The Head On Photo Festival is taking entries for its 2013 Head On Portrait Prize and for the first time the finalists exhibition will be shown at the State Library of NSW when the festival runs, between May 17 and June 23. The finalists will now be shown in the State Library of NSW as part of an extensive program during one of Australia's largest photo festivals. Entries will also open for the festival's Head Off Landscape Prize and the Head On Momento Photobook Awards.
This is the start of a three-year partnership between Head On Photo Festival and the State Library of NSW, which houses Australia's most important photographic archive. Festival organisers say the State Library's reputation for showcasing Australian and international photography will ensure the Portrait Prize reaches a larger Sydney audience and the tourist market. The Head On Portrait Prize has a reputation for challenging perceptions of portraiture and for leading international photo-art trends. In 2013 the State Library will be celebrating photography from here and around the world, and "the Head On partnership will be a significant part of our exhibition's program," says Dr Alex Byrne, NSW State Librarian & Chief Executive.
New in 2013, the Head On Awards offer Australian photographers a range of photo competitions to enter, including the Head Off Landscape Prize and the Head On Momento Photobook Awards.
The Head On Photo Festival is run over 114 venues in Sydney and surrounding suburbs, from the Blue Mountains to Gymea, through more than 230 exhibitions and events. Organisers say the 2012 festival showed the work of over 1190 photographers across May last year. Festival organisers say Head On is unique because it facilitates a platform for emerging photographers and the industry's best to exhibit and learn together. The festival was born out of a reaction to the limited access and representation of photographic art in Sydney. The festival's centrepiece is the Head On Portrait Prize, which is considered the most prestigious portrait photography competition in Australia, attracting over 2500 entries and a crowd of over 2000 people to its opening.
