Galah announces 42 contemporary photographs as finalists in this year's $27,000 Regional Photography Prize, Australia's richest photography prize for regional artists.
Here are the 42 finalists in this year's $27,000 Regional Photography Prize, Australia's richest photography prize for regional artists.
Our judging panel selected 42 images made by 37 regional photographers from more than 1100 entries across regional Australia.
The biennial Galah Regional Photography Prize, established in 2023, has been created to encourage excellence in contemporary photography from regional Australia. The intention of the prize is to celebrate, support and advance the practice of regional photographers.
Congratulations to the 2025 finalists, listed below in no particular order. And many thanks to all the photographers who entered the 2025 prize.
The exhibition was first presented in May 2025 in collaboration with, and at Armidale’s New England Regional Art Museum.
The winner of this year’s $25,000 prize was Lisa Sorgini with The Flood.
Artwork Title: The Big Prawn, Ballina 2024. Year: 2024 Medium: Archival giclee print
Description: From the series and photo book ‘Australian Lustre’. In this photo collection, photographer Trent Mitchell travels around the country, drawing links with the idyllic holidays of his childhood, contemplating the notions of time and memory, and exploring where we belong in this, at times, strange place we call home.
Biography: Trent Mitchell was born in 1979 and has been photographing for over two decade. Mitchell has a narrative approach to his work, focusing on the environment in the broadest possible sense. Although best known for his water photography, Mitchell has also gained a reputation for his wry yet sensitive take on the manmade world, zeroing in on its various idiosyncrasies and contradictions. On both personal and assigned projects, his work is identified by an ability to not only compose his subject but distill the sensibility of the location and give a connection to place.
Working across digital and film, in both black and white and colour with a background in art direction, design and publishing, Mitchell has received wide recognition internationally. Mitchell won the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize in 2015, and has been a finalist for the award over a number of years. He has also been featured in, among others, the International Photography Awards, Sony World Photography Awards, Head On and Australian Life Photographic Prize. His work has been acquired for many public and private collections, including the National Library of Australia.
Home: Gold Coast, Qld
Artwork Title: Sweetheart, Merriwa Year: 2024 Medium: Archival Pigment Ink on 310gsm Cotton Rag Paper
Description: At the end of last year we said goodbye to one of our favourite farm companions, one of the nicest-natured horses I have had the pleasure to know. Merriwa was a sweetheart and that was an absolute bummer of a day. Here my daughter Eugenie says farewell.
Biography: Thérèse Maher is a photographer living and working in Maitland, NSW. Photography has provided a steady creative outlet for Maher for over two decades.
Home: Maitland, NSW
Artwork Title: Kevin (Nowangee) Year: 2024 Medium: Digital print on cotton rag
Description: Ringer and horse breaker, Kevin Malay is quintessentially Kimberley. A Gija and Worrorra man, Kevin grew up sleeping in a swag following his father around the stock camps of the Kimberley. School of the Air happened on a two-way radio.
He's been in the bush ever since, carrying on a proud family tradition started by his late grandfather, the legendary Kimberley cattleman Sallay Malay. And those striking looks: Kevin's great grandfather, Sallay Mahomet, was one of the north's last great Afghan Cameleers. It's an epic family story.
Biography: Nathan Dyer is freelance photographer and filmmaker based in Kununurra, Western Australia. A long-term contributor for R.M. Williams OUTBACK magazine, and a former newspaper photographer for The West Australian and The Herald Sun, Dyer's work has often focussed on regional and remote communities in the north. Dyer's work has appeared in magazines and newspapers across Australia.
Home: Kununurra, WA
Artwork Title: The Bush is Calling Year: 2024 Medium: Canson fine art archival quality 308 gsm paper. 100% smooth cotton rag.
Description: Nestled along a quiet stretch of Queensland's Moonie Highway, Westmar is home to a welcoming country roadhouse and pub. With cold beers, warm hospitality and an authentic country experience, it's the perfect place to refuel – both your tank and your spirit. Recent rains had transformed the landscape, adding bursts of color to the usual earthy tones, with vibrant bougainvillea spilling over a lone phone booth. It's a striking yet gentle reminder of the unexpected beauty in the bush, the power of connection, and the resilience of those who call it home.
Biography: Growing up in a small border town, Stirling’s photography is deeply influenced by an idyllic childhood. Long days in the saddle chasing adventures, escaping the heat by the Barwon River, and sharing stories around the fire – always surrounded by family and friends. This instilled in Stirling a love for storytelling, rural Australia, and capturing authentic connections. Now based in Dalby, Queensland, Stirling brings this same passion to photographing weddings, families, events, and editorial projects.
Home: Dalby, Qld
Artwork Title: The Ball Year: 2024 Medium: Inkjet Print on archival art paper. Framed with non-reflective perspex
Description: Frocked up and on their way to the Aurukun Ball. The Aurukun Ball is a mixture of glamour and cultural pride. The Ball was held for the third time in September 2024 in the remote Cape York community of Aurukun as a part of NAIDOC week.
Biography: Paul Blackmore is an Australian based photojournalist. Renowned for covering social and political issues in Australia and internationally, Blackmore's books, work and essays have been exhibited and published widely. In his latest body of work ‘Heat’, Blackmore exposes a culture laid bare under an ever hotter sun. Against the backdrop of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, ‘Heat’ explores the intimate relationship between humanity and the ocean. While Blackmore's images seek beauty, they are vibrant and at times haunting reminders of our cultural and spiritual reliance on our beaches. ‘Heat’ was published as a monograph and was featured in the exhibition Water at GOMA Nov2019 - April 2020.
Home: Byron Bay, NSW
Artwork Title: Lake Gairdner Year: 2023 Medium: Hahnemuhle cotton rag
Description: Lake Gairdner is an endorheic salt lake roughly 440km north west of Adelaide. Measuring 160km in length and 48km wide, its salt layer is 1.2 metres thick in some places. It is also the only race track in Australia where land speed records can be achieved and home of Australia's Dry Lake Racers community. In 2003, a highly unusual rain event occurred on the first evening of the five day race meet, delivering 8mm of rain across its surface, postponing racing for three days and turning the lake into a Dali-esque, mirror-like surface. Due to the corrugation of the salt, ripples from disruptive forces refused to radiate outwards creating an even more surreal environment.
