‘Carol’ Does it Again …
Will have to get on the ‘blower’ again to voice yet another sincere vote of ‘Thanks’ to my amazin’ portrait subject Carol Mayer.
This morning (Sunday), during a live awards streaming event (which I didn’t bother to watch), it was announced that my “The Skin I’m In- II” image of burns survivor Carol … took out “3rd Place – Honor of Distinction” in the Portrait category of the huge 2018 “International Color Awards” (11th Annual Edition).
There were a host of great portraits made by some very accomplished photographers selected as ‘Nominees’ in the ‘Portrait’ section … so it was very rewarding to be amongst the top three ‘Honorees’. (Although I wish they would learn to spell ‘Honour’ and ‘Honourees’ … and ‘Colour’ … correctly.) Rounding out the top three were portraits by winner Boy Surminski from The Netherlands and second placed Azin Haghighi from Iran.
“The Skin I’m In – II’ has also been recognised by the 2017 ‘National Photographic Portrait Prize’ and several others.
… ‘uge Thanks’ once again Carol …
Image © Brian Cassey
Mentioned in Dispatches from Budapest …
… Nice … 4 X Honourable Mentions in the 2022 Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) announced yesterday.
You’ve likely seen the work before on this blog, social media or elsewhere … but always nice to receive a little more kudos. So … here they are …
1. “Veronica – Where Home Brew Kills” – People/Children – Five year old Veronica Barnes on Mornington Island in far northern Australia. Her remote indigenous community is suffering the ravages of a dangerous ‘Home Brew’ alcohol epidemic. Veronica is growing up in a community where community members – including children – are dying from alcohol related issues and severe diabetes.
2. “Scooter- Paralympian” – Editorial/Sport – Swim Paralympian Grant “Scooter” Patterson has diastrophic dysplasia, a joint fusion disability connected to dwarfism. He was catapulted to cult hero status around the planet when he won silver and bronze swim medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. His nickname comes from his constant form of transport – a three wheel scooter.
3. “Mother Africa” – People/Culture – As a black Colorado born African American, Aurora Coulter is acutely aware of her heritage, the treatment of her coloured predecessors and forebears in the United States – and also the history of Australia’s indigenous population since supposed ‘settlement’.
4. “Covid Vax & Ice Cream” – People/Portrait – After receiving her first Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination in her remote Yarrabah far north Australia home, 67 year old aboriginal Leanne Bulmer sits with her ‘reward’ – a free ice cream from the ice cream van that was arranged to follow the on foot ‘door to door’ doctors and medical teams through the indigenous community.
Taking some of the gloss off the BIFA announcement was the insane decision by both IG and FB to ‘remove’ the tasteful and respectful ‘news’ image of Veronica citing their ‘community standards’ and impose a ‘ban’ … whilst they constantly bombard social media with unsolicited overtly sexually blatant images of females displaying their various ‘bits’. Go figure …
You may check out where all four of these images have previously gained attention on my ‘Awards’ page here.
Also a special mention and a brilliant result for Cairns colleague and friend Emese Gyalog who won a ‘Bronze’ award and also 4 x Honourable Mentions … (and who just happens to be in Budapest right now.)
Big Thanks to my subjects … Veronica, Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson, Aurora Coulter and Leanne Bulmer.
Images © Brian Cassey