Robert Virtue, Belligerence And Beauty (Black and White 2017)

The New South Wales Hunter Valley is a region of diversity and great beauty. From the beaches to the farmland, the region is a tapestry of Australian life. It is also a region that has felt the full force of nature. The photograph ‘Aftermath Of Fire’ was taken just hours after a raging bushfire tore through Richmond Vale in September 2017. In its wake, the blaze left an eerie haze of smoke, and a trail of scorched bush mournfully bathing in the hot afternoon sun. The photograph ‘The Storm’ was taken on an October afternoon in 2017, as a hail and electrical storm swirled across the Hunter Valley. Newcastle’s Bar Beach was deserted as the storm rolled in. At the time of shooting, I could feel the static electricity hanging tantalisingly in the air moments before golf ball-sized hail and torrential rain came pouring down. But the region is also home to a binding sense of pride in its identity, and a strong community spirit. The photographs ‘The Cowboys’ and ‘Hydrating Horses’ were shot during a community cattle drive in the small town Vacy in October 2017. Up to 50 people from the local community drove a herd of 200 cattle 17 kilometres along dusty dirt roads to a local property, ahead of a weekend charity event. It highlighted the camaraderie of rural life, and the underpinning beauty which contrasts the belligerence of nature in the Hunter Valley.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.