The Australian Photographic Prize 2022 Wrap-up

Congratulations to all the entrants on bringing your best to the first-ever Australian Photographic Prize.

New Beginnings for the Australian Photographic Industry

A new photography conference and awards event has brought a fresh perspective to the Australian Photographic community. Over four days the Australian Photographic Prize saw those at the top of their fields in Professional Landscape, Portrait, Commercial and Wedding, as well as student and amateur photography come together to celebrate their creative endeavours. The event was vital to the creative community with high school students through to internationally acclaimed photographers enthusiastically entering the awards with results that indicate the recent pandemic challenges have impacted photographic image-making allowing new levels of creativity.

The event saw hundreds of people per day attending the print judging and conference either in person and 5000 views across the online platforms. The Australian Photographic Prize Nikon Digital Awards celebrated the best of amateur photography with almost 600 entries. The EIZO Photographic Artist Prize had over 100 entries and celebrated photographic artistry,  and the Australian Photographic Prize Epson Print awards received 700 print entries showcasing the best of the photographic industry.

As an inaugural event, Australian Photographic Prize Directors Karen Alsop and Robyn Campbell achieved higher than expected award entry numbers and although event attendance could have been stronger, given the current societal shift away from face-to-face interaction due to pandemic concerns, attendance numbers were promising for future growth. Livestream attendance was in the thousands across all events, with students from Charters Towers in Far North Queensland, through to overseas entrants from America tuning in.

At the close of the Gala Ceremony at Village Cinemas Robyn Campbell thanked Sponsors for their commitment to the photographic industry and every entrant for showcasing their finest photographic work through the awards. Camberwell Camera Club member David Bignell was awarded Australian Photographic Prize Nikon Digital Award-winner with a reflective self-portrait.

“I look at the other contestants’ work and am so impressed by what we do as a photographic community. We are all winners by being involved in our love of photography. The work is an expressionistic self-portrait made during COVID lockdown that expresses how I perceived the broader society was feeling at the time. Experimental processing is a passion. I am regularly thinking about novel approaches for creating photographic work. This was a collision of an idea with one of those processes.”

— David Bignell, First Place Nikon Digital Awards

North Queensland-based Professional Photographer Charmaine Heyer was awarded the Australian Photographic Prize Epson Print award winner.

“This image from the ‘Creative’ category started from a fashion shoot. My intention was to morph an insect and a human to highlight our interdependence. Biggest thanks to the wonderful sponsors, Robyn and Karen, and their team for making this happen for all of us. Personally, I feel pleased the judges saw merit in this creation. Through entering awards, you extend yourself and grow as a storyteller, not to mention the wonderful photographers you meet along the way.”

— Charmaine Heyer, First Place Epson Print Awards

Australian Photographic Prize Directors Karen Alsop and Robyn Campbell would like to acknowledge our sponsors (sponsor tile below), Nikon, Epson and Kayell who came on board as our Visionary Sponsors. We’d also like to thank the entrants, judges and crew who took the time to be a part of this event, without whom, it would not have been possible.

Winners Gallery – Australian Photographic Prize

NIKON DIGITAL AWARD WINNERS

The Australian Photographic Prize

EPSON PRINT AWARDS WINNERS

The Australian Photographic Prize

EIZO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST AWARD WINNERS

The Australian Photographic Prize

VILLAGE CINEMATIC AWARD WINNERS