Biography: Dean Sewell has been a documentary photographer for 35 years, beginning his career with the Sydney Morning Herald in 1989. At the age of 24, Sewell became the youngest photographer to win the Nikon Press Photographer of the Year Awards in 1994. In 1996–1997 Sewell lived and worked in Moscow, Russia. On his return, he won the 1998 Nikon Press Photographer of the Year Awards. Sewell has won World Press Photo Awards in 2000, 2002, 2005. In 2009 and 2010 he was back-to-back winner of the Australian Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize. In 2020, Sewell won the Moscow International Photo Prize in the News Category for his coverage of the Black Summer Bushfire and in 2022 won best photographic essay in the Australian Walkley Awards.
Home: Hamilton, Newcastle, NSW
Artwork Title: Before the concert Year: 2023 Medium: Photography – Print Ilford Smooth Cotton Rag 310gsm
Description: Before the Concert was captured backstage at the Sydney Opera House, with natural light streaming in from a narrow window on the left. It tells the story of Vicki Parkin, a cellist with the Opera Australia Orchestra, resting before a performance.
As I walked through the green room, I was immediately drawn to the red couch and the beautiful morning light falling onto it. Inspired by the works of Edward Hopper and Jeffrey Smart, I aimed to create a minimalist image that tells a simple story while incorporating elements that invite viewers to explore the frame and form their own interpretations.
Biography: Based in Wickham near Newcastle, NSW, French-Australian photographer Stephane Thomas enjoys capturing a wide range of subjects, from landscapes and architecture to dance and environmental portraits.
Thomas focuses on simplicity and minimalism, always aiming to highlight the core story of each image by removing distractions. Whether in natural settings or the controlled space of a studio, Thomas strives to create images that are both clean and impactful.
Thomas's photography journey began with his love for the outdoors, and while he still finds inspiration in nature, he has developed an interest in studio work, embracing the challenge of shaping light to bring his creative ideas to life.
Home: Wickham, NSW
Artwork Title: Beach Stone 1/10 Year: 2023 Medium: Ilford Galerie Fine Art Textured Silk 270gsm
Description: Sometimes life is just about clinging to the rock so the waves don't wash you away. An exploration into the balance found in nature. The nurturing, the symbiosis, the beauty of it all. A piece of treasure found at Flat Rock Beach, Ballina. Shot in my studio with natural light on my iPhone.
Biography: Robyn Barron is a botanical photographer and horticulturalist.
Barron values the intricacies seen in nature and strives to reveal the exceptional detail present in all her chosen subject matter. Barron believes that we all need to connect to our amazingly diverse natural world even more now than ever before: connection creates concern; concerns create action. She hopes that her art will inspire discussion and exploration of nature.
Through her work as a horticulturalist, namely as a consultant and garden designer, Barron has cultivated a unique insight into the natural environment. While walking the beaches of Ballina with her husband, she keeps a keen eye out for pieces of driftwood, coral, shells, and stones.
Also up on the beach tracks she is constantly on the lookout for unusual leaves, flowers and seed pods. Her garden is not only a huge resource for her but also a place of joy and peace. The chosen methodology primarily focuses on utilising this insight when collecting specimens to photograph. She walks. She collects. She captures. She creates.
Deeply influenced by the photographers Leendert Blok, Karl Blossfeldt, Sarah Moon, and her husband and mentor Charles Barron, who taught her everything about still life: the art of great light and an eye for perfect detail.
Barron won a gold medal in the Tokyo International Photo Awards (TIFA) and a silver in the Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3) in the Fine Arts Category.
Home: Alstonville, NSW
Artwork Title: Halcyon Days Year: 2024 Medium: Analogue film on fine art matte
Description: HALCYON DAYS is the latest image in an ongoing series I have been working on for a decade. The series documents the goings on at South Australian jetties. I'm fascinated by the intricate relationships that exist between the mainly youth-oriented groups who jump, laugh, flirt and revel in this very Australian form of social life. Bathed in sun and fearless towards my probing camera, this group from regional SA presented me with a portrait of those days we may deem in later life to be Halcyon. As I pressed the shutter, I fantasised that I had possessed that level of self-assuredness at that age, or any age for that matter.
Biography: Alex Frayne has been involved in film and images from his earliest school days. Beginning with an 8mm camera in hand, Frayne has continued his love affair with visual media ever since. His stills photography work has earned acclaim and his work is held in galleries including the National Portrait Gallery (two images in the Permanent Collection). Frayne shoots mainly analogue film formats, including 6x6cm, 6x9cm and 35mm formats. In 2023 his performance MUSIC FOR OTHER WORLDS had its world premiere at the prestigious Adelaide Festival of Arts.
Home: Strathalbyn, SA
Artwork Title: People’s Blockade Year: 2024 Medium: Hahnemuhle cotton rag
Description: Newcastle artists and climate defenders Ellie Hannon (swinging) and Pete Parslow enjoy an early morning bowl of cereal during a 24 hour vigil to protect the 'Play Raft' from NSW Police sabotage. They were part of the 10,000-strong Rising Tide's People's Blockade 2024 of the world's largest coal export harbour – Newcastle.
The Play Raft was a collaborative piece, designed and built by Newcastle's 40-strong Art Raft Collective, and they were told by NSW Police that if they attempted to launch it into the shipping lane, it would be dismantled and confiscated. The People's Blockade of Newcastle Harbour aim is to draw attention to Australia's reliance on coal and its contribution to climate change.
Biography: Dean Sewell has been a documentary photographer for 35 years, beginning his career with the Sydney Morning Herald in 1989. At the age of 24, Sewell became the youngest photographer to win the Nikon Press Photographer of the Year Awards in 1994. In 1996–1997 Sewell lived and worked in Moscow, Russia. On his return, he won the 1998 Nikon Press Photographer of the Year Awards. Sewell has won World Press Photo Awards in 2000, 2002, 2005. In 2009 and 2010 he was back-to-back winner of the Australian Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize. In 2020, Sewell won the Moscow International Photo Prize in the News Category for his coverage of the Black Summer Bushfire and in 2022 won best photographic essay in the Australian Walkley Awards.
Home: Hamilton, Newcastle, NSW
Artwork Title: Strength Year: 2025 Medium: Full frame photograph Fine art print on 310gsm canson platine fibre rag Non reflective glass in frame
Description: My mother does not have long to live. After a privileged childhood, her life was one of domestic violence and mental illness. Now, at the end of all things, she has regained control and some internal peace. Her conversation with life has been one of fragility, and yet she has lived to overcome adversity with strength. I wanted to display both these characteristics.
Biography: Tracy Lees is a psychiatric nurse living and working in regional Victoria for many years. Lees identified as an emerging photographer in 2020 and has been published in the Australian Photography magazine several times. Lees has been a finalist in several national competitions including the Olive Cotton Award 2023. Influenced by Diane Arbus, Lees enjoys photographing portraits in a minimalist style with little post production. Lees tries to tell stories of people who don't know they have a story to tell.
