Additional newsletter photos by Prajwal Bhattarai - @nepzie

A blog for people who are into making, displaying, discovering, finding, buying, collecting & considering photographs. 

Welcome

Welcome to issue #26 we have now reached the point where wix is insisting on payment as we have so many subscribers. Please encourage others to subscribe as we are now paying for a lot more hundreds of emails per month. If photography is your passion, please subscribe, please see shows, please enter awards please do workshops, all this supports our community.

This weekend is the start of a truely impressive BIFF, check out the masterclasses and their programme!

Our goal is to reach as many people as we can and bring the photo community in Victoria together to know and experience all that we have. Each month our long term content moves to reframe-refocus.xyz for look, buy/fix, hire, labs and previous newsletters so that you can view a full list of what is here.

SUBSCRIBE

So if you find the newsletter useful please forward to friends and ask them to join!

BIG THING

Ballarat International Foto Biennale is on! link

26 August start! Get ready! Get on the site and plan the day trip. So much worthwhile this time around. So much more interesting for local practitioners that the previous few.

Memo - Yes There are Reviews of Exhibitions link

Maybe I'm a bit slow and too involved in photography to discover things in the greater art world. We have been wanting to find someone to review photography to build up to be a mainstream thing. Photography being the most accessible of the arts. This site tends to be reviews of the usual suspects it is still great to see photography being thought about.

PHOTO EXHIBITIONS

Docklands

Docklands has two dedicated galleries and now two other spaces that regularly has photography exhibitions.

XYZ Photo Gallery - Docklands Link Map

This is hard to find, Details on the website.

Impressing God - of Buildings for Worship

Duy Kim Vo (Australia/Vietnam), Prajwal Bhattarai (Nepal), Said Elmobasher (Egypt) and George Washington Wilson (UK)

With garrie maguire (Australia) in the directors Room

to 27 August 2023 1:00 - 5:00pm, Wed - Fri and Sunday

Across the world's most followed religions, these are five artist's take on the buildings that were made so man can reach their God, using different genres.

Is it You or Me? - a Portrait Show

Sionainne Costello, Sameed Khan  &  Steven Xiao

15 September - 22 October 2023 1:00 - 5:00pm, Wed - Fri and Sunday

Just who is a portrait about, the sitter or the shooter? Part of Melbourne Fringe

Magnet Gallery - Docklands Link Map

Memories are made of these - a retrospective

Jaime Murcia

3 September to 23 September 2023
 

An exhibition to celebrate the remarkable career of documentary photographer Jaime Murcia, whose trademarks were his use of light and composition and his passion for capturing the everyday lives of people around the world. The pictures in the exhibition feature in an accompanying book titled Jaime Murcia – Retrospective which will be launched at the Opening.  This will be a fundraiser for a cancer charity since Jaime sadly died of cancer 2 years ago.  

Inner North - Fitzroy Collingwood Carlton Brunswick

Wolfhound Photographic Gallery - Fitzroy Link Map

Between Reality and Dreamland

Oliver Altermatt- Pattern of Patience

Daniel A'Vard - Seeing Both Ways

Anne McCallum - Quisisana, Here One is Healed

Matthew Parsons - Hidden

Joey Zhang - Impressions of Instanbul

to 10 September 2023

Five photographers exhibit passion projects.

Sol Gallery - Fitzroy Link Map

ASH FALLING

to 3 September 2023

This installation explores the relationship between gender and identity, reconstructing the way our visual surface determines how we travel through the world, dictating how we are seen.

Jardin Secret

Hannah Baum

to 3 September 2023

In French 'Jardin Secret' is an expression for a realm of feelings and thoughts that are private, and little- or unrevealed; serving as an intimate hideaway for oneself. 

Beside the combination of the sensual and surreal as a main subject, another layer added to the Jardin Secret in this series is what the negative of the images behold themselves. One as well as the other contains a sense of secrecy in their nature. 

Through experimenting in the darkroom - e.g., exposing the light sensitive paper with a flash during its development and so, reversing the positive into negative - the potential of the image is revealed. 

 The final artwork results to a dreamlike, multifaceted outcome that balances the delicacy of light and darkness. 

CCP - Fitzroy Link Map

Walking Through the Darkness

Rushdi Anwar, Liss Fenwick, Seiichi Furuya, Buzz Gardiner, Amos Gebhardt, Ori Gersht, Todd Hido, Rinko Kawauchi, Fassih Keiso, Li Yang, Morganna Magee, Chloe Dewe Mathews, Georgia Metaxas, Darren Tanny Tan, Vanessa Winship.

to 10 September 2023

Photography is often thought of as the medium of light; however, in truth, photography relies on darkness and light in equal measures. Walking Through the Darkness celebrates the potential of photography to bring stories out of the darkness and into the light.

