Still On … “A Photographer’s Life” & Head On …


There is still time left to visit “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” … my featured Head On Photo Festival 2017 exhibition in Sydney.

Despite the dual events of my exhibition opening and the festival opening now well over two weeks ago, both events are still going strong for yet another couple of weeks.

The launch of “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” on the beautiful walls of historic Juniper Hall (completed by convict settler Robert Cooper in 1824) surpassed expectations. Really special was the attendance of bloody brilliant news photographer colleagues Phil Hillyard, David Gray, Rick Stevens, Glenn Campbell, Dean Lewins, Michael Amendolia and Paul Blackmore (there’s an astonishing number of ‘Walkleys’ amongst that lot!).

The following day, Sunday, saw the obligatory exhibition ‘artist talk’ … and a couple of surprises. As the crowd gathered two old friends materialised that I had not seen for many years. Turning up unannounced in support (or to heckle) were … old mate from the Brisbane years way back – Jules Kovacs … and the eternally lovely Barbara Sotiriadis from the early days in Cairns. Wonderful …

Apart from the obvious exhibition opening, visiting amazin’ exhibitions and catching up with a host of great photographers and friends that I don’t see often enough or at all … a highlight of my week at Head On was to take a place on the panel in the festival key debate on the topical subject “Does photojournalism facilitate or counteract fake news?”.

Felt distinctly honoured to take a place on the panel alongside US documentary photographer Maggie Steber, Israeli photographer Natan Dvir,  social media expert Kyla Woods, photojournalist and founder of Everyday Climate Change James Whitlow Delano and founder of Everyday Japan Q. Sakamaki … whilst Melbourne photography journalist Alison Stieven-Taylor took on the ‘moderation’ task. The top floor of The Beauchamp Hotel venue was packed for the vigorous and constructive hour plus of discussion. Great fun …

Perhaps it’s timely to say a huge ‘Thanks’ to Head On driving forces Moshe Rosenzveig and Anita Schwartz, Lauran Vohmann and the rest of the HO crew … also the great team at the Moran Foundation’s Juniper Hall headed by Cathy Brown and Craig Brush  … and Sonja and Chris at Arthead Mossvale for their brilliant work printing the exhibition. Really appreciate all your collective efforts to make it such a success.

“A Photographer’s Life – Part One” continues at Juniper Hall, 250 Oxford St, Paddington 10am to 4pm Wednesdays to Sundays till June 4th.

Pics … from top … “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” opening event at Juniper Hall (top two), a bunch of very talented photojournalists (and me) at the exhibition opening (l to r – David Gray, Rick Stevens, Michael Amendolia, myself, Dean Lewins, Glenn Campbell and Phil Hillyard), Head On director Moshe Rosenzveig opens my exhibition, the photojournalism debate panel at the Beauchamp Hotel (l to r – Alison Steven-Taylor, Natan Dvir, Q. Sakamaki, Maggie Steber, James Whitlow Delano, myself and Kyla Woods), a couple of the walls of my exhibition at Juniper Hall … and a promotional work outside the Moran offices in the Sydney CBD.

Images © Brian Cassey (6), Michael Amendolia (1) and John Swainston (1)

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

"A Photographer's Life - Part One" - Head On Photo Festival 2017 - Moran Prizes - Juniper Hall - Brian Cassey

October … Great Month … !

It’s not even half way through the month of October … but it’s already been a cracker !!

As the month turned I received news that five of my images had been selected as Finalists in four categories of the ‘Queensland Multi Media Awards’ … the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino Cairns on November 12th. Looking forward to that one …

That was followed by the announcement of selected finalists in the rich and prestigious ‘Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize’ … and my work ‘Number 55’ is one of the short listed images. The announcement of the $50,000 winner and the opening of the exhibition displaying all the Finalists work at Juniper Hall, Oxford Street, Paddington takes place on October 26th … and I’ll be choofing off to Sydney for that one!

Then … Thursday eve (the 13th) … the shock (to me) announcement, but wonderful news, that one of my images from the work on Manus Island PNG – of twenty year old Iraqi asylum seeker Abdullatif battered in the Lorengau police watch house – was selected as the Winner of the 2016 ‘Nikon Walkley Portrait Prize’. Magic … and now really looking forward to Australia’s media ‘night of nights’ – ‘The Walkley Awards’ – in Brisbane on Friday December 2nd. It’s the second time I’ve been lucky enough to snare the ‘Nikon Walkley Portrait Prize’ … the other being in 2011 with the portrait of Cairns burns survivor Carol Mayer.

Below is the 2016 ‘Nikon Walkley Portrait Prize’ Winner “Beaten Refugee”.

UPDATE … The Guardian has now published a great online gallery of ‘the best of’ this years Nikon Walkley winners and finalists – including my “Beaten Refugee” – at … https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2016/oct/17/nikon-walkley-awards-2016-the-best-photographs

Image © 2016 Brian Cassey

Nikon Walkley Portrait Prize 2016 - "Beaten Refugee" - by Brian Cassey