Famous Australian Photographers

roteague · Mar 1, 2005

Graeme Hird said:
The trend for Aussie landscape photographers to shoot 617 is becoming an epidemic (thanks mainly to Ken Duncan's success...

Ken has an image on his website right now that he is asking $60,000 AUD for - it's a shot of the 12 apostles from the beach.

http://www.kenduncan.com/index2.htm

John McCallum · Mar 1, 2005

roteague said:
Ken has an image on his website right now that he is asking $60,000 AUD for - it's a shot of the 12 apostles from the beach.

http://www.kenduncan.com/index2.htm

Phew!

Well, good on him; hope he gets it. I like how the quantity is preset to 1 for the Ordering Cart.

BTW, those Fairy Penguins have got a LOT to answer for!

Nicole · Mar 2, 2005

What a great response! It's such a shame that Aussie photographers aren't recognised as much as some of their overseas colleagues.

Anyway, TRACEY MOFFAT is the name I was thinking of for one of my big Aussie icons. She's done extremely well and has amazing work!

Baxter & Robert, Graeme Hird should definitely be included in the top list of names! One up for WA!!!

I'm very thrilled to be named in here, thanks Claire, Morten and Soeren - although little 'moi' still has a long and exciting road ahead.

blaze-on · Mar 2, 2005

I saw a show of Moffat's work about a year and a half back at our Univ. of Cal. Museum of Photography. I really liked her photogravures but in all truth, found her very large color portrait stuff just, large...washed out and flat. Perhaps that's her thing and maybe i didn't "get it", but overall I just thought ok.

Nicole · Mar 2, 2005

Blaze, yes I know what you mean. I like her B&W aussie outback stuff. Selection is the key. She's the highest paid Australian Photographer and done very well for herself. Now, what was her marketing trick...?

jford · Mar 2, 2005

I see no mention of Olegas Truchanas who I believe was Peter Dombrovskis' mentor in Tasmania. Not just a wonderful landscape photographer but someone who campaigned tirelessly for the Tasmanian wilderness. His efforts to save Lake Pedder failed, but Peter's efforts (along with a lot of other people) to save the Franklin and Lower Gordon rivers succeeded masterfully. Few photos have had the impact that Peter's Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River did on a political campaign. Unfortunately most of Olegas' work was lost in a bushfire.

roteague · Mar 2, 2005

John McCallum said:
BTW, those Fairy Penguins have got a LOT to answer for!

I was asking around about getting on the beach myself when I was there last September. No one I talked to had an answer as to why you couldn't. Now I know.

roteague · Mar 2, 2005

Nicole Boenig-McGrade said:
Anyway, TRACEY MOFFAT is the name I was thinking of for one of my big Aussie icons.

I'm primarily a landscape person; I looked up her work on the web and didn't like it at all. But, I'm a landscape person - I love the land, I love being in nature, and I love the beauty of God's creation.

Nicole · Mar 2, 2005

Robert, Tracey is part aboriginal and she is not shy of creating controvertial work. The images tell me a lot about the photographer.

Believe me, I don't agree with many of her images but they scream at me and IMO it's how she communicates.

Challenging one's likes and dislikes can be a good thing at times. Tracey's work is in total contrast to some of my favourite international photographers, ie. Henri Cartier-Bresson and Cheryl Jacobs.

Here is a little peep. She recently sold a photograph for $74,000 at the Phillips auction in Sydney. I suppose that makes her one of the highest paid photographers internationally, not just Australia.
http://www.stateart.com.au/sota/new-zealand/default.asp?fid=319

John McCallum · Mar 2, 2005

jford said:
Few photos have had the impact that Peter's Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River did on a political campaign. Unfortunately most of Olegas' work was lost in a bushfire.

That's interesting to note about Truchanas, thanks for pointing him out. Certainly Dombrovskis achieved a great deal for the environment. He cared a great deal about it, and I think he worked to make his images interesting and engaging.

BarrieB · Mar 2, 2005

Nicole Boenig-McGrade said:
What a great response! It's such a shame that Aussie photographers aren't recognised as much as some of their overseas colleagues. End Quote]
Great thread so far: In Melbourne there was this famous Dr. (A Surgeon ) Dr. Julien Smith who was famous for his 'Character ' Portraits. There was a book of 50 large 20" x 16" images put out and as it was of limited edition it is now a collectors item. He was at one time a member of The Melbourne Camera Club; his son Dr. Geoffrey Smith ( Melbourne Society Dentist ) was also a member of MCC , was famous for his nudes and figure studies, he published a book of nudes. The MCC permanent Print Collection has images from both of the above.
Also not mentioned is Nicholas Care. As time goes on I am sure many more of Australia`s photographers will be recognized, unfortunately we are at the Arse End of the Cultural world, Haaa Haaaa......... Cheers Barrie.

