[Exhibition] Nemesis: The Source of One's Destruction - Perth Centre for Photography, May 3

Curated by Yvonne Doherty, Nemesis: The Source of One's Destruction opens at the Perth Centre for Photography on May 3. In this exhibition, photographers are asked to explore the following:

• the source of harm or ruin
• an opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome
• one that inflicts retribution or vengeance
• the source of damaging and dangerous behaviour

"Delve into your own or your subject's psyche, and find the nemesis lurking beneath the surface creating powerful emotional responses. The challenge lies in capturing your nemesis in visual form in a compelling way. The meaning of the word nemesis evokes darker themes but humour and kitsch can also be used to explore ideas."

Perth Centre for Photography: 91, Brisbane Street, Perth.
For more details contact: 9227 6620

[Photo opp] Swedish Tallship Gotheborg Visit

Date: 13-25 May 2006
Venue: Passenger Terminal Victoria Quay Fremantle

The Swedish tallship, Gotheborg, will arrive in Fremantle on 13 May and depart on 25 May. The arrival, which will be at 10am, will be a major event, so it might be one to put in your diary. The Götheborg is a replica of Eastindiaman and displaces some 1200 tonnes compared with Endeavour 550 and Leeuwin 220.

Might be of interest to photographers with a nautical bent.

[Photo opp] Fremantle Boating Festival: 28-30 April, Esplanade Reserve, Freo

[from http://www.fremantlewa.com.au/events.asp]

Date: 28-30 April 2006
Venue: Esplanade Reserve Park Marine Tce Fremantle
Ph: 08 9476 9476
Fax: 08 9486 1933
email: info@exhibit.info
web: www.exhibit.info

April is a great time of year for boating. The strong summer breezes have gone, the winter rains are some months away and the days can be warm and balmy. And the selling season is far from over with buyers looking to replace or upgrade gear and in some cases planning that new boat for next summer. Taking advantage of its position near the end of the season, the event will also provide a terrific opportunity for merchants to ‘ship out’ discontinued and over-stocked lines.
The Fremantle Boating Festival truly represents all aspects of boating and water activities including luxury cruising, sailing, fishing and scuba diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, water skiing, wake boarding, windsurfing and kayaking. The Festival will present entertainment, tourism and boating destinations, career information and classes covering everything from fishing tips to marine navigation. The Festival will also feature next summer’s boat and beachwear, cooking demonstrations and much, much more.

It makes perfect sense to hold a premier boating festival in Western Australia’s internally recognised harbour city. The festival will also benefit from its location on the Esplanade Reserve Park in the heart of Fremantle. Close to the Cappuccino Strip and a short stroll from Fishing Boat Harbour, the park area will be laid out to provide a relaxed atmosphere where enthusiasts and the general public can stroll the show and see all things nautical.

Fishing Boat Harbour, the home of the 1987 Americas Cup defence, will be a focal point for the festival featuring up to 50 large vessels presented as they should be – on the water in a working harbour setting. Double the size of the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, and with the ability to accommodate boats of any size, the Fremantle Boating Festival is big in every way and will rapidly become people’s favourite boating event.

[Event] WA Press Photographer of the Year Awards 2006

The WA Press Photographer of the Year Awards 2006 exhibition showcases over 500 photographs from the portfolios of WA News Photographers. The winner this year is The West Australian's Nic Ellis. The exhibition is now on at the State Library of WA - from April 1 to May 31.

Monday-Thursday: 9am-8pm
Friday: 9am-5.30pm
Weekends: 10am-5.30pm

[Courses] Wildheart Photography Courses/Tours, 2006

Dale Neill runs Wildheart (www.wildheart.com.au) , providing photography holidays and workshops for amateurs, professionals and enthusiasts, along with workshops located in locations as exotic as Broome, Cervantes and the Pinnacles.

