Winners of Photography Competition announced

Posted Tuesday 27 October 2009

With a record number of entries totaling 650, the judge faced a difficult task in selecting 116 for exhibition from five different categories: primary students, secondary students, amateurs, professionals and Mosman subject. The styles varied from photo journalism to studio works, crafted and staged scenes and carefully manipulated digital imagery.

The judge of the competition was Tamara Voninski the Photo Editor for Fairfax Magazines. When describing the entries she said “The photographs selected are evocative on an emotional level and have a certain energy that goes beyond technical expertise, great composition and beautiful light.”

So impressed was she with Mosman resident Thomas Castleton’s entry Letters to Santa – Finland, that she created a special commendation prize in the Amateur category, describing his photograph of foraging deers in the snow as “a beautiful visual poem”.

The Mosman subject prize was awarded to Cremorne resident Janyon Boshoff for a beautiful and ingenious Polaroid collage of a majestic tree Bradleys Head Fig.

As is often the case, entries from school aged students were imaginative, humorous and powerful. Kirribilli student Ashleigh Haynh won the Primary section prize for her poignant black and white photograph Love in Different Languages which portrayed two young hands clasped together. Tamara Voninski commented that this image “was a beautiful elegant photograph that symbolizes friendship and love”. Crows Nest student Danielle Huang used digital effects to layer on text eyelashes in her subtle I Dream winning entry for the Secondary School category.

In the Amateur category, Glenhaven photographer Stephen Weissner won for the second year with his superbly composed image Anzac Day 2009. This high angle shot of the parade focuses on the flat disc like tops of the white navy hats. This shot, reminiscent of the work of Australian photographer David Moore, portrays an unusual abstraction of a military march.

The Professional category prize was awarded to Newington photographer Ben Ali Ong for his ghostlike portrait Songs of Sorrow #07. In this photograph, a luminous face of a woman emerges from the darkness yet remains veiled by the scratched and blurred surface of the image. Originally from Singapore, Ben Ali Ong has been a finalist in major competitions such as the Moran and Olive Cotton photographic prizes.

There is still a chance for another entrant to win the Viewers Choice Award which will be announced at the end of the exhibition.