Home: Bendigo, Vic
Artwork Title: Pamamaroo New Year Year: 2025 Medium: Medium format photograph, giclee print on archival cotton rag paper
Description: We spent New Years Eve camping on the Menindee Lakes at Pamamaroo, swimming, sharing yarns by the campfire, singing songs about the outback. This photo of Tillie was made on my rolleicord on new years day, after a morning swim.
Biography: Em Jensen is currently based in Broken Hill / Wilyakali Country in far west New South Wales. Jensen is self taught and photographs predominantly on film and super 8 mediums. Her work explores themes of nostalgia, fringe subcultures and the Australian character, with a particular focus on sharing the stories of interesting folk who live in regional and remote parts of the country.
Home: Broken Hill, NSW
Artwork Title: Comet Atlas over Green Hills Year: 2025 Medium: Fine art print Epson signature semi matte
Description: The transient nature of human presence is highlighted when the landscape is briefly lit by the tail lights of a passer by in the dark sky area of Green Hills State Forest, NSW.
Biography: Robyn MacRae is a photographer and Churchill Fellow who lives in a small rural town in NSW, where her photographic work is divided between freelance jobs, personal projects and being an educator. With a migrant heritage, MacRae's imagery often investigates the sense of place, connections with homelands, as well as the diverse representations of beauty in the fabric of contemporary Australian society. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at The National Portrait Gallery, The Perc Tucker Gallery, Casula Powerhouse, The Tweed Gallery, The Sydney Opera House, The NSW State Library and the Ballarat International Foto Biennale among others. As a Churchill fellow, MacRae researches the positive effects that photographic practice can have on the educational and sociological outcomes of youth at risk in regional locations.
Home: Tumut, NSW
Artwork Title: Dirt Bike DreamingYear: 2024Medium: 260gsm premium semi-matte photo paper
Description: Emergency service workers are exposed to some of the most raw moments of human trauma and tragedy. As a mother working in remote emergency services, we joke that this is compounded with the relative daily trauma of parenting teens. Recreation such as camping out in the shed and escaping on the dirt bikes is an important part of healing the psyche and regrouping with loved ones. As the warm rays of a dawn sun stream through the hair of this mother and daughter in their swags, they are able to pause for a precious moment to savour the warmth and grounding of a flannelette hug and dream of where their dirt bikes will take them.
Biography: Katrina Starmer is an amateur photographer from Far North Queensland. Starmer works as a doctor for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and flies to patients in remote towns for medical care. Starmer has photographed her very patient children and her patient patients for years, as well as the rural towns and remote landscapes that she has worked in. Her photos have been published as part of a Rural Health Workforce photojournalism exhibit and in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA). In her words: 'I recognise that I sit awkwardly and conspicuously amongst a group of real photographers as part of this prize. Though humble and relatively unimpressive in terms of photographic prowess – my proudest personal photographic achievement was winning the grand prize at my local show in the same year that my daughter Lilah won the junior prize for her photo of her little sister in the water of birdie creek on Cape York'.
Home: Cairns, Qld
Artwork Title: Tea and Sugar Year: 2024 Medium: Inkjet Print on archival art paper. Framed with non-reflective perspex
Description: HONEYOON BORE, Northern Territory. Peter Morton stands next to a fire as he cooks kangaroo tails at his outstation, a remote property on the Alyawarre homelands 325km north east of Alice Springs. He reflects on the legacy of his father, Banjo Morton, a man who once defied the entrenched power structures of the cattle industry. In 1949, Banjo, along with a small group of fellow Aboriginal stockmen, staged a quiet but powerful walk-off from the sprawling Lake Nash Cattle Station. Their demand: to be paid wages instead of rations.
Now, decades later, Peter Morton and his family are part of a landmark Stolen Wages class action against the Commonwealth Government. The lawsuit seeks justice for the thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who worked on cattle stations from 1933 to 1971 across the NT, receiving little or no wages under Commonwealth wage control.
"No wages, just tea and sugar," Peter recalls, echoing the words of his father and many others who lived through the era.
For Peter and his community, the settlement represents a long-awaited acknowledgment of a painful chapter in Australia's history. But it is also a reminder of the broader fight for justice that Indigenous people continue to wage – one that goes beyond wages and rations, to land rights, the effects of the 2007 Federal Intervention and the recognition of their place in the nation's story.
Biography: Paul Blackmore is an Australian based photojournalist. Renowned for covering social and political issues in Australia and internationally, Blackmore's books, work and essays have been exhibited and published widely. In his latest body of work ‘Heat’, Blackmore exposes a culture laid bare under an ever hotter sun. Against the backdrop of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, ‘Heat’ explores the intimate relationship between humanity and the ocean. While Blackmore's images seek beauty, they are vibrant and at times haunting reminders of our cultural and spiritual reliance on our beaches. ‘Heat’ was published as a monograph and was featured in the exhibition Water at GOMA Nov2019 - April 2020.
Home: Byron Bay, NSW
Artwork Title: Emerging, Merewether Pool Year: 2024 Medium: Giclee printed to museum standard on 310 GSM Cotton Rag Paper
Description: Merewether Ocean Baths, in the 1970s, is where I first realised that a photograph could be art.
As rusty railing and worn whitewashed concrete are refurbished, unshod feet skip and later shuffle, growing from tiny and soft to gnarled and wide. Holding small, excited hands, parents nurture the tentative steps of offspring at the beginning of their memories.
I utilise long exposures to obscure any visual evidence of others swimming and floating through my compositions, creating spaces for memories and dreams. Although my camera now uses pixels instead of film, I will always be drawn to ocean pools, searching for something new in these nostalgic, cherished places.
Biography: Paul Foley is an Australian landscape and fine art photographer who believes a photograph isn't real until you can touch it. Photography expresses his fascination with light and shadow. Foley's eclectic collection of images reflects an inquisitive nature and constant search for interesting light.
After a 35-year career in commercial photography, Foley now explores the fleeting nature of light, free of the constraints of briefs and corporate mood boards. Foley has been a finalist in the National Photographic Portrait Prize, selected to hang in several 'Mosman 2088' exhibitions and included in group exhibitions in Glasgow, Tokyo, Newcastle and China. He has also had many individual and collaborative exhibitions in Sydney and Newcastle.
Home: Newcastle, NSW
Artwork Title: Eadie and Flo Year: 2023 Medium:
Description: Two girls. Two moods. Two completely different personalities. One hangs upside down, arms crossed, utterly unbothered. The other sits on a swing, both staring down the camera with pure attitude.