The 2006 tour/workshop programme includes:

• B061 BORNEO WILDLIFE 14-23 Oct 2006 AU$3150Led by Dale Neill, Western Australian Professional Photographer of the Year 2005, John Prudente, Sabah Tourism Award 2005/06 Best Tourist Guide and Denise Williams, Australian graphic designer and photoshop expert.Enquiries: Dale Neill on +61 8 9430 6422 or borneo@wildheart.com.au Free Borneo Information evening at UWA Thursday 12 April 7.30-9pm. Please tel UWA on 6488 2433 to book.
• FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY May 31, June 7,14 & 21 2006 Maximum 10 per class $220Techniques and practical work in Photography as Fine Art. Exhibition of your work in Monart Studio & Gallery.Information & Bookings: Mona Ketelsen, Monart Studio & Gallery 9386 9066 monartstudio@iinet.com.au Two vacancies left in class.WF061
• WILDFLOWER FIELD TRIP September 24 2006 1 day $75With Nick Djordjevic and Dale Neill. Techniques in lighting and design to get the best macro images.Limited to 20 people. Trip was booked out 2005 so be early. Enquiries: macro@wildheart.com.au
• ET071 EGYPTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE 6-24 Jan 2007 19 days AU$3200 (approx) with Mona Ketelsen & Dale NeillFollowing the great success of our 2006 Egyptian tour Mona and Dale have scheduled a new, longer tour for 2007. Travel agent: Harvey World Travel, Fremantle. Free EGYPTOGRAPHY exhibition and information day at Monart Gallery, Dalkeith on 22 April. Contact Dale on Egypt@wildheart.com.au or Mona on 9386 9066 to book.

For more information, contact Dale at dale@wildheart.com.au telephone: (08) 9430 6422 visit www.wildheart.com.au

[Event] Book launch - Portrait of a Revolution

[Update 18/4/06] - The book launch for Portrait of a Revolution has been rescheduled for July to allow additional publication time. Parties interested in attending the launch should still email Bohdan at bohdan@warchomij.com .

In creating Portrait of a Revolution, Perth photojournalist Bohdan Warchomij returned to his parents’ homeland, Ukraine, to document the memorable events of November 2004: the Orange Revolution.

Then, in the city of Kyiv, thousands of Ukrainians voiced their protest against a rigged Presidential election. The passion, fervour and extraordinary dedication of protestors -- people from all walks of life, from all over Ukraine -- led to Democratic candidate Viktor Yuschenko’s victory over incumbent Prime Minister Yanukovych. In Ukraine, Warchomij recorded these events for the British and Canadian press, creating images that became visualisations of the collective voices of Ukrainians and their bid for a fair and free political system.

Portrait of a Revolution also chronicles the lives of Ukraininans and Tartars, and features a series of startling, yet poignant and beautifully photographed, images of children affected by the legacy of Chernobyl.


Currently on exhibition in FotoFreo, the Fremantle Photography Festival, Warchomij’s photographs will be published in Portrait of a Revolution – the book in May 2006. To secure your invitation to the book launch, contact Bohdan Warchomij directly at bohdan@warchomij.com

More information about Portrait of a Revolution, and Wachomij’s body of work can be discovered at http://www.warchomij.com/

[Event] Indonesian Transitions: photojournalism by David Dare Parker, Murdoch University Library (first floor), Mar 17 - May 19, 2006

I dropped in to this exhibition at Murdoch University today (first floor of the Murdoch Library) - and what a powerful collection of recent images of Indonesia. Taken at key turning points in recent Indonesian social and political history (the Tsunami, Aceh, the fall of Suharto, the transition from Megawati Sukarno Puteri to Suseno Bambamg Yudhoyono ) the withdrawal from East Timor), the black and white photographs by freelance photojournalist, David Dare Parker, are brutal, searing, touching and relevant.

If you live in the area, or find yourself south of the river, it's a worthwhile visit. Needless to say, the Aceh and East Timor photographs have the most immediate impact, but two 'sets' that formed a great impression on me were a series of four photographs juxtaposing prostitutes with the women at a high-society fashion show in Jakarta; and a series of photographs of the inhabitants who live in a slum by the railway.

The exhibition is in association with Fotofreo 2005, and runs from 17 March to 19 May 2006.

Some photographs from this exhibition, and more, can also be viewed at David Dare Parker's website: www.daviddareparker.com

[News] NPPA The Best of Photojournalism Winners

The (US) National Press Photographers Association 'Best of Photojournalism' winners have been announced. You can view the winner, category winners and honorary mentions here.

For me, photojournalists are the creme de la creme of photographers - they're not there to create aesthetically pleasing, technically perfect, though often vacuous, compositions. The images they take are searing, powerful reminders of the "world out there" and the need for us to remember that world and to respond in a politically responsible way. It's a pity that many of their images do not make it to our daily press. How much more powerful would our response to the Kashmir earthquake have been if The West Australian had published this image and this image and also this image?

