Achromatic” … at the beautiful atmospheric surrounds of “The Hound” bar, Edge Hill from the 17th to the 29th September. 

The exhibit is my first ever collection of purely black and white photographic works … blending in with the theme of this gorgeous little whiskey/cocktail bar and celebrating its milestone first anniversary.

The definition of the title “Achromatic” … ‘free from extraneous colours, possessing or involving no hue’ … and the collection demonstrates how reducing a photograph to black and white emphasises contrast, form, and texture, allowing viewers to focus on composition and the interplay of light and shadow without the distraction of colour.

The photographs in the collection are varied and include, landscape, portraiture, photojournalism and more … and also includes three images made at “The Hound” as a tribute to the beautiful  Paweł Pawlikowski film “Cold War”.

The exhibition is tailored specifically for the “The Hound” in conjunction with the amazing and motivated bar manager Ana Belen Hernalz … and I also owe a massive vote of thanks to fellow photographer Emese Gyalog and Will Davey who played their parts beautifully in the “Cold War” images. 

Sadly I’ll be working in the Torres Strait when the exhibition first opens … but on return the plan is to organise a photographers eve and/or a closing event at the “The Hound” … very likely on Thursday 25th September. Put it in your electronic diary !

Below is the exhibition poster © The Hound , image © Brian Cassey

Delighted to announce my new exhibition of photographic works ... “Achromatic” ... at the beautiful atmospheric surrounds of “The Hound” bar, Edge Hill from the 17th to the 29th September. The exhibit is my first ever collection of purely black and white photographic works by photographer Brian Cassey

‘The Mountain of Death’ … at the Moran Prize …

It wasn’t the image that I would have anticipated to make the ‘Finalist’ selection of Australia’s richest photographic prize … (‘landscape’ isn’t my usual ‘thing’) … but … Thanks Moran … a loverly surprise and I’m more than happy to accept it 🙂 .

“Rain Over Black Mountain” was last week selected (from a field of over three thousand) as one of thirty ‘Finalist’ images to be exhibited in the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize 2019 at Juniper Hall, Paddington, Sydney … and vie for the first prize winners purse of $50K.

The image was made during a short late afternoon Cessna Caravan flight last May from Cairns to Cooktown on my way to a work assignment for Good to Great Schools in Hopevale. Black Mountain … known to Aborigines as “Kalkajaka” or loosely translated “Mountain of Death” … lies just south of the Cooktown township. (I toyed with a title for the image as “Rain Over the Mountain of Death” but that seemed somewhat overly dramatic 🙂 ).

A local aboriginal belief is that the black granite monolith is the result of the explosion when a chameleon like medicine man who had a taste for human flesh was struck by lightning leaving a massive pile of charred black rock. Aboriginals, apparently, don’t go there amid fears that those who do will not return … and there is evidence to support their apprehensions. It is said that the mountain has swallowed up prospectors, criminals on the run, policemen, native hikers, an entire Aboriginal tribe and a herd of cattle … and there are old records that seem to confirm some of those incidents. Whatever the truth Black Mountain is a dark foreboding place.

“Rain Over Black Mountain” was one of two images entered into this years Moran … and my fourth time as a Moran prize finalist. I initially thought my second entered work this year … “Tomotaro on the Block” … was more of a finals contender but it only made it as far as the semi finalist selection. However, in retrospect and despite being made in Cairns, it may be said that ‘Tomotaro on the Block” does lack some ‘Australian-ness-ness’ in an award that celebrates what it is that is ‘quintessentially Australian’. (‘Tomotaro’ has already picked up it’s fair share of accolades … here, here & here.)

The Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize exhibition runs from the 4th May to 2nd June (as part of the ‘Head On Photo Festival’) … with the winners announcement and exhibition ‘opening’ on the 7th May. Expecting a great eve and an excellent opportunity to catch up with several friends/colleagues who have also been selected in the ‘Finalist’ mix. ( #MoranPrizes )

Image © Brian Cassey

Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize Finalist 2019 - 'Rain Over Black Mountain' - image by Brian Cassey of Black Mountain near Cooktown far north Queensland.

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.