News … January is Good … 17th Pollux & More …
… a nice start to ’22 … good news on a several fronts … (but inexplicably somewhat spoilt by Facebook).
Firstly, announced in the 17th International ‘Pollux Awards’ mid January … two ‘Honorable (sic) Mentions’. A first recognition for the image “Veronica – Where Home Brew Kills” in the ‘Portrait’ category … and also a ‘HM’ for “The Yarrick Family of Kunhanhaa” in the ‘People’ category, adding to it’s lengthening ‘list’ (think you’ve seen that one a few times before on previous posts). Both were made on Mornington Island.
(Astonishingly Facebook immediately REMOVED (twice) the Pollux International award image of the five year old indigenous girl Veronica (below) because it “goes against our Community Standards” … I’m enraged ! Would be interested to hear your take on this.)
Also, selected as a Finalist this month in the ‘soon to be announced’ (can’t tell you more) Maldon Photographic Portrait Prize and exhibition ‘I Be Human’ at Edge Galleries, Maldon, Victoria in February … whilst there’s also an exciting ‘first’ for another image in a big International Prize that I’m not allowed to tell you about yet on pain of death ! 😉
January is good … (despite Facebook/Meta)
Image © Brian Cassey
‘Veronica’ Wins MIFA Gold …
But wait … there’s more ! Hot on the heels of the wonderful 2022 ‘International Portrait Photographer of the Year’ results … see the post on the 25th of June … has come the results from the 2022 ‘Moscow International Foto Awards’ (MIFA). (N.B – not political or warmongering in any way).
The great new news is my images picked up two gongs … a Winning shiny Gold in the ‘Editorial’ category and a Bronze in the ‘People’ category.
Really stoked to see ‘Veronica – Where Home Brew Kills’ … an image I made (top below) in Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria whilst covering the story of a dangerous home brew alcohol epidemic in the community … take out the Gold placement in Editorial & Environment. It’s the second time it’s caught the eye, winning an ‘Honourable Mention’ earlier this year in the 2022 17th Pollux Awards. (Will prepare a print for Veronica and her family and deliver to them when next I get to Mornington Island.)
Also in the MIFA mix was my portrait of the delightful African American Aurora (bottom of this post) entitled ‘Mother Africa’ which won a Bronze award in People/Culture. The aim of ‘Mother Africa’ was to represent the ill treatment of Aurora’s African forbears in the America’s over the centuries. The work is racking up a list of recognitions with previous selections in 2022 The Percival Portrait Prize, the 2022 International Color Awards and the 2022 International Portrait Photographer of the Year.
Huge Thanks to Veronica and Aurora … can’t do this stuff without wonderful subjects.
Without overdoing it … there’s a couple of more bits of good news coming … but I’m not allowed at this stage to share the details 🙂
Images © Brian Cassey