The photographs in the Local Portrait and Personality category are amazing. And the stories they illustrate are shocking and confronting.

Have bear hat, will travel

I recently acquired a head accoutrement in the shape of bear's ears, and have been having a bit too much fun with them on Flickr.

It was designed and crafted by Creative Caps, by Cate of Fremantle (actually, my friend Kate).

It's generated enough interest on Flickr that one of the Perth Flickrites, Scroop, had commissioned one for himself.

Who knows, this could be the beginning of a whole new business for Kate! :-)

[Event] The Amazing Race, Goomaling style

This Saturday, the wheat-sheep belt town of Goomaling comes to life with keen competitors roaring across highways and byways in a scavenger hunt to end all scavenger hunts: The Goomaling Amazing Race (GAR)!

Patterned after the TV Amazing Race, the GAR sees teams of up to four people scouring the countryside in search of clues, completing challenges, all in the hopes of becoming GAR champion for 2006!

Entry charge is $50 for teams of 4, dress-ups are optional (but encouraged) and having fun is mandatory.

Get your camera, check your engines, sharpen your smarts, and prepare for the most amazing race of your life!

Highlights from the 2005 GAR include:

• sheep chasing trials (wear a mouth guard)
• scaling a rock wall
• hole in ones at the golf course
• getting stuffed with marshmallows
• count the hay bales in the paddock
• and more!

[Event] FotoFreo - Fremantle Photography Festival (Mar 25 - Apr 30, 2006)

This weekend, Fremantle erupts in a festival of photography. Loads of free exhibitions and talks, as well as workshops, seminars, presentations and screenings. FotoFreo is on from March 25 to April 30.

Website: www.fotofreo.com

• Exhibitions (mostly free): www.fotofreo.com/2006/exhibitions2006.shtml
• Speakers: www.fotofreo.com/2006/speakers2006.shtml
• Presentations and screenings: www.fotofreo.com/2006/films2006.shtml
• Seminars: www.fotofreo.com/2006/Seminar2006.shtml

[Event] Site Unseen - Student Photographers Exhibition (27/3-15/4/06 - Fremantle Prison)

Site Unseen - Student Photographers Exhibition: 27/3-15/4/06 - Fremantle Prison

Spectacular work by student photographers, exhibited from 10am - 5pm daily. It aims to showcase the work of student photographers (tertiary students), to help launch them into the world of professional photography.

Website (http://www.siteunseen.com.au)
Gallery of 2005 photographs

Perth Flickr Meet

Well, it was good fun. In attendance:

• Noodlez - Michael
• Mikule - Michael
• Scroop - Lucien
• Ozone - Craig
• Luny - Anthony
• Devar - Ben
• Sengster - me

Devar took a lot of photos; Scroop brought his Canon FG1 and Yashica TLR Medium Format which most of us drooled over; there was a lot of talk about lenses, Flickr, equipment; thanks to Scroop, Ozone and Urbanphotographer for getting the rounds; I realised how many serious photographers there are in Perth; I tried out Devar's 580EX speedlight on my EOS350D; Scroop, Ozone, Devar and I segued to D'Tandoor on Oxford Street for dinner.

Great catching up with all of you - we'll have to do it again soon!

Ozone (Craig), 1/2 of Luny (Anthony) and Noodlez (Michael), taken with Devar's 580EX flash, I think.

Nice glamour-shot portrait of Noodlez.

Scroop (Lucien) being serious.

Devar (Ben) with Scroop's Yashica TLR - the next camera that I'm going to get.

Ozone, who wins the "Loudest Shirt Award" for his super-saturated Mambo shirt.

ArtistsWA

ArtistsWA (www.artistswa.com) is a website showcasing the work of WA artists, including photographers. The brain child of Petar Ceklic, creator of Teknoscape (www.teknoscape.com.au), Perth's premier forum for dance music and electronica, ArtistsWA aims to be a space where local WA artists can have an online presence.

If you would like to submit your photography work for inclusion in ArtistsWA, please get in touch with me: sengmah [at] gmail dot com - send in a short bio, and four photographs (500 pixels wide) that you think best represent your body of work/interest in photography.

[News] World Press Photography Competition - Winner and Awards

The results of the 49th World Press Photography Competition are in and the winning photograph, as well as a gallery of all 65 awarded prizes are available for viewing at the World Press Photo website (www.worldpressphoto.nl). An exhibition of the prize-winning images will make an extensive international tour this year. The closest it will be coming to Australia (much less Perth) is Wellington, New Zealand, on 16 June to 9 July, 2006.