Hillvale Gallery - Brunswick Link Map

The days get longer, the winds get warmer, and the world goes green again

Lakshan Dharmapriya

08 September - Later in September 2023

The days get longer, the winds get warmer, and the world goes green again presents two discrete bodies of work from photographers Lakshan Dharmapriya and Pearce Leal, examining the complex ecology and web of multi-species coexistence.

Although created in vastly different geographical locations, Dharmapriya’s and Leal’s respective works intertwine through a shared thematic thread - namely, the profound interconnection between humans and the natural world, how we simultaneously form, and are formed, by our surroundings.

Melbourne - City, East, North & South

Tucked around Melbourne and are many galleries and govt institutions. Much to see, though photography is central to only one.

State Library of Victoria - Melbourne Link Map

Mirror: New view on photography   

From the Collection

to 28 January 2024

Great photography can hold up a mirror to the world and reflect our innermost thoughts and feelings. ​ MIRROR: New views on photography showcases over 140 photographs from the State Collection, alongside creative responses from emerging and established Victorian storytellers to tell fascinating tales of Victoria through a contemporary lens. 

Void_Melbourne - Melbourne Link Map

Photo Plexism

Joanna Handley, David Hempenstall, Paula Mahoney, Eugenia Raskopoulos and Val Wens

to 26 August 2023

Photography: Real and Imagined examines two perspectives on photography; photography grounded in the real world, as a record, a document, a reflection of the world around us; and photography as the product of imagination, storytelling and illusion. On occasion, photography operates in both realms of the real and the imagined.

Very long exhibitions in museums.

We will include a photo in the month we find them, then list.

Immigration Museum - Melbourne Link Map

Fam by Where are you from?

26 August to 28 January 2023

Fam (meaning family) is the latest exhibition in the photojournalistic project Where are you from? - exploring Australian cultural identities – created by writer and curator Sabina McKenna.

Fam addresses the complexities of familial relationships, specifically to do with identity, and seeks to redefine the conventional so-called Australian family portrait.

This series of portraits and stories celebrates, educates, and raises awareness about the black and Indigenous people of colour (BIPOC) identity through thought-provoking art and storytelling.

Archives Centre - North Melbourne Link Map

Collective City

Cathrin Plunkett, Francesca Donnoli, Gonzzalo Palta, Shiang Liew, Sally Coggle, Mark Davidson, Mike Reed, Nathan Coote, Andrew Wilson, Adam Sinclair, Jane Hinwood and Ilana Rose

This exhibition showcases historic photographs of Melbourne from the state and federal government archives, alongside images representing our city today, curated from submissions by contemporary street photographers. The exhibition explores the moments of joy and connection that happen in our public spaces, between friends, family and strangers. It also highlights the ways people can feel disconnected or lonely in a crowd, and the divisions created by inequity of access to services and public spaces.

Shrine of Remembrance  - Melbourne Link Map

Tours de Force: Entertainers on the Front Line

to October 2023

Since the Vietnam War, Australian entertainers have performed for troops on the front line in war and peacekeeping operations. Their talent and celebrity have lifted spirits and brought a slice of home to service personnel abroad.

In this special exhibition, stories, memorabilia and rare photos and videos tell the stories of entertainers on the front line spanning Lorrae Desmond, Normie Rowe and Lucky Starr to Kylie Minogue, John Farnham and Lehmo. It also explores the mission, operations and experiences of the people who have facilitated these successful tours.

Hellenic Museum link map

ONEIROI

Bill Henson

Indefinately

ONEIROI sets out to inspire discussion about what it means to be custodians of an ancient past and captures the way in which our history, culture and art shape the way in which we make sense of our own world. 

Old Treasury Building - Melbourne Link Map

Lost Jobs: The Changing World of Work

until 2023

The world of work is always changing and here is an odd history. This is not an exhibition of photography but an exhibition that has very interesting photography to illustrate the points it is making.

South East

St Kilda has been a hub of arts for as long as it has been. It has a dedicated gallery and others that show photography. Further down there is Monash Gallery of Art the most important council gallery for photography.

Pride Centre - St Kilda Link Map

If the World Was Just

Various

As part of resident organisation Thorne Harbour Health‘s 40th anniversary, ‘If the World Was Just’ is a photographic exhibition exploring LGBTIQ+ human rights around the world through a series of portraits of local LGBTIQ+ community members.

