DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD

Scorched Earth 10.
A series exploring the devastation, resilience and aftermath of the 2019/20 Australian wild fires around my home town in Northern NSW. Images in this series were all photographed on Kodak Ektar 100 film and self developed.

22/05/20 11:09 am, Williamstown. Robyn Becker is in the final stages of terminal breast and gastric cancer and was told last week she could only have hours to live. Her sister Jennifer flew from California to Melbourne to be with her but is quarantined for two weeks. She has been given special leave from the hotel to be with her for an hour a time. Each visit, our time is cut short and its devastating says Robyn. Jennifer understands the necessity of the quarantine but says that there could be some flexibility for those in palliative care, I want to be with her, I want talk to her, I want to hold her hand, comfort her and hug her Robyn would sadly pass away on July 10th, seven weeks later. Photograph by Christopher Hopkins for The Age

A Black Summer Childhood.
The Summer of 2019-2020 was not a typical Aussie summer, with more than half of our Shoalhaven region burning for weeks on end. On this day, our home became an emergency shelter for family and friends who were evacuated. We tried to keep our 3 year old son's world as normal as possible, but the chaos and change surrounding him often forced him to stop and look up. "Mum, why is the sky burning?"

Grandma's Room.
From my project, On the Farm, which documented small farming families and communities in the northern parts of Iceland, whose practices make a strong case against the intensive and unsustainable present-day industrial model.

The Significance of Ceremony.
"Nyimirr (Fleur), her husband Millmullian (Locky) in their backyard near Orange with their four sons James, Preston, Yuri and Gurrumali. They're carrying out a family ceremony that protects them from spirits. It's a hot day so Fleur is sipping on iceypoles.

Sue.
After multiple evacuations during the month since the nearby Myrtle Mountain Rd Fire started on 31/12/19, Sue Schepisi watches the hills 800m NW where the Big Jack Mountain Fire is spotting into the valley that both her property and the nearby Wyndham village occupies. The Jellat RFS Brigade has arrived to do property protection.

1/2/20. Wyndham, NSW / Yuin Country.

Drone Garden.
Grounded Hezbollah and Iranian-built drones float on display in the mists of Mleeta, South Lebanon.

For the first time in around 200 years Australian native plant Mandadyan Nalluk (dancing grass) is harvested on Indigenous Author and Farmer Bruce Pascoe's property in East Gippsland, Victoria for the purpose of making bread.

Photo Collective invites photographers residing in Australia or Australian citizens living overseas to enter the 2021 APA Documentary Award.

Supported by Nikon Australia, Momento Pro, Urth and Format Framing

Since launching in 2016, the APA Documentary Award has created an important space for the changing ways Australian photographers tell authentic stories.

We seek to award and celebrate traditional, experimental and contemporary approaches to documentary storytelling which can teach us about the world we live in.

Our committee is particularly interested in finding honest, thought-provoking stories. We encourage research driven and collaborative frameworks alongside observational and personal perspectives. When viewing work, we consider intent and meaning alongside technical ability.

We seek to recognise work which can open important dialogues and explore big ideas through photography. Our committee considers context beyond the surface of the image. We do not encourage work which exploits, endangers, harms or stereotypes. For this reason, image statements are a valuable tool in conveying concepts, techniques and ideas. Image statements are compulsory when entering the Documentary award.

PRIZES INCLUDE

• (1x) Nikon Z7 Camera body + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f4 S kit valued at A$4,500
• (1x) Format Framing (print and frame) voucher (600 x 900 mm) valued at A$310
• (1x) Momento Pro Voucher valued at A$100
• (1x) Urth Essentials Filter Kit Plus+ valued between A$107 – A$283
• (1x) 1 hour Mentorship Session with Photo Collective valued at A$195
• (1x) Ilford Sprite 35-II reusable camera valued at A$60
• (1x) 12 month membership to Photo Collective valued at A$75
• Feature in the 2021 APA Annual

CATEGORY GUIDELINES

Entries must be 100% photographic and single capture
Editing encouraged for basic adjustments and cropping. Elements can be cropped out, however elements cannot be removed by other means such as cloning
Elements cannot be added including the addition of textures
Dust spots and markings from the camera itself rather than the subject matter can be removed
Diptychs and triptychs are allowable
Documentary submissions require the accompaniment of a caption
Please do not add any watermarks to your entries. All entries with watermarks will be disqualified
Please do not enter any images that have been entered into APA in previous years as they will be disqualified