Head On – raising the image of photography

Arts & Entertainment Scene

Rita Bratovich
November 19, 2022

Image: Portrait Award International runner-up: "The Special Eagles" by Jack Lawson. Four members of the Special Eagles, the Nigerian amputee football team, spend time on the beach outside Lagos. © Jack Lawson, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival

It began as a local photographic portrait award in Sydney in 2004, but today the Head On Photo Festival is an international event with a total prize pool of $70,000. Winners for the 2022 festival have been announced and the photos in each category – Portrait, Landscape, Student – are outstanding.

The competition is open to professional and emerging photographers of all levels and attracts hundreds of entries each year from all around the world. The prize pool includes photography-related product and $30,500 in cash.

Student Award winner: “Me” by Leila Middleton. I have never taken a picture of myself. Despite years of obsession with photography, I have always wanted to be behind the camera, not in front of it. After I took this photo, I wanted to edit my freckles, my eyebrows, my chin – everything I saw in myself that I disliked. I think that learning to like how I look is important, especially as a teenager. That’s why I left the photo unedited; I wanted it to be me. © Leila Middleton, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival

A judging panel made up of esteemed photographers, editors, and curators evaluate the submissions on merit alone; they are not provided with photographers’ names or credentials. This ensures fairness and open opportunity for anyone who knows their way around a camera.

Landscape Award winner: Antoine Buttafogh – “A few metres from eternity”. Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) is a land of contrasts and extremes, where the harsh climate perpetually combines with the sublime. Its landscapes touch, challenge and fascinate us with their beauty and strength. A stunning silence reigns supreme and exposes a quiet vulnerability. Everything seems limitless, bordering on the divine. Nature performs a spectacular cycle, with ever-renewed energy. The power of these raw landscapes speaks to us, intimidates us, and reminds us of the extraordinary story of the world’s creation. © Antoine Buttafogh, courtesy of Head On Photo Festival

During the festival (held in over several weeks in November) a selection of submissions are displayed in themed exhibitions across various venues, including outdoor galleries at Paddington Reservoir and along Bondi Beach.