In this portraiture exhibition, personal narratives intertwine with the global struggle for LGBTIQ+ rights. Drawing from Thorne Harbour’s 2016/17 annual report, the photo series has been revisited to consider the contemporary consequences of LGBTIQ+ people living in various countries around the world.

Museum of Australian Photography - Monash Link Map

ZAHALKAWORLD – an artist’s archive

Anne Zahalka

to 10 September 2023

Anne Zahalka is one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists who has exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas for over 40 years. Her work explores cultural and environmental points of tension, interrogating them with humour and a critical perspective. Her practice is centred around deconstructing familiar scenes and re-presenting them to allow for alternative narratives that reflect, amongst other things, on cultural diversity within Australian society and the ecological impact of the global climate crisis.

LOOK! MAPh Members' Photography Prize

Jahkarli Romanis

to 27 November 2023

LOOK! is an exclusive annual photographic award and exhibition that celebrates recent work produced by MAPh Members.

Members were invited to submit up to three photographic works with no thematic restrictions. A selection of works, chosen by MAPh’s curatorial team, will be exhibited in MAPh’s Atrium Gallery.

The curatorial team will also award prizes for the following categories: portraiture, still-life, architecture, documentary, experimental, fashion, landscape, monochrome, nature, photojournalism, and street. The winner of each category will receive a $50 Camera House voucher, generously donated by Croydon Camera House.

William and Winifred Bowness Photography prize

Short listed artists

21 September - 12 November 2023

The annual prize for contemporary photographic art practice, this is exhibition includes the short listed artists.

Heidi Museum of Modern Art - Bulleen Link Map

Beneath The Surface – Behind the Scenes

Participating artists include: Alexander Apóstol (Venezuela), Tatiana Blass (Brazil), Lauren Brincat (Australia), Christian Capurro (Australia), Elena Damiani (Peru), Marlon de Azambuja (Brazil), Matías Duville (Argentina), Gloria Sebastián Fierro (Colombia), Ximena Garrido-Lecca (Peru), Arturo Hernández Alcázar (Mexico) Nadia Hernández (Venezuela/Australia), André Komatsu (Brazil), Liliana Porter (Argentina), Marilá Dardot, (Brazil), Nicholas Mangan (Australia), Jorge Magyaroff (Colombia), Hayley Millar Baker, Gunditjmara/Djabwurrung (Australia) Estefanía Peñafiel Loaiza (Ecuador/France), Berna Reale (Brazil) and Steven Rendall (Australia).

to 22 October 2023

Beneath the Surface, Behind the Scenes brings into dialogue a selection of significant works by contemporary Latin American and Australian artists. It explores the ways that art can take our imaginations beyond the limitations of the known world and the veil of visual appearances.

The exhibition considers art as a generative force and as a complex form of language, investigation and theatre. Ideas unfold simultaneously in real and imagined space and time unearthing and giving rise to deeper forms of knowledge and prompting alternative insights and perceptions. Artists in the exhibition embrace instability, forms of erasure and new realms of possibility, critically engaging with unacknowledged or difficult histories, as well as impacts on our changing society and natural environments.

Bayside Gallery - Brighton Link Map

Returning

Jane Burton

2 September - 5 October 2023

Commissioned to produce three works for the Billilla Mansion Lightbox project, Burton’s engagement with the Council-owned site has yielded a major new series of works that communicates with a sense of drama the richness of the homestead’s lived history. This series will feature in the exhibition alongside recent figurative works from the A phantom lover series (2020) and the complete series of ambrotypes from her 2022 series Kingdom of pleasure which explored childhood recollections of St Kilda’s Luna Park..

South West

Geelong has a dedicated photo space and from time to time it is joined by other galleries and museums.

Focal Point Studio Darkroom and Gallery Link  Map

Imagination and Transcendence

6 Hong Kongers

5 to 27 August 2023 FINISHES THIS SUNDAY!

Six contemporary photographers from Hong Kong, share their thoughts on imagination and transcendence through their photography.
 

North

Mostly out of town and a great day trip or more.

Gold Street Gallery - Trentham East Link Map

The Briny Deep

Bianca Conwell 

9 August to 1 October 2023

An observation of the recurring shapes and forms in nature. Throughout the natural world we find repeating shapes; meandering patterns, symmetries, spirals and waves. We see the shapes of grand landscapes and mountain ranges, flowing bodies of water, plant and animal life, prehistoric forms, celestial bodies and galaxies all reflected in each other. This is my first solo exhibition, all of the photographs in it are made using large format cameras, hand made emulsions and negatives, and hand made printing methods. This exhibition includes salt and carbon prints from wet plate glass negatives, and ambrotypes. I am inspired by time spent in nature along the Otway coast in Victoria, and in this work especially by objects from the sea. 

