Famous Australian Photographers

roteague · Mar 10, 2005

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

Anne Geddes

I guess you haven't seen her latest book, with Celine Dion, it is full of digital manipulations. It looks more like DSLR work instead of LF.

Kevin Caulfield · Mar 10, 2005

roteague said:
I guess you haven't seen her latest book, with Celine Dion, it is full of digital manipulations. It looks more like DSLR work instead of LF.

And just collaborating with Celine Dion in itself is a comment on how little artistic integrity she has left.

Cheryl Jacobs · Mar 10, 2005

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

Anne Geddes

Yuck. No. While she may be famous, "successful" is quite a relative term. She does do a lot of digital manipulation, and frankly, I've just seen enough babies stuffed into tulips and lettuce heads.

Oy.

nexus · Aug 22, 2005

Ugh Anne Geddes. So NOT my bag of photos.

I just saw Bill Henson's exhbition a few months ago, I am now a fan. I loved his Paris Opera commissioned photos. http://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid=mozclient&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=bill+henson

Tony Egan · Nov 28, 2005

Here are a few of my favourites - not famous:
Marco Bok - wonderful "street portraitist" and human being
Dean Sewell - love his adventurousness and strength of political opinion
Jackie Ranken - won a world press award for her ariel landscapes flying upside down in her father's bi-plane - now there's dedication and guts
Murray Fredericks - wonderful black and white landscapes from remote parts of the world
Gordon Undy - Australian landscapes and his role in nurturing traditional silver photography and alternate processes such as platinum/palladium. If in Sydney visit Point Light gallery for some nurturing of the soul.
Robyn Stacey - now does a lot of digital manipulation but still shoots in MF film as the foundation for her work.
Others have mentioned Trent Parke and Narelle Autio. I was at the same talk mentioned by GlennSyd. I find Parke's "Grade 4+" printing style sometimes a bit overbearing but he has made some great images and Magnum aren't fools! I like his lack of preciousness in dealing with his negatives. Hanging them off trees to dry and in communal caravan park laundrys. This would drive the distilled water final wash nuts crazy.
Tracey Moffat - sheer virtuosity. Much of her work is like movie stills and very evocative. Her Scarred for Life series I found very powerful.
Lewis Morley - not born in Australia and took many of his famous shots in London but a great friend to photographers in Sydney.
Jon Lewis - his business card says "Human Being" another generous, fun person
David Moore - see his "100 images" exhibition now on at the State Library of NSW. Once heard him say when you go out to photograph seriously you should always have a knot in your stomach!
There are many others. I have listed people I have had the chance to meet and speak with personally. All wonderful, vital human beings. That's something that doesn't come from choice of lens or film!

fred · Nov 28, 2005

Untill now I didn't see a good website in this thread! Too much words everywhere. Not to the point... And "absence" of black and white...
Words don't matter.

A link and then only images.
Like this (too late...:)), but then with much better images...

Fred

Tony Egan · Nov 29, 2005

for those who just like to watch!
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/100photographs/001.cfm
Dead Link Removed
Dead Link Removed
http://www.murrayfredericks.com.au/himalayan.asp
http://www.pointlight.com.au/art_undy.html
http://www.stillsgallery.com.au/artists/r_stacey/
http://www.diacenter.org/exhibs/moffatt/project/
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp08095&role=art
http://www.jonnylewis.org/

Nicole · Mar 20, 2006

and I'd like to add:

Jeff Carter
http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/picturescatalogue;jsessionid=7CBF93DED9B0DD8E22D2EB4D4CE332D4

His book called "Retrospective" is delightful and happily owns a spot on my bookshelf. He recorded the lives of rural and coastal folk as his book tells us and his photographs are raw truth of the locals and the Aussie lifestyle way back when and today.

