News

CCPC JUDGES

Sep 26, 2011

JUDGES CHOOSE 12 FINALISTS FROM OVER 200 ENTRIES!!

The Channel Country Photography Competition judges had their work cut out for them last Friday as they chose twelve finalists from over 200 entries.

Judges Sam Rutherford, Peter Scott and Jenny Milson deliberated for hours in the Desert Channels Group conference room before finally choosing the category winners, runners up and encouragement awards.

The competition sought photographers who captured the essence of the unique and wonderful scenery in the region interpreted through the lens of a camera!

“We are extremely lucky in Longreach to have such qualified, experienced photography judges on hand, and Vast Arts truly appreciates the time each of them took out of their day to judge the Channel Country Photography Competition entries,” said Miss Shelley Colvin, Project Officer for Vast Arts Inc.

“The aim of the competition was to encourage locals, tourists, visitors and photographers from all around Australia to visit, and while here, to also try their hand at taking a photo that encapsulates the region.”

All entries will be shown at the Gala Dinner on the 1^st of October 2011 at the Qantas Founders Museum as a multi-media slide show projection.

There are over $8000 worth of prizes shared between the twelve finalists, including cash from Exoma Energy, Galilee Basin Haulage & Plant Hire, Atlas Drilling and Longreach Tree Trimming; tour packages from Qantas Founders Musuem and Kinnon & Co; a 12 month subscription to Vast Arts Inc; as well as all the entries being displayed at the Kinnon & Co Historic Ol’ World Gallery in Longreach. PLUS, the twelve Finalists of the competition will have their photographs printed in a Desert Channels Group 2012 calendar which will be available to purchase from the 3rd of October.

Judges biographies:

SAM RUTHERFORD

Sam Rutherford grew up in the inner Sydney suburb of The Glebe and has worked as a press photographer for 17 years, beginning his career as a cadet at the Blacktown City Star newspaper in western Sydney.

Sam has since worked for a wide range of newspapers and news wire services from small local community papers to major daily broadsheets. While travelling through Europe, Sam was the UK desk picture editor for Reuters and then became deputy picture editor at London's The Independent newspaper.

In 1994 Sam captured the only photograph of Australia's first political assassination when he took a picture of slain Cabramatta state MP John Newman dead on his front porch. The image won several major awards, including the Australian Suburban Newspaper Association's Best General Picture at both state and national level.

Since leaving the major dailies in 2001, Sam has been a media proprietor as part owner of The Black Opal Advocate in Lightning Ridge before moving to Longreach in late 2008 to take up duties at The Longreach Leader after a stint on the Australian Associated Press' picture desk in Sydney.

Since arriving in Longreach, Sam has won the Queensland Country Press Association awards for Best General Picture in 2009 and 2010, Best Sports Picture in 2009 and has also taken out minor placings in both categories in both years.

Sam judged the photographic section for the 2010 Longreach Show.

PETER SCOTT

Peter Scott holds a bachelors degree in arts and communication and has been a photographer for 30 years. His work has been mainly as a Landscape Photographer, but has a wide portfolio from portrait to industrial and other commercial photography. He has been photographing professionally for the past 10 years for a range of clients including tourism, architectural and industrial assignments on the Capricorn Coast and most recently in the Longreach region.

He and his wife Debbie have exhibited their works over the past 5 years and in 2011, opened the Outback Gallery in Longreach. Peter has a passion for the Outback and its people and his photography reflects the lives of those who live and work in this part of the world.

His latest achievement has been gaining 2^nd place in the BHP Billiton Cannington Waltzing Matilda Photographic Competition & Exhibition at Winton.

JENNY MILSON

Jenny Milson grew up a sheep and cattle property on the Thomson River between Stonehenge and Longreach and has lived and worked predominantly in western Queensland. After completing her plant biology degree, she worked as a jillaroo and governess in West and South Australia before returning to Longreach to commence work as a pasture agronomist with the Department of Primary Industries (now the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) in 1988.

Since then she has traveled extensively doing research and extension work throughout the western regions of Queensland and has focused on plant identification, primary production and land condition with a broad spectrum of land managers and other interested parties.

She has authored three publications on plant identification, Plant Identification in the Arid Zone, Pasture Plants of North-West Queensland and Trees and Shrubs of North West Queensland, and co-authored the book, Pasture Plants of Southern Inland Queensland.

Jenny’s plant photos have been used in a number of other government, mining and tourism publications.

Jenny’s books use photographs to illustrate the individual features of each plant species with the aim that land managers then have the opportunity to identify and better understand the plants on their country. Jenny hopes that by using these resources, land managers will also draw on their existing knowledge and experience, ask the right questions and subsequently better position themselves to make informed decisions; decisions that achieve balance between sustainable land management and optimum productivity.

“My work has given me, along with many other great experiences, the opportunity to practice photography—and while focusing on the identification features of plants and their intricate details, my eyes have opened even more to the wonders of nature that surround us.”

“I have been fortunate enough to travel and work in much of western Queensland, including the channel country, and am always awe-struck by the contrasts, liveliness, depth and feeling of freedom that the area provides. The challenge for photographers is to capture some of this feeling and atmosphere and transfer that to the viewer of a still image. I am looking forward to seeing how this has been achieved.”

“Photos are a great way to keep our favourite places with us while also allowing us to re-live the positive associations we have connected to our experiences in those places.”

Jenny has previously judged the Longreach Show Photography section and is looking forward to working with the other judges to recognise and highlight the most outstanding photos in this competition. She finds it exciting that this competition has stimulated so many contestants to share their interpretations of this amazing landscape.