Scapes

Ben Healley

October to November 2023

Includes hand printed Black and white silver gelatinous prints of Land-scapes, Sea-scapes, and C-(covid)-Scapes.

Castlemaine Art Museum - Castlemaine Link Map

Air to Atmosphere

David Rosetzky

to 3 September 2023

David Rosetzky is collaborating with members of the LGBTQIA+ community in Central Regional Victoria including &so, Eden Swan, Terence Jaensch and Rhett D'Costa amongst others, to create a major exhibition commissioned by Castlemaine Art Museum.

Flowing from Rosetzky's renowned practice in video and performance, this large collaborative and multi-disciplinary work includes photography, filmmaking, performance, publishing, music, song, choreography by Jo Lloyd and social events created with and about local artists and community members.

Air to Atmosphere explores the diversity, trauma, resilience, and pride of the LGBTQIA+ community. Presented in the Stoneman and Benefactor Galleries at CAM, including live performance, and a major Terrace Projection every evening at dusk.

Equal the Contest

Mitch Nivalis

to 10 September 2023

Equal the Contest began as a Master of Photography project that aimed to use image-making to challenge gender roles and stereotypes. As my research progressed, it became a feature documentary film and photobook about my journey learning to play AFL in the Mt Alexander Falcons Women's Sports Club, along with this projection, commissioned by CAM. This projection is part of a larger body of work.

Art Gallery of Ballarat - Ballarat Link Map

DIGITAL ANTIROPOCENE

Serwah Attafuah & Jonathan Zawada

26 August to 22 October 2023

Search beyond the algorithm and witness new cyber landscapes, with the works of Serwah Attafuah and Jonathan Zawada who merge the worlds of science and art at the virtual forefront. 

Attafuah is a multidisciplinary artist and musician whose surreal digital dreamscapes and futuristic humanoids challenge traditional narratives and perspectives. Zawada works across design, digital rendering, video and more to create virtual artefacts that are both natural and artificial, exploring ideas of digital culture, nature, and data. 

INSTANT WARHOL

Andy Warhol

26 August to 22 October 2023

Instant Warhol takes us straight to Andy Warhol’s point of view, famous, fleeting, commercialised, constructed, in a series of his Polaroid photographs of people in the spotlight in the 1970s and 80s.

This amazing collection from the Brant Foundation in New York shows us Warhol’s understanding of the superficial nature of celebrity in American society, his obsession with the people behind the personas, and the fleeting nature of fame. Many of the more than 50 images show the line and expression of famous faces including Mick Jagger, Liza Minelli, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton, many of which would later be translated into Warhol’s iconic screen prints. 

PEOPLE POWER

Platon

26 August to 22 October 2023

Arresting portraits of some of the most significant people of our time, from the cool gaze of Vladimir Putin to the art and expression of Vivienne Westwood, Michelle Obama and Adele and the rebellion of Pussy Riot. 

Platon’s artistry captures a soulfulness, a narrative, an essence in a single frame. His iconic work is featured in global magazines, both as covers and editorial documentation, including The New York Times, Vanity Fair, George, GQ and Sunday Times Magazine. He has produced over 20 covers for Time magazine including Putin for their Person of the Year cover in 2007. 

Platon captures the narrative of our contemporary world and reminds us that in spite of our differences, or our diversity, what we have in common is the capacity to be human. In 2013, he founded the not-for-profit organisation The People’s Portfolio to document humanitarian efforts around the world. His portfolios include photographs of Burmese victims and exiles, Egyptian revolutionaries and those fighting against oppression in Russia. 

PRO FEMINA

Ramak Bamzar

26 August to 22 October 2023

The deep digital footprints made by this generation of victims of the Islamic Republic have left behind a haunting reminder of the power of protests and individual action. So far, dozens of women protestors have been arrested, kidnapped, and subjected to torture, rape, and execution.

Ramak Bamzar is a Melbourne-based Iranian photographer. Her work explores how cultural and religious norms can shape women's beliefs, values, and behaviours and can influence their sense of self-worth and agency.

In these striking works, the Moustachioed Women and Rhinoplastic Girls from Bamzar’s 2022 series burst out of their imprisoning frames to capture a moment in the ongoing struggle, intertwining with the essence of Iranian culture and heritage. Through the integration of poetic motifs, epic themes, and historical allusions, the images go beyond mere documentation, offering a profound insight into the resilience and determination of Iranian women.