Soeren · Mar 20, 2006

I read somewhere that my favorite famous Australian photographer is starting out in LF. Thats very exiting and I am looking forward to see what it does to her work
Cheers Søren

Samuel B · Mar 21, 2006

I'd also like to mention the late Peter Jarver, his images of the Northern Territory & Central Aust, esp. his lightning photos are very well known. I have a book of his, photos of Central Aust, some of my favourite landscape photography from this area.
As far as Ken Duncan goes, to quote a line from Regurgitator "I like his old stuff better than his new stuff". I really prefer his earlier work which was shot with a Widelux, IMO it has more reality than his more recent work.

Graeme Hird · Mar 22, 2006

Søren,

I hope you don't mind if I elaborate a little further on your posting because I think your reference might become to obtuse when your favourite Aussie photographer hits the big time.

Nicole's work was recently published in the British B&W magazine, so now she qualifies as a Famous Aussie Photographer too.

Aussie Aussie Aussie. Oi! Oi! Oi!

Cheers,
Graeme

Soeren · Mar 22, 2006

Graeme Hird said:
Søren,

I hope you don't mind if I elaborate a little further on your posting because I think your reference might become to obtuse when your favourite Aussie photographer hits the big time.

Nicole's work was recently published in the British B&W magazine, so now she qualifies as a Famous Aussie Photographer too.

Aussie Aussie Aussie. Oi! Oi! Oi!

Cheers,
Graeme

Thats ok Graeme, Though it makes me think if I should buy some of her work and have it signed by her before it becomes criminal expensive
Cheers
Søren

Nicole · Apr 2, 2006

Carol Jerrems -

an incredible lady, an short life, a big story, a great photographer, always on the edge

Dead Link Removed

Maris · Apr 3, 2006

It is an indiscrete thought but I am no longer sure what constitutes a photographer, even in Australia.

There are many who claim the title but make nothing but exposures whether there is film or something else in the camera. Most pros employ others to make the actual pictures they take credit for. There are those who are known only by the industrial scale reproduction of pictures credited to them whether they made the originals or not. Folks, please remember, the photograph on the gallery wall is not a photograph of what was in front of the camera; it is a photograph of what was in the camera.

The number of people in Australia who actually and personally make real photographs of great merit is very small. Of the few active today, Gordon Undy, of Point Light Gallery Sydney, is likely the best of the known.

paul ewins · Apr 3, 2006

Maris,
the photographer is the one with the composition in his/her head. At one extreme you have sombeody like Robert Mapplethorpe who had other people do everything except the composition. At the other extreme is the person who shoots, processes, prints, mounts and frames.

If your forte is shooting and you know someone who is an extremely skilled printer why wouldn't you send your work to them? The printer would then work with you to realise your vision, probably doing a better job than you could. There would be very few people who are masters of all aspects of the craft, to say that only they are "real" photographers is nonsense.

I saw the Carol Jerrems doco last night, a very interesting story and some great portraits. Lots of lovely grain too.

The photographer who has made the greatest impact on me is Bill Henson. I saw an exhibition of his work last year that finally made me understand photography as art. His earliest work shown was 35mm frames of people on the street, hugely enlarged and displayed in groups. Taken individually they were mundane, but displayed together there was much more to them. It was the moment when I "got it".

Nicole · Apr 3, 2006

Maris you must've studied a many photographers original photographs in person over many years to place such an educated judgement. Feel free to share more of your views and I look forward to seeing some of your work.

Nige · Apr 3, 2006

paul ewins said:
I saw the Carol Jerrems doco last night, a very interesting story and some great portraits. Lots of lovely grain too.

Watched this too. Very interesting doco.

Some of the grain looked like recirculation... I'm going to have another look and freeze the screen!

Mick Fagan · Apr 3, 2006

Nige, I taped the program and will watch it very late tonight.

Don't you mean reticulation?

I once got reticulation when washing my film in a bedsit in St Kilda. The hot water system was an instant gas Junkers type. It was winter and I had to heat the water slightly, the telephone rang so I just left the wash running.