John McCallum · Mar 2, 2005

BarryB said:
As time goes on I am sure many more of Australia`s photographers will be recognized, unfortunately we are at the Arse End of the Cultural world, Haaa Haaaa.........

Hrmmmph. I challenge that claim Barry.

Graeme Hird · Mar 2, 2005

John McCallum said:
Hrmmmph. I challenge that claim Barry.

Hmmm, so do I - surely NZ has a strong claim on that title!

Kevin Caulfield · Mar 2, 2005

Graeme Hird said:
Hmmm, so do I - surely NZ has a strong claim on that title!

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

MattCarey · Mar 2, 2005

Graeme Hird said:
Frank Hurley was a true pioneer of Aussie photography, but I can't help thinking his location made him famous, rather than the quality of the vision he exhibited. Who amongst us would not be able to make great images in Antarctica?

I don't think I would have done 1/10th as well. I would have been huddled under a blanket, cranky from low blood sugar and swearing at Or-de-leas (or however his name was spelled!) Even when I got out of bed, I don't think I would have had the vision and skill to pull off what Hurley did.

The other side of this argument is that few people remember much of Hurley's work asside from the Endurance expedition. Hurley did a fair amount of photography in WWI, and got a bad reputation for doctoring his photos to make them more dramatic. He also didn't endear himself with the higher brass. I believe he also spent a lot of time in New Guinnea. Again, one could argue who couldn't make great images there (especially in his day when it was virgin territory). Does anyone remember Hurley's images from there?

Whether it is great art is one thing, but I doubt I will ever make an image as memorable as the "ghost ship" image of Hurley's
Dead Link Removed

Matt

Eric Rose · Mar 2, 2005

Wow does that Duncan character actually get the prices he is asking!! Geez I hope he does so my puny $750 to $1000 looks pretty good then for the bargain hunters LOL.

This is a great thread. Photography in the English speaking world has been so dominated by American and Euro photographers that we don't get to see the excellent work of other countries.

We have some fine photographers here in Canada that I'm sure no one ever gets to hear about.

John McCallum · Mar 2, 2005

I think you raise a good point Eric. Personally I put a lot of it down to the highly loathed term 'marketing'. It encompases vigilant, disciplined, courageous pushing of your images in front of those that are willing to pay for them, and most of all ready access to those people.

As you say; there are bargains around by some extraordinary photographers. Often they are technically competent, innovative, artistically clever and they are dedicated to making images for the long haul. But they just fly under the radar.

Graeme Hird said:
Hmmm, so do I - surely NZ has a strong claim on that title!

Kevin Caulfield said:
Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

Oi luv moi aaart.

Graeme Hird · Mar 3, 2005

John McCallum said:
Oi luv moi aaart.

No wey bro, my art six bug time ...

roteague · Mar 3, 2005

John McCallum said:
I think you raise a good point Eric. Personally I put a lot of it down to the highly loathed term 'marketing'. It encompases vigilant, disciplined, courageous pushing of your images in front of those that are willing to pay for them, and most of all ready access to those people.

As you say; there are bargains around by some extraordinary photographers. Often they are technically competent, innovative, artistically clever and they are dedicated to making images for the long haul. But they just fly under the radar.

Ken Duncan is good at marketing that is for sure; he used to have a gallery at the international terminal at Sydney's airport. He does have two or three others. His work is quite good, but as you say, there are others not so well known. One photographer I found in Swan Hill, Victoria last year, named Dead Link Removed, also works 6x17 is quite good. But, I had never heard of him, just stumbled across his work while visiting the Tourist Information center in Swan Hill. There are lots of good photographers, that many don't know about. Graeme mentioned Peter Lik (another 6x17 photog), I've seen his work, but never outside the Northern Territory (although I'm sure his work is elsewhere).

Graeme Hird · Mar 3, 2005

I believe Peter Lik has a gallery in San Fransisco or LA.

roteague · Mar 3, 2005

Graeme Hird said:
I believe Peter Lik has a gallery in San Fransisco or LA.

I checked his website, he has a gallery in Lahania, Maui about 150 miles from where I live, along with one in Sydney and three in Queensland. He is from Melbourne though.

Bob F. · Mar 5, 2005

Just a quick heads-up for UK digital TV viewers... The Frank Hurley documentary is on BBC4 again tonight (Sat 5th March) at 7pm - repeated again at five to midnight.

Bob.

bjorke · Mar 5, 2005

Eric Rose said:
We have some fine photographers here in Canada that I'm sure no one ever gets to hear about.

Like that whassisname... Robert Frank.

oh yeah, never mind....

rami · Mar 9, 2005

Australian Photographers i like are:
Trent Parke
Narelle Autio

in that order

regards

tim atherton · Mar 9, 2005

Isn't the most famous aussie photographer also the most successful? (and a LF photogorpaher to boot)

Anne Geddes

Famous Australian Photographers

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