I've been photographing my daughters in our backyard since they were tiny – splashing in puddles, climbing the Hills Hoist, jumping on the trampoline. This swing set has seen it all. Now, as they teeter on the edge of childhood and adolescence, this image captures exactly who they are in this moment: bold, carefree, strong-willed and free women.
Shot in natural light, this photograph is part of an ongoing visual journal of our everyday life – one that, like childhood itself, is fleeting but unforgettable.
Biography: Karen Webb is a dedicated photographer based in Albury-Wodonga, specializing in capturing authentic family moments and dynamic commercial imagery. As a mother of two spirited girls and a partner to her long-time companion, Webb brings a personal touch to her work, understanding the beauty in everyday interactions. Webb's passion for the outdoors – ranging from mountain peaks to expansive plains – inspires her to infuse natural elements into her photography. Clients appreciate Webb's relaxed and engaging approach, which transforms photo sessions into enjoyable experiences, resulting in genuine, heartfelt images. Webb's work is a testament to her belief in preserving real, unposed moments, creating visual stories that families and businesses cherish.
Home: Albury, NSW
Artwork Title: Audio Eyes Year: 2024 Medium: Medium Format Film on Canson Photographique Fine Art Paper
Description: Jeanie is non verbal, yet her voice is unmistakable. In a rural community where conformity can echo across the cattle yards, she stands defiantly in her uniqueness, comfortable in her own form of expression. Despite societal expectations of voice, she brings creativity, truth and power to the unspoken word. Her eyes, windows to an intricate inner world, communicate with a strength that transcends language. Photographed on medium format film, Pentax 6x7, hand processed C41.
Biography: Naomi McKenzie is a film photographer and artist living and working in regional Queensland. Her creative practice is underpinned by a love of film, particularly medium and large format and traditional/alternative darkroom processes. McKenzie's work, both colour and B&W, is expertly hand-developed in her studio darkroom, a skill she has perfected over many years. Her practice also involves sharing knowledge through workshops in schools, galleries, and museums and is particularly passionate about sharing skills as a form of art therapy, using photography as an inspiring tool for personal expression and deeper understanding.
McKenzie is a mother, business owner, gallery volunteer at The Condensery and winner of the 2023 Queensland Regional Emerging Artist Award and an all-around advocate of nurturing creativity in regional settings.
Home: Toogoolawah, Qld
Artwork Title: Love & Grit Year: 2024 Medium: Printed on Epson 260gsm premium semi-matte paper. Framed in M65 black, 3cm wide x 2cm deep frame, 38x29", 65mm facing black/black core mat board, non-reflective glass, foamcore backing.
Description: I had just made a new friend. A mother too. She has this knack for laughing at the madness of it all with me. Something about her made all the isolating absurdities feel calm. We went out bush, off track. Just to chat and laugh and find some reprieve. Get out of town. Kids in tow. Dusk and time swept over us and we returned (eventually) tingling in love and grit.
Biography: Anna Doyle is an emerging portrait photographer based in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Doyle is inspired by the grit, honesty and beauty of motherhood as experienced in a remote setting, and explores the gentleness and harshness of the environment around her. Motivated by nature and her own creative eye, Doyle blends images of family intimacy with the raw magnitude of the Pilbara landscape.
Home: Tom Price, WA
Artwork Title: Strapping Year: 2024 Medium: Photography printed on Canson Platine Fibre Rag 310gsm
Description: A young bull rider has his shoulder taped before his ride in Tamworth, NSW.
Biography: Elise Derwin is an award-winning photographer based in Lismore on Bundjalung Country in Northern NSW, who specialises in documentary and editorial photography. Derwin has a Bachelor of Design (Photomedia) from the University of Western Sydney, and has extensive experience as a press photographer in regional Australia.
Home: Lismore, NSW
Artwork Title: The Flood Year: 2022 Medium: Photograph printed on Canson Platine Fibre Rag 310gsm
Description: The undeniable reality of our planet's warming is no longer a distant concern, nor a theoretical discourse – it is unfolding before our eyes, impacting our environment in real and immediate ways.
From catastrophic bushfires to unprecedented flooding, the consequences of climate change in Australia is reshaping landscapes, displacing communities, and irrevocably altering landscapes and lives.
I recall the early months after the birth of my second son, amidst the ravages of Australia's 'Black Summer' fires. Confined indoors, holding my newborn, I was gripped with concern over the smoky air – its invisible threat posed a silent danger to his fragile lungs.
In the years that followed, my community faced the devastation of floods, their scale and severity surpassing anything previously recorded.
As a parent, the instinct to protect my children has never been more pronounced, yet these events triggered an overwhelming sense of vulnerability – and a persistent anxiety about their future.
The delicate balance between despairing at the magnitude of the devastation and maintaining outward optimism for their future in a world so visibly affected by these crises has become increasingly difficult to navigate.
This emotional struggle is not only a personal experience but a reflection of a collective reckoning with the environmental and societal challenges we must confront.
Biography: Lisa Sorgini is an Australian/Italian artist working in still photography. Sorgini's work explores themes of the human condition, including caregiving, motherhood, memory, and familial spaces.
Her long-form projects, ‘Mother’ and ‘In-Passing’, combine personal experience with sociological research to examine the representation of women, mothers, and care roles in contemporary culture. Past works, such as ‘Behind Glass’, ‘Thick Like Water’, ‘The Bushfire’, and ‘The Flood’ have addressed motherhood during COVID-19, family dynamics, and climate anxiety.
Sorgini's photography has been widely published, including features in The New Yorker, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, and The Guardian. In 2023, she held her first solo exhibition at Melbourne's Centre for Contemporary Photography.
Sorgini's work has earned recognition in awards such as the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Prize (Australia), Lucie Portrait Project, and Portrait of Humanity. Her first monograph, Behind Glass, was published by Libraryman in 2022.
Home: Lismore, NSW
Artwork Title: Harvest Impression Year: 2024 Medium: Photograph Printed on 260 gsm Premium Semi-Matte paper, framed with UV 78% anti-reflective glass
Description: Harvesting on our farm portrays a unity between agriculture and art. Living in our landscape is our greatest privilege everyday. Most times our tracks in life are clearly defined, but other times these tracks can lead us to the unknown.
Biography: Sarah Cunningham is a self taught photographer living in Willalooka, South Australia. Her childhood was spent growing up on a family farm at Salter Springs in regional South Australia, and currently owns and operates a farming business. The natural landscapes, community, people and animals have been an influential part of her life. Beginning her photographic practice in 2021, Cunningham favours a minimalistic and documentarian style of shooting. She is appreciated for her sensitive approach to her subject matter, allowing the viewer to focus on the image without distractions, creating their own impressions in line with their own experiences and recollections.