THE STEPHANIE COLLECTION

Yvonne Todd

26 August to 22 October 2023

Yvonne Todd is a New Zealand-based photographer known for her unique and unconventional approach to portraiture. Her work challenges traditional photographic clichés by manipulating styles to create unexpected and provocative relationships. Her unsettling images often feature strikingly costumed characters with unnatural poses, unaccountably glossy complexions, and a hint of ghoulishness: wigs, fake teeth, prosthetics and outdated costumes that are highly styled and manipulated. 

Todd's distinctive approach to photography has earned her a reputation as a standout figure in the New Zealand art scene and a significant contributor to contemporary art. Todd's work is not a commentary on beauty, but an exploration of the irreverent and obscure.

EFFACEMENT

Karenne Ann & Heather Horrocks

26 August to 22 October 2023

This exhibition is about identity. Masks can change everything. Photographic images by Karenne Anne loom from the walls and distort the identity of the maker, Heather Horrocks, who wears them. Redundant VHS tape that once held stories is manipulated with a crochet hook to tell new ones – about the war on a virus, the war on climate change and the war on women.

Tape leaks into and around the recreated sitting room belonging to the Lindsay family of artists from Creswick, disturbing its tranquillity.

Karenne Ann and Heather Horrocks, who live and work on Wadawurrung Country, have formed a post-pandemic collaboration called ISOyoh.

NEVERLASTING

Ian Kemp

26 August to 22 October 2023

For Ballarat-based photographer Ian Kemp, images of the natural world are a metaphor for the transience of human life – its permanence and impermanence. The works in this exhibition capture a changing world where beauty is ephemeral and temporary.

He uses the tonal and textural properties of etching and other traditional printing processes to imbue these works with an otherworldliness. He highlights the beauty of line, form, and composition within the images to convey the impending change that will come with the seasons, a metaphor for the transitions within ourselves as we progress through our lives.

Horsham Regional Gallery - Horsham Link Map

CREATION
Deborah Kelly

to 05 November 2023

Deborah Kelly’s CREATION is a multi-venue, multi-disciplinary collaborative artwork about human connection, learning exchange, belief and hope that takes the form of a queer insurrectionary science fiction climate change religion.

Bendigo Art Gallery - Bendigo Link Map

Truth and Fiction: Contemporary Australian Photography
Anne Zahalka, Petrina Hicks, Polixeni Papapetrou, Deborah Paauwe, Rosemary Laing, Pia Johnson, Michael Cook, Atong Atem and Scotty So.

to 08 October 2023

In the last decades of the 20th century, photography became an increasingly prominent medium for contemporary Australian artists. In the early 1970s, the first specialist photography curators and departments were established in state art galleries, and photographers Rennie Ellis and Robert Ashton established Brummels Gallery of Photography in Melbourne as Australia’s first gallery dedicated to the art form. The documentary style work that typified photographic practice in this period gave way to newer expressions, as the development of more stable techniques for producing colour photographs saw a stronger focus on aesthetics and the production of pure ‘art’ photography. 

Dark Wonderland: the Enduring Appeal of Black
Features Bill Henson

to 08 October 2023

The colour black has been utilised in artistic endeavour since the earliest expressions of human creativity. From ancient rock painting to fashion design, the primacy, aesthetic and symbolism of black is singular in its application and meaning across art and design history.

Horsham Regional Gallery - Horsham Link Map

CREATION
Deborah Kelly

to 05 November 2023

Deborah Kelly’s CREATION is a multi-venue, multi-disciplinary collaborative artwork about human connection, learning exchange, belief and hope that takes the form of a queer insurrectionary science fiction climate change religion.

Additional newsletter photos by Prajwal Bhattarai - @nepzie

CONTESTS and OPPORTUNITIES

Contests are a little random, it depends on what that year's judges likes. Thus surprises happen all the time. Don't be intimidated, enter and only tell people when you get in! Raise your profile. Also check who the judges are.

Additional newsletter photos by Prajwal Bhattarai - @nepzie

EVENTS/TALKS/WORKSHOPS

Master Classes

Ballarat International Foto Biennale - Ballarat Link

1. Street Photography and Serendipity link

Presenter: Vineet Vohra

When: Friday 25 August–Sunday 27 August and Tuesday 29 August –Thursday 31 August

Number of participants: 8

About: Work with celebrated Indian photographer Vineet Vohra. This is an intensive workshop, is tailor-made to suit your skill level, whether you’ve been shooting for years or you’re just stepping out to discover street photography.

