Six weeks and the Commonwealth Games …
The Commonwealth Games is now well and truly over … the stories of triumph and endeavour (and a little controversy) slowly fading into history.
Personally, ‘GC 2018’ meant six weeks of photographic employment … five weeks around the country with the Commonwealth Games ‘Queen’s Baton Relay’ … and a further week covering the fourteen Commonwealth Games basketball events in Cairns for Australian Associated Press (AAP) including the visit of … ahem … ‘basketball fan’ HRH Prince Charley.
All very rewarding … and a satisfactory little ‘earner’..
The rest of this post was penned on my return from the ‘Queen’s Baton Relay’ stint back in January … but has been held over till now to satisfy any contractual requirements.
“Just back from a manic, chockers but fantastically rewarding full month criss-crossing Australia with the Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay … Thanks to team mate colleagues Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert and Colin McPherson (they are Scottish but I won’t hold that against them) … and the GOLDOC crew.
Commencing on the 23rd December and running (almost literally) to the tail end of January, I travelled, in order, to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Stradroke Island, Gold Coast, Townsville, Palm Island, Gold Coast, Springbrook, Uluru, Melbourne, Warrnambool, the Great Ocean Road … and Adelaide. We took in Australia’s top sporting events … the Boxing Day ‘Ashes’ test match in Melbourne, the finish of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race (including Taste of Tasmania) in Hobart, the Perth Cup (horses) and Hopman Cup (tennis) in Western Australia, ‘A League’ football Sydney FC V Newcastle at Allianz Stadium, the Sydney ‘Ashes’ test match at the SCG, the Brisbane International tennis (with Rod Laver, Roy Emerson et al), the Magic Millions beach horse run on the Gold Coast, the National Sports Museum at the MCG and the Tour Downunder cycle races in Adelaide … and climbed each of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (with Ian Thorpe), the Q1 building (322 metres) at Surfers Paradise and the roof of the Adelaide Oval. We also took the Queens’s Baton to Uluru, Palm Island, the Twelve Apostle’s and Springbrook National Park.
I met and worked with some wonderful people … athletes, baton bearers, the relay team members and myriads of people who showed great interest in “The Baton” … whilst catching up with many photographer colleagues at distant parts of the country. I also made the odd photograph or two … ”
Below are just three of those … made at Uluru, at Surfers Paradise (Magic Millions) and at the peak of the Sydney Harbour Bridge …
Images © Brian Cassey and GOLDOC
September 15th, 2015
[…] Thanks to the inclusion of the 2015 Head On Portrait Prize – and director of the Head On Photo Festival Moshe Rosenzveig – I had every reason to make the trek to Brooklyn. The 2015 Head On Portrait Prize exhibition was displayed in the centre of the Photoville site gracing the entire side of a massive shipping container … and included my image “Disko Meri”. […]
October 10th, 2015
[…] bar girl Julie entitled “Disko Meri” (the same image that was appeared as part of the Head On Portrait Prize exhibition). Looking forward to a big night on presentation eve at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino on Saturday […]
February 10th, 2016
Just watched your fab “moving image” piece, Brian! Congrats on more stellar achievements since last we spoke. I met you @ the Head On portrait finalists exhibition back in 2013 (I think that’s the right year)… We both had work on display & yours was a second place winner if I’m remembering corectly. We were hung nearby one another & you were kind enough to text me to let me know that my portrait like yours was also part of the newspaper PR slideshow for the fest that year.
The HeadOn website redesign is a little wonky for me, but I’m planning on entering… probably landscapes not portraits this year.
Warm regards from Anna Bay, NSW,
Didi
February 10th, 2016
Hi Didi … YES … remember we had a chat at the State Library in 2013. Many Thanks for your kind words !
Hope we have the opportunity to catch up again this year … fingers crossed Didi … !!
Brian
February 10th, 2016
Hi Didi … YES … remember we had a chat at the State Library in 2013. Many Thanks for your kind words !
Hope we have the opportunity to catch up again this year … fingers crossed Didi … !!
Brian