Home: Willalooka, SA
Artwork Title: Roo Year: 2023 Medium: canson platine rag
Description: Roo Hunting on Warumungu Country.
Dusk is falling. The girls have their eyes on the scrub as we pass through slowly. CC is leaning her head out of the troupey window, She spots it.
"ROO" she shouts suddenly, loud enough for Jimmy to hear and low enough not to startle the roo.
A complete silence falls over the troupey as Jimmy slows down, hits reverse, backs backwards and comes to a creeping stop. Even the dogs are quiet. The small girls huddle into the front seat. CC stays in the back, keeping her eyes fixed on the roo. All eyes are on the prize.
Jimmy rolls down the window and lifts the gun.
Biography: Rachel Mounsey is an Australian photographer, photojournalist and member of the Oculi collective. Based in Victoria's most isolated town, Mallacoota, Mounsey captures the social and environmental stories and issues affecting regional and remote Australia through work that crosses the boundaries between press photography, documentary and fine art.
After studying photojournalism at La Trobe University, Mounsey began her photography career working on regional papers at Fairfax Media. She now works freelance and regularly contributes to national mastheads including The Age and The Guardian, while also working on her fine art practice.
Mounsey has been a finalist in photography awards including the National Portrait Gallery's National Photographic Portrait Prize and the Head On Portrait Award (both 2020), and was a semi-finalist in the 2019 Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize. Nominated for a place in World Press Photo's prestigious Joop Swart Masterclass (2020) for her work covering the black summer fires in her home town of Mallacoota, she also received a nomination for entry into the 2021 Prix Pictet prize for photography and sustainability.
Mounsey's work is held in the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art and a large selection of her black summer bushfire photographs are held in the picture archives at the National Library of Australia.
Home: Mallacoota, Vic
Artwork Title: Red and Green Algae Year: 2024
Description: A contrast in colours. Red/pink and green algae dissected by the roads.
Biography: Hughes has been a keen photographer for many years. Hughes likes all genres and loves experimenting and lives on a farm in central west NSW.
Home: Baldry, NSW
Artwork Title: The Nuances of Sisterly Love Year: 2025 Medium: Master fine art paper, smooth cotton rag 310gsm. Tasmanian Oak frame.
Description: Sisterly affection is a curious thing – part fierce loyalty, part tantrum inducing, but mostly, a whole lot of love tangled in the chaos.
Set against the backdrop of blazing heat and a paddock in drought are two sisters making a sheep trough their personal oasis. Their relationship with the land is as effortless as their bond with each other: a mix of joy, love, resilience, and the occasional well-aimed splash. The summers are brutal, the dust endless, but sisterhood? That's forever.
Biography: Amelia Scholtz is a photographer based in north-west Victoria, whose work features the families, stories, and landscapes that define rural Australia. Scholtz's photography explores the connections between farming communities and the land, and showcases the resilience, love, and determination that shape these regions. She is inspired by the unique landscapes, and the rugged beauty of the everyday life of living in the bush.
Home: Beulah, Vic
Artwork Title: Self portrait of a family Year: 2025 Medium: Archival giclée print
Description: Around my 28th birthday, an unexpected shift occurred: my parents, who had been divorced since I was four, chose to live together again. This decision was influenced by both the ongoing housing crisis in the Northern Rivers and the changing nature of their lives as they grew older.
I decided to spend the summer with them and document this awkward, delicate and beautiful time. Having no memory of my parents ever living under the same roof, it felt like a tender re-connection as adults. During this series, my parents, sibling and I also chose to embark on family therapy together.
This body of work examines how we navigate and maintain familial dynamics as we evolve over time. Now living in different parts of the world, our relationships are like a pendulum – constantly shifting and reconnecting as we meet each other in new ways. Through this project, I reflect on the complexities of family, the delicate balance of connection that persists despite time and distance, and the layers of grief involved in upholding traditional family structures as an aging queer person. It also raises questions about the realities of building my own family in the midst of an environmental and cost of living crisis.
Biography: Rosa Spring Voss is an Australian/German artist, writer, and postpartum doula from Bundjalung Country, Mullumbimby.
In 2023 Spring Voss graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) at the Victorian College of Arts, Melbourne. Spring Voss was a finalist in the 2019 National Portrait Prize and has exhibited in Australia and internationally.
Home: Fingal Head, NSW
Artwork Title: Thelma Plum Year: 2024 Medium: Medium format photograph, giclee print on archival cotton rag paper
Description: In the winter, Gamilaraay musician Thelma Plum came to visit Wilyakali country to make photographs for her new album. It was the coldest week of the year, and rained almost the entire time. At the end of a freezing, windy first day of photographing, we arrived at the old homestead and just as the sun began to set the clouds parted and we were able to catch on camera the elusive outback light that Broken Hill is so famous for. Another one of the photographs made at this time went on to become the album cover. This photo was made on medium format film, on a rolleicord camera.
Biography: Em Jensen is currently based in Broken Hill / Wilyakali Country in far west New South Wales. Jensen is self taught and photographs predominantly on film. Her work explores themes of nostalgia, fringe subcultures and the Australian character, with a particular focus on sharing the stories of interesting folk who live in regional and remote parts of the country.
Home: Broken Hill, NSW
Artwork Title: Missy Year: 2023 Medium: canson platine rag
Description: In December 2023, I was commissioned to photograph Missy Higgin's album campaign for The Second Act – a deeply personal record reflecting the death of a relationship and the reimagining of her future. The intention was less about creating traditional portraits and more about documenting a moment of transformation. It was an opportunity to capture a woman in the midst of an unraveling, quietly sitting with the weight of her own evolution.
Biography: Tajette O'Halloran is an Australian photographic artist whose work explores the intricacies of interpersonal relationships within suburban and rural landscapes. For almost a decade, O'Halloran has dedicated her artistic practice to two major ongoing series, 'In Australia' and 'The Quarry.'
'In Australia' serves as a personal reflection on her own adolescence, offering a nuanced glimpse into the complexities of Australia's small-town and rural culture, unveiling traces of unconventional family backgrounds, hardships, friendships and complex peer structures. Rooted in personal experiences, O'Halloran's conceptual documentary approach involves constructing cinematic scenes informed by memory, reflecting the diverse and shared experiences of adolescence across the Australian and wider global landscape.
In recent years, O'Halloran has developed 'The Quarry,' a series centred around an abandoned brickworks quarry turned swimming hole in rural NSW. Using traditional documentary photography, she captures the convergence of people, ecosystems, and the changing landscape, highlighting the quarry's dynamic microcosm.