Participants are encouraged to develop a series of photographs taken during their time in Ballarat, guided by Vineet and his serendipitous approach to photography. Work with him both 1:1 and in group sessions across the three days. Before the masterclass finishes, students will be invited to present their work to each other in a feedback session.

Cost: AUD770

2. The Story Only I Can Tell link

Presenter: William Yang

When: Monday 28 August–Friday 1 September, must be available for evening performance on Saturday 2 September

Number of participants: 4

About: William Yang leads a workshop over five days about performative storytelling with personal pictures, with an emphasis on migrant stories. Yang has combined photography and monologue in significant works such as Sadness, Bloodlinks, My Generation and Friends of Dorothy which have toured extensively in Australia and internationally. In this workshop, participants will have first-hand experience of his process, using their own family stories and photographs to develop a short storytelling performance. There are only four spots which are available by application in this workshop.

Cost: AUD1650

3. On the Streets of Ballarat link

Presenter: Jesse Marlow

When: Saturday 26 August

Number of participants: 10

About: In this workshop, you’ll walk around Ballarat guided by Marlow, as he opens your eyes to the world around you. Marlow will offer practical exercises and tips and tricks to help you see—and photograph—your surroundings in new ways.

Cost: AUD285

4. Product Photography for E-Commerce link

Presenter: Travis Trewin

When: Sunday 10 September

Number of participants: not announced

About: This hands-on workshop will assist small e-commerce business owners in selecting the right equipment and the best techniques for shooting their products. Catering for all equipment budgets, this workshop will demonstrate shooting on a range of cameras, from professional DSLR and mirrorless to smartphones. Both artificial and daylight lighting is explored, including simple DIY options to get you started.

Cost: AUD285

5. Poetry in the Everyday link

Presenter: Knox Bertie

When: Saturday 14 October–Sunday 15 October

Number of participants: not announced

About: Knox Bertie’s work focuses on the relationship between people and the urban environment. Often a study of light and dark in black and white, his work presents a look at the day-to-day lives of fellow citizens as they find moments of quiet reflection during their daily routine.

In this two-day masterclass, Knox will discuss many of the motivations that influence his work as well as the nuts and bolts of his photography technique. The workshop will consist of both theory/inspiration and practical shooting exercises.

Cost: AUD770

6. Photographing People link

Presenter: Meg Hewitt

When: Saturday 23 September

Number of participants: not announced

About: Take your portraits to the next level with Oculi Collective photographer and BIFB Event Producer Meg Hewitt. In this workshop, you’ll learn to stop fearing the word ‘no’, and tips and techniques for photographing people in public with their permission. Meg will show you how to stick with your subject until you know you’ve got the shot.

Cost: AUD285

7. Midjourney to Better Worlds — AI Prompt Engineering, Ethics and Alternate Reality Image Generation link

Presenter: Warren Armstrong

When: Sunday 8 October

Number of participants: not announced

About: An introduction to AI prompt engineering. Participants will also learn about ethical dimensions of AI image generation before trying your hand at the tools.

Cost: AUD66

8. Cliché-Verre and Cyanotype Workshop link

Presenter: Dianne Longley, Agave Print Studio

When: Saturday 14 October

Number of participants: not announced

About: Cliché-verre originated in the 1830s as a method of producing hand-drawn photographic images. A glass plate was prepared with a ground of printer’s ink and the drawing was made with an etching needle. The plate became a photographic negative and exposure to light contact printed the drawing to a light-sensitive paper. Jean Baptiste Camille Corot was an early exponent of this technique. Later artists such as Brassaï, Max Ernst and Pablo Picasso experimented with and adapted this technique.

Cost: AUD330 Materials provided

9. White-on-Black – Photographic Photopolymer Printmaking link

Presenter: Dianne Longley, Agave Print Studio

When: Sunday 15 October

Number of participants: not announced

About: Create a photographic image printed onto beautiful printmaking paper using a photopolymer plate. Instead of printing with black ink on white paper, in this workshop you will create a negative plate and print your image in white or silver ink on black paper.

This workshop is ideal for printmakers and photographers who would like to experiment with a different printmaking technique and produce in their photographic images, an other-worldly, twilight effect.

Cost: AUD330 Materials provided

10. Food Photography 101 link

Presenter: Shellie Froidevaux and Ewen Bell

When: Saturday 23 September

Number of participants: not announced

About: This workshop is open to anyone who wants to start their journey in food photography regardless of existing skill level. If you run a cafe, have a food blog, love to cook, have an interest in still-life photography, or are thinking about a side-hustle… then this workshop will prove invaluable for you. Professional results are achievable with any camera system, including full-frame, APS-C and MFT.