When I returned to the kitchen I noticed that the hot water unit was going full bore with both gas rings aflame. Needless to say the tank was too hot to touch and I thought the film would be dead.

Well it turned out that I had done some perfect reticulation, according to a professional photographer who wanted to know how I had done this rather hard technique so well.

The film was TriX.

Mick.

Nige · Apr 3, 2006

yes "reticulation"!

I've managed it once. Processed a roll of FP4 and Konica IR 750 in the same tank. We had a 'mixer' tap where I washed my film and it must have been bumped around to the hot setting. The FP4 came out fine, but the Konica reticulated (is that a word?)

Maris · Apr 3, 2006

Nicole said:
Maris you must've studied a many photographers original photographs in person over many years to place such an educated judgement. Feel free to share more of your views and I look forward to seeing some of your work.

No, unfortunately, there is very little original Australian material to study. Genuine photographs made by the person credited are surprisingly scarce. In comparison paintings and drawings done by the person who signs in the corner are standard fare and can be seen in virtually any gallery.

The dubious convention of photographers (?) claiming as their own work stuff that has come back from the lab is just that, a dubious convention. Workers in other media, say painting and drawing again, would attract opprobrium if they tried such a spiel.

I'm too old to bother with secondary work. I want the primary artist material to look at or to buy for my own collection. The same standards apply when I make photographs. They are made one at a time, start to finish, and in full by my own hand.

Nicole, there must be other Australian APUGers who sympathise. I'm only a newbie at this and my learning curve has barely started!

Nicole · Apr 3, 2006

Maris I must throw caution to the wind to not pass judgement too soon on Australian photographers. I feel that Australian photographers don't get much representation or a fair go and could do with more support and interest by galleries and the like and therefore many great photographers don't get the opportunity to show their work. Personally I have been more successful in gaining recognition and support for my work overseas. Here I have to conform to a mould, and well, that's just not me.

Mick Fagan · Apr 4, 2006

Maris, an interesting observation I have made after seeing international photographers exhibitions in the flesh, is that there appears to be two schools of thought on how a photographer works.

Generally speaking, and I'm talking about the 20th century here. The American photographer pretty much does everything. That person shoots, develops the film and prints the pictures. In essence that photographer wants absolute and total control.

The European photographer though, considers that they are first and foremost a photographer, in the mould of a cinematographer. Not many cinematographers that I know develop their own film! Europeans are brought up with specialists in many fields all working together to produce their crafts. Some of the best European photographers have hardly ever printed their work, they leave the printing to the printmaker, which by the way is where I believe that expression came from.

Sebastion Salgado, who is pretty much the pre-eminent photo journalist in the world today, does not print his own work.

If one takes your view then even painters would be guilty, after all most don't mix raw materials to make their pigments, they go to a store and purchase them.

As for Australian photographers, most in the early 20th century had to do everything as it was the only way to get pictures. In the last 35 years there has been a critical mass of specialist printers that the Australian photographer, who often lives in places without the most important things like oodles of clean running water, dust free and clean working environment, has contracted the printing work to specialists.

I don't have a problem with that, it's the brain and eye behind the viewfinder and shutter that is really where it counts!

Mick.

SeamusARyan · Apr 5, 2006

Vee Speers, a friend of mine based in Paris is a fine Aussie photographer, check out her website www.veespeers.com, it's not finished yet (I should know I'm building it) but there are a few nice images up there. She has all her prints done by fresson, lucky girl, they are sumptous, both the b&w and the 4 colour carbon.

Zane Yau · Apr 20, 2006

sorry if anyone has mentioned Richard I'Anson, I havent read the 8 pages in full ... Richard I'Anson is a travel and landscape photograher Melbourne-based... I love his travel projects

Nicole · Apr 20, 2006

Carla Coulson is a very impressive photographer and has a fantastic book out. www.carlacoulson.com

Famous Australian Photographers

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