O'Halloran has received widespread recognition for her work. She is currently undergoing a 12 month commission with the Powerhouse Museum documenting nightlife in regional NSW and will be holding her first solo exhibition in Melbourne in July 2025. She was awarded the British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Humanity award in 2019 and the Jurors Pick in the 2020 Lens Culture Award. She was also named a finalist in the National Portrait Prize in both 2021 and 2023, and was shortlisted for numerous photography awards including The Olive Cotton Award (2021) where she received an honourable mention, The Doug Moran Photographic Prize (2016-2019) The Bowness Photography Prize (2016,2019) and The PH Museum Women's Photography Grant (2021).
Her work has been featured in Australian and international publications, including the British Journal of Photography (UK), The New York Times (USA) and The Guardian (AUS). O'Halloran has contributed as both an artist and curator in ACTS I-VII at Benalla Art Gallery as part of PHOTO 2022 and is a member of Oculi Collective.
Home: Lismore, NSW
Artwork Title: The boys of 2200 Year: 2024 Medium: Digital fine art pigment print
Description: The boys from Bankstown cruised up the highway to ring in New Year's Eve. I spotted them in the Terrigal car park, where they swam before heading further north in search of fireworks to welcome in 2025.
From the series ‘Summer Highway’.
The Pacific Highway is the road I've traveled more than any other in my life. As a child growing up on the Central Coast, my holidays were marked by the winding path that led me north, where yellow sands gradually gave way to white, pandanus-fringed beaches. As an adult, now living among those same pandanus trees, the road takes me south to visit family.
Summer Highway offers a contemporary perspective on the places that have shaped me, exploring the towns and landscapes I've encountered along this route. It captures the diverse cultures and environments that have left an imprint on my life. Stretching 790 kilometres, the Pacific Highway is more than just a transport route between Sydney and Brisbane – it's a journey through regional life along the east coast of Australia. From peaceful coastal towns to sparkling beaches and hidden gems, it's a path that reveals the true spirit of this part of the country.
More than just a road, this highway offers an experience – one that spans over 900 kilometres of discovery, connection, and reflection. Through this photo essay, I invite you to see the Pacific Highway not only as a physical route, but as a journey into memories, stories, and the heart of Australia's east coast.
Biography: Natalie Grono is a passionate storyteller with a gift for connecting with people, drawing out the extraordinary from the everyday through her engaging style.
With a background in photography and journalism, Grono brings a keen aesthetic sense to her work. Her photography has earned recognition in numerous exhibitions, including prestigious accolades such as the Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture, the People's Choice Award at the National Photographic Portrait Prize, and three Walkley Awards – most notably the Nikon Walkley Photo of the Year in 2022.
Experienced, reliable, and well-versed in both print and digital media, Grono is skilled in shooting, writing, directing, and editing to create distinctive, compelling stories.
Home: Lennox Head, NSW
Artwork Title: Tip-Toeing into the Future Year: 2024 Medium: Hand Printed Silver Gelatin Print on Ilford Multigrade Pearl
Description: In the early hours of 6 April 2024, Stoney Creek in Coalcliff flooded. The effects of climate change literally lapped at my doorstep. The once in a hundred year flooding had happened for the 3rd year in a row and coal from the cokeworks up the road had washed down and dotted my backyard.
I loaded my camera with B&W cinema film and went to inspect the carnage. This candid photo is taken from a body of work currently under development that explores the small town with a big history, Australia's relationship with coal and what its future could look like without it. Hand printed by Sandy Prints from the original negative.
Biography: Tim Baker is a documentary photographer based in Coalcliff, NSW. His work is informed by a genuine curiosity toward the people and world around him. Baker often explores juxtaposition and duality as a means to make sense of it all. His keen eye and enthusiasm for a good story usually leads him to a surreal photo unfolding right in front of him.
In 2024 Baker released his debut zine "There's Sunscreen in the Holy Water" which was shortlisted in PHOTO 2024's Photobook Prize (pre-press category). A show of the same name was held at Clifton School of Arts.
Baker is a current resident of the City of Wollongong's Creative Studios program.
Home: Coalcliff
Artwork Title: Tom & Lola – Last Summer Days – In the Shade of the Tortured Willow. Year: 2024 Medium: Lustre inkjet glicee
Description: Last Summer Days – In The Shade Of The Tortured Willow – is an ongoing autobiographical meditation on life, loss & death (plus one hell of a mental breakdown).
An existential visual deep dive into my fear of mortality, time.. and its inevitable passing. An attempt to reengage with life and freeze the abstract, the beautiful, the small things. Things I have left behind and the regret that has followed.
Tom & Lola, my niece & nephew, are a small part of this process – it’s an unspoken collaboration.
I never expected my heart and mind to break in two... but I'm glad they did.
Biography: Julian Kingma started as a newspaper cadet photographer in 1988. The thought of moving out of that space was totally foreign and a little terrifying. Since going freelance in 2003, Kingma has worked mainly for magazines. Kingma now finds himself in a precarious position within a shrinking print market and is now turning his practice towards fine art – equally terrifying. Kingma is fortunate to have been included in four group shows at NPG which has also resulted in a steady acquisition of his portraits in their permanent collection. He is currently working on his first monograph with a release in 2025.
Home: Jan Juc, Vic
Artwork Title: Rinse Year: 2022 Medium: Documentary photograph
Description: Fei, rinsing her mouth in the strip club locker room. Perth, WA 2022.
This is one of my first images I created for my long-form project, Venus 8 – an intimate documentary series that delves into the world of strippers sex workers and erotic artists.
My favourite part is the water coming out Fei's mouth. To be given access to this world, in this way, was so affirming to me as an artist. This was a conversation between us – I was merely a fly on the wall. Documenting her day to day work preparation.
What struck me most in being with this group, is that it felt like a homecoming. There was a closeness between us that I wasn't expecting.
A palpable kindred feeling between us.
I was told it is notoriously hard to gain access to this group. Yet, for me, I was warmly welcomed like an old comrade. It was instant open arms. Not just by the performers, but also by the managers, the floor staff, the house mothers, and the other performers. It felt like I was being invited into a forgotten family.
I never knew how much I needed this as an artist. To have a personal practice that carries such a deep meaning for me – is something I will never forget.
Biography: Danielle Fitzgerald is an Australian-based photographer and social worker originally from the UK. Fitzgerald's work explores themes of identity, resilience, and the intersection of mental health and lived experience. Through a photojournalistic lens, she captures raw, unfiltered narratives that challenge societal perceptions and celebrate human complexity.