Cost: AUD285 Lunch provided

Conference

The Real Thing Public Forum link

Presenter: Many of the through leaders in Australian Photography including Keynote by Katrina Sluis

When: Saturday 26 August

About: What will the future of photography look like? BIFB 2023 is a catalyst for conversation. This year our theme, The Real Thing is a provocation and a nostalgic call to come and see what is real.

Images have become the vernacular of modern life as we are bombarded with snaps, portraits, social documents, NFTs, (non-fungible tokens), images generated by Artificial Intelligence and more. It has become our task to sift through this cacophony and determine what has real meaning and what is just visual hyperbole.

Join us to interrogate post-photography Saturday 7 October. Refreshments provided.

Cost: free (with festival pass)

Public Forum: How to Produce an Exhibition link

Presenter: Many industry and BIFB staff

When: Friday 8 September

About: Panel: Producing an Exhibition with BIFB CEO and People Power—Platoncurator Vanessa Gerrans; BIFB Creative Producer Pete Volich; and Julie McLaren, Curator, the Art Gallery of Ballarat. Chaired by Madi Sherburn, BIFB Curatorial Assistant.

Talk: Marketing & Funding your Work with Sally Brownbill, Managing Director of The Brownbill Effect; Meg Hewitt, BIFB Event Producer, Open Program Manager and Oculi Collective photographer; and Malcolm Sanders, Regional Arts Victoria in conversation with Christine McFetridge, BIFB Education and Public Engagement Coordinator.

Panel: GradFoto 2023 Join us for the opening of the call for entries for GradFoto 2023. Hear from previous winners and highly commended artists.

Cost: free

Artist/Curator Talks

Museum of Australian Photography - Wheelers Hill Link Map

1. Free Guided Tour

Wednesday 1:00pm / Friday 2:00pm / Saturday 11:00am Book though gallery site.

Explore the themes and ideas behind the current exhibitions, learn more about the artists, take a deep dive into individual works and discover something you love!

2. Anne Zahalka Studio Masterclass

Friday, 10:00am - 3:00pm

26 August

Cost: $120 Members $108
Join artist Anne Zahalka for a masterclass in studio photography to learn how to get the most from models, props, lighting and backdrops.

In this practical workshop Anne will share her working methods, ideas and processes as she guides you through a photoshoot in which you'll create your own narrative in response to the backdrop Mullet Creek, Illawarra, 1853 by Conrad Martens.

3. In conversation | Anne Zahalka with Anouska Phizacklea

Saturday, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

27 August

Cost: $120 Members $108
Join MAPh Director Anouska Phizacklea in conversation with Anne Zahalka as they discuss the artist’s career, the survey exhibition ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive and the accompanying publication. The artist will be available for book signing after the event.

Centre for Contemporary Photography link

In Conversation with Morganna Magee, Georgia Metaxas & Vanessa Winship

Thursday 31 August (7.00-8.30pm)

In Conversation with Darren Tanny Tan & Liss Fenwick

Saturday 2 September (2.00 - 3.30pm)

In Conversation: Buzz Gardiner and Amie Batalibasi

Saturday 9 September (2.00 - 3.30pm)

Ballarat International Foto Biennale - Ballarat Link

1. Panel Discussion with Artists link

Presenter: Yvonne Todd and Telly Tuita In-Conversation with David Sequeira

When: Sunday 27 August

About: Yvonne Todd is a New Zealand-based photographer known for her unique and unconventional approach to portraiture. Her work challenges traditional photographic clichés by manipulating styles to create unexpected and provocative relationships.

Telly Tuita is an Australian interdisciplinary artist who delves into his cultural identity through nostalgia, which is shaped by his childhood relocation from Tonga. He developed Tongpop, a distinct visual language, as a result of his exploration of his ethnic identity and complex relationship with his ancestral land.

Join them in this stimulating conversation led by artist and curator David Sequeira.

Cost: AUD10

2. Panel Discussion: Panel Discussion: Fire Country link

Presenter: Kyle Archie Knight, Colleen Raven Strangways and Michael Jalaru Torres with Nici Cumpston

When: Saturday 7 October

About: Join us to interrogate post-photography Saturday 7 October.

Cost: free

3. War The Real Thing link

Presenter: Stephen Dupont & Andrew Quilty in Conversation

When: Sunday 27 August

About: Hear Stephen Dupont and Andrew Quilty in-conversation about their experiences as photographers working in Afghanistan.

