Leading lights of photography revealed as judges for Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers 2020

By Marc Gafen | 29 January 2020

Time is almost up to enter the region’s preeminent photographic contest for emerging, aspiring, and early-career photographers – Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers 2020.

The final deadline is 16 February (11:59pm, AEDT).

© Ami Vitale.Ye Ye, a 16-year-old giant panda, lounges in a massive wild enclosure at a conservation center in Wolong Nature Reserve. Her two-year-old cub, Hua Yan (Pretty Girl) was released into the wild after two years of “panda training.”
© Ami Vitale.Ye Ye, a 16-year-old giant panda, lounges in a massive wild enclosure at a conservation center in Wolong Nature Reserve. Her two-year-old cub, Hua Yan (Pretty Girl) was released into the wild
after two years of “panda training.”

I’m thrilled to reveal some of the world-class photographers and leading industry specialists who have already come on board, although the complete list of the judging panel is still to be finalised. So far, a total of 21 judges – some of the best photographers from Australia and around the globe – have signed on to help decide on the top emerging photographers from the region across nine categories, along with the overall winner, Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers. In 2019, that honour went to Tristan Still.

© Michael Clark. Sport category. The Annual 2017.
© Michael Clark.

The full list of judges will appear in the very special Top Emerging Photographers edition which comes out in May, but a list of the judges on-board to date appears below.

Judges so far

Ami Vitale   www.amivitale.com
Brett Boardman   www.brettboardman.com
Cameron Spencer   www.cameronjspencer.com
Danelle Bohane   www.danellebohane.com
Dean Sewell   www.oculi.com.au/DEAN-SEWELL/Bio/1/
Jesse Marlow   www.jessemarlow.com/
John Gollings   www.gollings.com.au
Josh Holko   www.jholko.com
Michael Clark   www.michaelclarkphoto.com
Patrick Brown   www.patrickbrownphoto.com
Paul Hoelen   www.paulhoelen.com
Peter Brew Bevan   www.peterbrew-bevan.com
Ricardo da Cunha   www.ricardodacunha.com.au
Roland Halbe   www.rolandhalbe.de
Ron Haviv   www.ronhaviv.com
Sally Brownbill   www.thebrownbilleffect.com
Steve Scalone   www.stevescalone.com
Tim Griffith   www.timgriffith.com
Todd Hunter McGaw   www.toddhuntermcgaw.com.au
Tony Hewitt   www.tonyhewitt.com
William Long   www.longshots.com.au

 

 

Rohingya Crisis. World Press Photo of the Year Nominee. © Patrick Brown. The bodies of Rohingya refugees are laid out after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized about eight kilometers off Inani Beach, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Around 100 people were on the boat before it capsized. There were 17 survivors. The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim minority group in Rakhine State, western Myanmar. They number around one million people, but laws passed in the 1980s effectively deprived them of Myanmar citizenship. Violence erupted in Myanmar on 25 August after a faction of Rohingya militants attacked police posts, killing 12 members of the Myanmar security forces. Myanmar authorities, in places supported by groups of Buddhists, launched a crackdown, attacking Rohingya villages and burning houses. Commissioned by Panos Pictures, for UNICEF.
Rohingya Crisis. World Press Photo of the Year Nominee. © Patrick Brown. The bodies of Rohingya refugees are laid out after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized about eight kilometers off Inani Beach, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Around 100 people were on the boat before it capsized. There were 17 survivors. Commissioned by Panos Pictures, for UNICEF.

Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers is the southern hemisphere’s biggest competition for emerging photographers. For the last 11 years, Capture magazine has been on a mission to help discover Australasia’s very best emerging talent. During this time, the competition has uncovered and helped boost the careers of numerous emerging photographers from Australia and New Zealand. Now in its 12th year, the call for entries for Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2020 is closing soon.

To enter, you must have less than four years’ experience working full time as a professional photographer. Those with no professional experience, and amateur/enthusiast photographers are also welcome to enter.

Nature’s Whip, 2013. Tidal creeks form abstract patterns. Shark Bay coastline, WA. Part of the ND5 Shark Bay project. © Tony Hewitt.
Nature’s Whip, 2013. Tidal creeks form abstract patterns. Shark Bay coastline, WA.
Part of the ND5 Shark Bay project. © Tony Hewitt.

Categories

Please be sure to follow the entry instructions closely, and ensure your submissions comply with the terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Young girls leave an IDP camp to gather firewood for their families. For some, the work will take over seven hours and lead them past government checkpoints and leave them exposed to attacks. Darfur, Sudan, 2005. © Ron Haviv/VII Photo.
Young girls leave an IDP camp to gather firewood for their families. For some, the work will take over seven hours and lead them past government checkpoints and leave them exposed to attacks. Darfur, Sudan, 2005.
© Ron Haviv/VII Photo.

Prizes

The prize pool for 2020 is particularly impressive, and currently stands at over $26,000 in cash and prizes. This will grow as more amazing sponsors come on board. The overall winner, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographer 2020, will receive $1,500 along with a Fujifilm X-T3 and XF18-55mm lens valued at $3,298, from our major sponsor, Fujifilm.

The competition's overall runner-up will receive a Fujifilm X-Pro2 Graphite Edition with XF 23mm f/2 lens valued at $3,099, also from the very good folks at Fujifilm. A full list of all the prizes up for grabs can be seen by visiting this link. Please note that this will be updated as additional competition sponsors sign on. 

Sports - Second Prize, Singles Gaël Monfils of France dives for a forehand in his fourth round match against Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia, during the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Australia, on 25 January 2016. The Australian Open holds the record for the highest attendance at a Grand Slam event. © Cameron Spencer, Getty Images.
Gaël Monfils of France dives for a forehand in his fourth round match against Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia, during the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Australia, on 25 January 2016. The Australian Open
holds the record for the highest attendance at a Grand Slam event.
© Cameron Spencer, Getty Images.

Advice

Each year, we ask the judges to provide feedback and constructive criticism on the categories they judged so that we can share this invaluable information with you. It’s not designed to provide a warm and fuzzy feeling, but instead be helpful to those about to enter the competition. Paying attention to the comments that appear in our two part feature can be accesses here and here, and are likely to be invaluable to those entering.

While the tips are broken down by category, the advice is likely to be applicable across multiple genres of photography.

Personal work. The Three Amigos. The three tallest towers in Shanghai. © Tim Griffith.
Personal work. The Three Amigos. The three tallest towers in Shanghai. © Tim Griffith.

Details

STANDARD: 11 December to 31 January 2020, 11:59pm AEDT
$35 (portfolio of 3 images or Single Shot category)

LAST MINUTE: 1 February to 16 February 2020, 11:59pm AEDT
$40 (portfolio of 3 images or Single Shot category)

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

 

ARCHITECTURE. © William Long.
© William Long.
© Danelle Bohane
© Danelle Bohane.
© John Gollings.
© John Gollings.
2012 winner. © Jesse Marlow. Laser vision, 2011, from the series, Don't just tell them, show them. Chromogenic print 50.8 x 74cm. Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection, courtesy of the artist.
© Jesse Marlow. Laser vision, 2011, from the series, Don't just tell them, show them.
Chromogenic print 50.8 x 74cm. Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection, courtesy of the artist.
A polar bear stares up from a fresh seal kill on the pack ice at 81° , north of Svalbard under the midnight sun. © Joshua Holko.
A polar bear stares up from a fresh seal kill on the pack ice at 81° ,
north of Svalbard under the midnight sun. © Joshua Holko.

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