Her latest long-form project, Venus 8, explores the often unseen realities of mothering, mental health, and life behind the curtains of strip club locker rooms. Through striking imagery and deep storytelling, the project humanises and elevates the voices of those within this world, offering a nuanced perspective beyond stereotypes.
Alongside her creative work, Fitzgerald is deeply embedded in grassroots community support, working in the nonprofit sector in communications and photography. She uses storytelling to amplify voices, raise awareness, and advocate for mental health and social issues in regional Western Australia, where she lives.
Her work has been recognised and featured in Dazed Magazine UK, and she continues to push boundaries, blending documentary realism with artistic storytelling to shed light on untold narratives.
Home: Margaret River, WA
Artwork Title: Anointing they/them Year: 2025 Medium: Hot air balloon fabric. Wooden frame.
Description: Baptism has for a long time been a ritual of the religious, "a welcoming of Jesus into your heart" but as members of the queer community here we create our own welcoming of one of us as one of us. Anointing they/them.
Biography: Tess Lehman is a mystery if only to herself, a photographer, a dabbler, a maker, a mother and queer. Lehman's work entangles the threads of a life well lived, her numerous identities, the mundane and the spiritual.
Home: Charlestown, NSW
Artwork Title: Tilly Time Year: 2022 Medium: Photograph printed on metallic paper
Description: "It's always fun; it's always fun to entertain the others and, you know, make sure everyone's having a good time at the end of the night, 'cause that's what we're there for. We're there to entertain and I love it because I get enjoyment out of it as well. I love dressing up, doing my makeup, all of that type of stuff, so I do it for me as much as doing it for other people."
In this image, Tilly is working at the Main Reef Tavern in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. She takes a moment to sip her Diet Coke through a straw, carving out a brief pause in the hustle of skimpy life. The contrast of her glamorous nails – long, decorated and slightly destroyed – reflects the effort and dedication she invests in her role, balancing personal style with the realities of the job.
In the Goldfields of WA, pubs featuring skimpy bartenders in lingerie have long been a distinctive tradition. Through this project I wanted to preserve this unique cultural facet. This image comes from the project 'No Photos of the Girls,' which has evolved into a photography book titled 'Skimpies.'
Biography: m ellen burns is a portrait and arts photographer with a special interest in work involving community participation. Her recent work has been shortlisted for the Australian Photographic Awards (2021, 2022), Australian Life Photographic Award (2023), Head On Photographic Portrait Prize (2022, 2023) and the Olive Cotton Award for Excellence in Photographic Portraiture (2017, 2019, and 2023).
Home: Kalgoorlie, WA
Artwork Title: Untitled Year: 2025 Medium: canson platine rag
Description: For the past three years I've been returning to the Bexhill Quarry on the outskirts of Lismore, NSW documenting the people and ecosystems within its parameters. The location, with its aqua blue water nestled under towering sandstone cliffs, is an abandoned brickworks quarry that has become a popular swimming destination for both locals and tourists.
The quarry serves as a constant backdrop to an ever evolving microcosm, bearing witness to the people coming and going, the flora blooming and dying and the landscape shifting and changing – evoking a sense of 'place' as temporal and rhythmic in a more-than-human world.
A mother swimming with her teenage son... girls vaping under the pines... a collapsed road from the February flood... Wisteria in bloom... cousins born and raised on the same street….a cicada caught in a web.
This work focuses on the intricate relationships between humanity and the environment, capturing the ongoing process of repair, rebuilding, and recovery that characterises this community. Set against a backdrop of collective resilience, the quarry becomes a site where individuals seek refuge from the heat, and the more subtle pervasive hardships in their lives. Through these connections, the work uncovers the ways in which both human interaction and the surrounding environment engage in a constant state of flux and transformation, reflecting an unspoken rhythm of healing, renewal, and adaptation.
Biography: Tajette O'Halloran is an Australian photographic artist whose work explores the intricacies of interpersonal relationships within suburban and rural landscapes. For almost a decade, O'Halloran has dedicated her artistic practice to two major ongoing series, 'In Australia' and 'The Quarry.'
O'Halloran has received widespread recognition for her work. She is currently undergoing a 12 month commission with powerhouse Museum and will be holding her first solo exhibition in Melbourne in July. She was awarded the British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Humanity award in 2019 and the Jurors Pick in the 2020 Lens Culture Award. She was also named a finalist in the National Portrait Prize in both 2021 and 2023, and was shortlisted for numerous photography awards including The Olive Cotton Award (2021) where she received an honourable mention, The Doug Moran Photographic Prize (2016-2019) The Bowness Photography Prize (2016,2019) and The PH Museum Women's Photography Grant (2021).
Her work has been featured in Australian and international publications, including the British Journal of Photography (UK), The New York Times (USA) and The Guardian (AUS). O'Halloran has contributed as both an artist and curator in ACTS I-VII at Benalla Art Gallery as part of PHOTO 2022 and is a member of Oculi Collective.
Home: Lismore, NSW
Artwork Title: Lunch break in the sheds Year: 2025 Medium: Glassless Framed Print
Description: Growing up, my brother and I worked as roustabouts in the shearing sheds for local farmers in our community. My brother eventually went off to shearing school and learnt the trade, and I still remember how proud I was when he hit his first 100 sheep shorn in a day. Now, he's an experienced shearer, and as his sister and longtime roustabout, it's only fair that I keep him on his toes every now and then (just to keep him humble).
It was a scorcher in the sheds on this particular day, and by lunchtime, my brother and his shearer mate were completely wiped out, taking a well-earned nap in the heat.
Biography: Ellie Marinakis is the photographer behind Ellie Jade Photography. Growing up on a dryland cropping farm, Marinakis developed a deep appreciation for family, community, hard work, and the simple beauty found in everyday moments. That love for storytelling drives her passion for photography.
Marinakis travels to rural and remote areas, ensuring families can capture their unique stories, no matter where they call home. Understanding the importance of preserving these moments – especially for families in the bush who may not have easy access to professional photography – she believes every family deserves beautiful images that reflect their journey, no matter how far off the beaten track.
With a background rooted in farm life, Marinakis has worked for farmers across NSW, SA, and VIC. This firsthand exposure to rural life has given her a deep appreciation for the dedication and resilience of those living on the land. That connection to hardworking communities is at the heart of her work, making every story she captures even more meaningful.
Home: Burdett, SA
Artwork Title: Delightful Dissidence from An Uncertain Grasp (series) Year: 2024 Medium: Archival inkjet print on aluminium
Description: Delightful Dissidence is part of a larger series 'An Uncertain Grasp' which explores the house as a space of identity, belonging and shelter within the Australian bush landscape.
