CREATIVE 2021: TOP 20

WINNER, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021
ALLA KUYUNZHI, 'NARCISSISM'

Alla Kuyunzhi says her life started all over again in 2009 when she immigrated to Australia from her native Russia. “In 2011, my son, Ethan, was born and in 2014 – my daughter, Eva. It was the birth of my daughter with golden locks that revealed my creative streak and a desire to create.”

With the onset of the pandemic, Alla plunged herself into the world of self-portraits, with her Creative category winning image Narcissism a call to look within yourself before blaming the world for cruelty.

“I was walking along the beach when I began to notice the dry prickly bushes everywhere,” she explained. “It fascinated me, and there was something very familiar about them. So, one day, I decided to take a few branches home, feeling an unconscious idea was generating somewhere deep inside.

Having photographed myself in a dress and the dress full of thorns on its own, I combined both photos in Photoshop. I wanted to create a timeless look, resembling human feelings that have been around for centuries.

After taking this photo, my hands were scratched and covered in blood. It strongly resembled the relationships of many people with one another,” she said.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Mark Galer: The power of this image to arouse a strong emotive reaction from the viewer comes from a ‘less is more’ approach to the design and execution of this evocative photo composite. With its limited colour palette and simple yet powerful design, there is nothing to distract our attention from the central sharp branches bursting forth from the woman’s unbuttoned garment and the woman’s face turned away from the viewer’s gaze.

We are filled with more questions than answers as we try to resolve the contradictions of subject matter that at one moment seems perfectly still but, as we look deeper, could be a frozen moment of some sudden and unexplained explosion. A photograph is sometimes richer when it does not have all the answers, as we are invited to bring some of our own ideas to help resolve the visual narrative.

Sally Brownbill: Alla Kuyunzhi has demonstrated a strong knowledge of image making with this work. The colour palette is beautifully chosen, and the composition, editing and choice of talent shows great skill. Technically this is not an easy image to pull off, yet Alla has managed it seamlessly. Narcissm tells a strong narrative and remains visually pleasing to the eye and shows excellent control in putting all the elements together. Alla has shown excellent skill and control in pulling all the elements together to tell a compelling visual story.

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RUNNER UP, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021
GLENDA GORE, 'COTTESLOE MERMAIDS'

Glenda Gore’s decision to pick up a DSLR and join a camera club just four years ago was an astute one – today, she says she loves to immerse herself in learning new techniques whilst giving herself permission to be creative, experiment and ‘just have fun.’

“I set myself a challenging goal each year which focuses on one genre of photography,” she explains. “This has allowed me to focus on building particular skills. I have found photography is much more than an image or technique, it is an opportunity to explore the world with eyes wide open and provided insights into what occurs in nature, the environment, cultures and ‘why’.

For her Creative category runner-up image Cottesloe Mermaids, she says she was drawn to the pastel colours that ‘bounce’ on the morning sky, as the blues of the ocean and yellow sand form layers.

The image is a stack of various methods to capture the scene. First, a basic layer that captured the detail of the iconic buoy of Cottesloe beach, then a filtered shot that provided a ‘dream like’ texture to the waves (and good timing to have three people swimming in them), followed by a few more filtered shots to capture the right wave, and the timing of the colours in the sky. “The filter was as simple as applying the right amount of smear on the glass and etching out areas to capture sharpness,” she explained.

Glenda says processing was done through trial and error, with layers shuffled until the right combination and opacity transformed and matched her vision.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

Sally Brownbill: I just loved this image, and the feeling of freedom is perfection. The subtlety of the colour palette, for me, is what makes this image so strong. The powerful yellow of the marker against the sky and waves, is a great contrast to the pastel colours of the swimmers.

The swimmers in the waves are both beautiful and eerie and show a timeless beauty – I love that there are no visual elements to place this image in a particular time. It’s easy on the eye and each time I view it I see something new.

Glenda has shown good technical skills with this image in controlling the narrative with her soft touch.

Lisa Michele Burns: Amongst a sea of creative images, Glenda's image caught my eye. The soft pastels, striking buoy and playful characters so creatively captured within the scene, represent such a simple, human pleasure. I love the way the figures appear to be dancing, jumping, and enjoying their time in the ocean with the face of the wave helping to highlight their presence within the frame. It's so clever in its minimalist outcome and brings back all those wonderful memories of a summer by the ocean.

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TOP 20 FINISHERS, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021

3. Photo © Adrian Donoghue. Creative Category, Photographer of the Year 2021.

4. Photo © Carole Mills Noronha. Creative Category, Photographer of the Year 2021.

5. Photo © Diana Ward. Creative Category, Photographer of the Year 2021.

6. Photo © Yvonne Raulston. Creative Category, Photographer of the Year 2021.

7. Photo © Andrew Farr. Creative Category, Photographer of the Year 2021.

CREATIVE 2021: TOP 20

WINNER, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021ALLA KUYUNZHI, 'NARCISSISM'

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

RUNNER UP, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021GLENDA GORE, 'COTTESLOE MERMAIDS'

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

TOP 20 FINISHERS, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021

WINNER, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021
ALLA KUYUNZHI, 'NARCISSISM'

RUNNER UP, CREATIVE CATEGORY, PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021
GLENDA GORE, 'COTTESLOE MERMAIDS'