Street portraiture

One of my Flickr contacts, Craig Biertempfel aka 'Btezra', constantly amazes me with his street portraits. Craig has the ability to connect with people, and in the course of his interactions with them, obtains powerful and touching portraits. Craig's interest isn't in the act of taking the photograph or the photograph itself, but in the connection he can make with the person looking at the camera lens. The photograph is a by-product of this connection and by far and large, they are excellent. Craig's Flickrstream is highly recommended.

Craig's street portraits inspired me to try my hand at obtaining consensual portraits of strangers. Unlike Craig, I'm still too photography-focused; for me, the obtaining of a consensual portrait of a stranger is still the focus of my interactions with them. Gradually, I'm trying to teach myself to value the interaction, and to see the photograph that emerges from that interaction as a product of the moment's connection between two strangers. I've had a fair few successes, where the portrait taken shows this momentary connection, when the person photographed isn't just interacting with the objective camera but with the photographer looking at him/her through the lens. Here are three such portraits of which I am proudest.

John (Big Issue vendor, Fremantle)

Shane Haase (Artist, Fremantle

Josh (Davilak Tavern, Fremantle

Street portraits can be hard work but, as I'm starting to discover, only if the purpose of your interaction with the person is the photograph. At the end of the day, I've found that the more satisfying portraits become reminders of the interaction I've had with the person - the morsels of insight into the person's life, into his or her past.

[Event] Inaugural Perth Photographers Flickr Meet

The inaugural Perth Flickr Photographers Meet will take place at The Paddo (Paddington Ale House - 141 Scarborough Beach Rd, Mt Hawthorn) on Sunday 19th Mar, 5pm onwards. For more information, visit this thread.

If you're a Perth Flickrite, or a Perth amateur photographer wanting to meet other amateur photographers, why not come on down?

Image (c) The Paddington Alehouse; sourced from their website (http://www.paddo.com.au)

Flickr-itis

I've already mentioned Flickr a fair few times in previous entries. For me, Flickr is proving to be a useful resource and an addictive forum through which I can showcase my work, receive comments and connect with other photographers in the wide, wide world.

What is Flickr?
Technically, Flickr (www.flickr.com) is a web application that lets you upload, store, display and manage your photos in a personal online gallery which you can share with friends, families, strangers and contacts. More importantly, Flickr is the space within which an online community has formed, to share photographs and images, to create interest groups (including online forums), and similar fun stuff. In Flickr, your photographs are displayed within a continuous photostream; you can then create sets (or albums) by nominating specific photographs for inclusion in specific sets; you can also submit photographs to public groups, which are special-interest forums for showcasing and discussing pictures related to specific topics, activities or themes.

Flickr is free, but you can sign up for a 'Pro' account, which provides you with unlimited uploads, unlimited photos and unlimited sets. A 'Pro' account retails for about $24.95USD (about $25AUD) per year. If you've got the $$$ and you think an online studio/workshop/forum/space for your photography is the way to go, then it's a recommended investment.

Flickr is also sickeningly addictive. Once your photographs are in your 'stream, you have a couple of sets up and running, and have joined a few groups and formed a number of contacts, people begin visiting your 'stream, viewing your photographs, leaving comments and nominating your photographs as 'favourites'. It's another avenue to connect with others on the web.

To get started, have a look a few of these recommended streams:

• John(C) - www.flickr.com/photos/cumisky
• AnomalousNYC - www.flickr.com/photos/anomalous

SLS action at Scarborough Beach

On the weekend just past, I "covered" the 2nd day of the SGIO Senior State SLS championships at Scarborough Beach for North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club (www.ncslsc.com). A perfect day with terrific swells that made for many dramatic shots of surf boats and surf skis struggling against the surf - such as these North Cott boaties who were tipped over!

Cott Jesters

This photo of the Cott Jesters boat crew was taken on Friday afternoon at Cottesloe Beach. I had dropped in after work to photograph the Sculptures by the Sea, and happened upon these group getting ready to train for the weekend's SGIO Senior State SLS Championships at Scarborough Beach. I took a fair few shots of the crew getting out and coming back from their practise run, but this is by far my favourite, if only because of the lighting, clarity and very subtle 'posing' of Michael 'Corky' McCorquodale, the rower in the foreground.

Best viewed large.