Set within one of the earliest homesteads built in Macedon, I have taken the approach of 'reading rooms', where I place myself within the spaces of the home and create photographic images. Utilising my own female form, the portrait speaks to the histories – both real and imagined – of women's stories within the broader Australian cultural narrative. This series speaks to the everyday and personal as much as the universal nuances of the human experience.
Biography: Pia Johnson is a visual artist, photographer, curator and lecturer living on Djaara country, Australia. Johnson's practice is engaged in performance, transcultural identity and belonging, stemming from her mixed background of Chinese Italian-Australian descent. Her works have been awarded and exhibited across Australia and internationally and are collected in private and public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria.
Known as one of Australia's distinctive performance photography and portrait artists for over a decade, Johnson has commissions from all the major performing arts organisations in Australia. Johnson has her own podcast Out of the Frame: Conversations about Photography, which profiles contemporary photographers and artists speaking about their practice and photographic concerns today.
Johnson holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts from University of Melbourne and has a Doctorate in Fine Arts from RMIT University, where she is a lecturer and Associate Dean Photography in the School of Art.
Home: Woodend, Vic
Artwork Title: Stardust Year: 2024 Medium: Fine art pigment print
Description: An unassuming billboard directs travellers to the Age of Dinosaurs Museum atop the 'Jump Up' near Winton QLD. Home to a 60-metre trackway of fossilised dinosaur footprints, and the 'Gondwana Stars Observatory', the lack of light pollution has seen this location become Australia's First International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Biography: Born in Lima, Peru, Terrence was introduced to the camera at a young age and his first images mimicked those of his maternal grandfather Pedro Paz.
Gillespie's work explores themes of solitude, belonging and non-places – a term coined by Marc Augé which refers to anthropological spaces of transience where human beings remain anonymous.
Gillespie lives and works on Kabi Kabi Country / South East Queensland.
Home: Mountain Creek, Queensland
Artwork Title: L'Eau de Joy Boy Year: 2024 Medium: Fine art pigment print
Description: As a country kid, summer was spent beneath the chlorine line, hopelessly contained in a backyard pool or at the public pool, eyes red at day's end. My boys are lucky to live seaside and so the ritual continues – just with infinite space and without the red eye sting. The waves are mostly no match for my youngest's energy and if I could somehow bottle his funny mix of ocean theatricals, dives and squeals, we'd call it L'Eau de Joy Boy.
Biography: Penelope Green is a journalist, author, open water swimmer, photographer, and mum of boys. Landlocked during the pandemic, Green revisited a passion for photography and began experimenting with a camera in the local pool of her then home of Orange, NSW.
Relocating to Newcastle, she now swims and shoots daily at her local beach, her primary aim being to document life and people beachside and capture the joy, beauty and grace of ocean swimming.
Green is a member of the Wh!P Collective (Women of the Hunter !n Photography), a finalist in the City Of Sydney's Australian Life Photography Prize (2022), a Portrait Finalist in Head On Photo Festival (2024) in Sydney, and a finalist in Women Street Photographers' New York annual group exhibition (2025).
She's been a part of group exhibitions in Newcastle and Orange galleries and was recently selected to participate in the photography mentorship in Newcastle Art Space's Mentorship Program.
Home: Newcastle, NSW
Artwork Title: Cable Beach Broome Year: 2024 Medium: Canvas
Description: Cable Beach is one of the most iconic in Australia. It is known for its white sand beach and blue water. This reverse view is something you won't find in a tourist brochure. I like to create images that show the reality of a subject, not a carefully curated view.
Biography: Christian Fletcher has been a photographer for 35 years. Fletcher is interested in all types of photography but his main passion is for images of the Australian landscape, both natural and man-altered.
Home: Dunsborough, WA
Artwork Title: Beef Week Year: 2024 Medium: Ilford Fibre Gloss 310gsm – archival print
Description: It had been four years since the Australian and international beef industry descended on Rockhampton, Queensland, for Beef Week. The pandemic had interrupted the biennial event. Showing cattle in the centre ring, experts of all ages in white coats and new hats lead brushed and gleaming livestock gently across the grassy stage of this pageant.
Biography: Mike Terry came to the New England region via Germany and the USA in 2020. Terry earned a BA in Communications from the University of Utah in 2010 and was awarded a Fine Art Graduate Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2011 through which he earned an MA in Visual and Media Anthropology from the Freie Universität Berlin in 2013.
Terry has worked in photography, collage and film for editorial, commercial and music clientele internationally and held a lectureship at the Freie Universität Berlin and the Hochschule für Medien, Kunst und Wissenschafft Berlin in arts education and visual anthropology since from 2014 to 2024.
Terry currently lives in Armidale and recently released the documentary film ROLA (Stone) with Palaeontologist Dr Marissa Betts on the overlap of Aboriginal History and Western Geo-Science in the Armidale region.
Home: Armidale, NSW
Artwork Title: The last swim Year: 2024 Medium: Digital fine art pigment print
Description: Dakota and her sisters enjoy one final swim in Ballina, relishing the last moments of freedom before school resumes, marking the bittersweet end of the summer holidays.
From the series ‘Summer Highway’.
The Pacific Highway is the road I've travelled more than any other in my life. As a child growing up on the Central Coast, my holidays were defined by the long winding path that led us north, where the yellow sands gradually gave way to white, pandanus-fringed beaches.
In this photo essay, Summer Highway is a modern look at the places that have shaped me, exploring the towns and landscapes I've encountered along this route. It captures the diverse cultures and environments that have impacted my life.
Stretching 790 kilometres, the Pacific Highway forms a vital connection between Sydney and Brisbane, offering more than just a busy transport route – it provides an experience of regional life along the east coast of Australia. From quiet coastal towns to sparkling beaches and hidden gems, it's a journey that unveils the soul of this stretch of the country.
Biography: Natalie Grono is a skilled storyteller with a talent for connecting with people, capturing the extraordinary in everyday moments through her captivating style. With a strong background in photography and journalism, Grono brings a refined aesthetic to her work. Her photography has earned recognition in multiple prestigious exhibitions, winning awards such as the Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture and The People's Choice Award at the National Photographic Portrait Prize. She is also a three-time Walkley Award recipient, including the Nikon Walkley Photo of the Year in 2022.
Highly accomplished and versatile, Grono is an expert in both print and digital media. She excels at shooting, writing, directing, and editing, crafting one-of-a-kind stories with a distinct, compelling voice.
Home: Lennox Head