Cost: free (with festival pass)

4. How to Photograph Your Work link

Presenter: Chris Bowes

When: Friday 8 September

Number of participants: 8

About: Translating the magic of an artwork or exhibition into documentation isn’t an easy task. Led by professional artwork photographer and educator Chris Bowes, you’ll cover the techniques of capturing an artwork in its best light for use in catalogues, funding applications or websites, as well as how to photograph art in an exhibition context—all using your smartphone.

Cost: AUD99

5. Artist Talks Link

There are a lot of artist talks with the programme please use the link to find!

One Offs

1: BIFB Portfolio Reviews link

Presenter: BIFF Curatorial Team

When: Friday 8 September

About: BIFB’s Professional Portfolio Reviews provide the space for you to seek feedback or ask a question about your work-in-progress from industry experts.

In this session, you’ll select four reviewers to provide feedback on your work. You’ll have 15 minutes with each reviewer. Choose from:
Vanessa Gerrans, BIFB CEO and curator of People Power—Platon
Meg Hewitt, BIFB Event Producer, award-winning photographer and member of Oculi Collective
Christine McFetridge, BIFB Education & Public Engagement Coordinator, sessional lecturer and tutor at RMIT University, and photographer represented by M.33, Melbourne
Sally Brownbill, Managing Director of The Brownbill Effect

Cost: AUD150

2. BIFB Photobook Fair Link

Celebrate photobooks with BIFB on World Photobook Day. Back by popular demand, connect with fans and makers across a series of events and talks Saturday 14–Sunday 15 October, including the BIFB Photobook Fair. Workshops by Tall Poppy Press and Victoria Cooper.

2. Photographic Market - Box Hill Link

Our Photographic Markets are significant events in the photographic calendar in Australia. They are not just a swap meet for collectors, but a true mix of old and new. Antique Camera & Image dealers rub shoulders with Photographic retailers and private dealers, still, movie & video. Truly daguerreotype to digital. An invaluable source for students after cameras and darkroom gear, a great deal of new and used equipment, all in one place. Many professional photographers sell their excess or out-dated equipment, making professional 35mm and medium format cameras affordable for users and collectors. As the years pass more and more digital equipment can be found.

Cost: AUD5

Book Launch

Magnet Gallery in Docklands

Jaime Murcia - Retrospective

Sunday 2:30 -4:30pm, 3 September 2023

Regular Workshops

Kindred Cameras in Docklands Link Map 

From beginners, to alternative, to commercial know how and a few things in between as well as one on one for what you need to know.

Gold Street Studios - Trentham East Link

This is the centre for Alt photographic processes in the southern hemisphere, and some would say the world. Many many workshops. 

District Darkroom - Coburg Link

The foundations of the black and white darkroom workshop. We’ll cover everything from the multi-step film development process to creating archival black and white prints. Working alongside our experienced lab technicians students will learn all aspects of film development, how to use the enlarger, basic printing steps, how contrast filters work, paper processing, and more advanced printing techniques like dodging and burning and toning for effect and archiving of prints.

Melbourne Camera Club 

There is a lot see listings!

Courses Link

Very full calendar of events Link

Australian Association of Street Photographers Link
Monthly talk by guest speaker

Additional newsletter photos by Prajwal Bhattarai - @nepzie

BUY, HIRE and FIX

UPDATES:

See reframe-refocus.xyz for all listings

BOOKSHOPS link

STUDIO HIRE link

PHOTO HARDWARE link

Leica Store has moved to
FGA, St Collins Lane, 260 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Andrews' Antipodean Photographic Emporium

Is closing

Tyabb, Mornington Peninsula

FILM and PROCESSING link 

PRINTING FINE ART link

DARKROOMS for HIRE link

FILM SCANNING link

REPAIRS of PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT link

EQUIPMENT HIRE link

PUBLISHERS link

WORKSHOPS link

GALLERIES link

Leica Gallery is currently closed due to store location change.

If we have missed any business around photography please tell us g@reframe-refocus.xyz we do save some more categories to go. 

Additional newsletter photos by Prajwal Bhattarai - @nepzie

reframe-refocus.xyz

Photo Scene Victoria is a initiative of reframe-refocus.xyz and XYZ Photo Gallery to help find and support artists and businesses to create a vibrant photo scene in Melbourne. 

If we made a mistake, missed something or you have a event coming up, or something photo Vic related, let us know at g@reframe-refocus.xyz 

After each email the information will be transferred to the link below, sign up is also here.