Head On photo festival announces people's choice winner

The votes are in for the most popular exhibition of the annual Head On Photo festival, with the announcement this week of the People's Choice Award winner. 

From a choice of over 110 online exhibitions, the winner is Ian Bickerstaff for his exhibition Sanctuary. 

Sanctuary illustrates the story of a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Cameroon, which gives a safe home for hundreds of primates who had been taken from the wild by illegal hunting activities.

The series of photographs was created over a decade and captures the relationships between the sanctuary and the wild; exploring the relationships between the primates and the human carers; the sanctuary and the local people; people and wildlife.

Bickerstaff wins a prize valued at $2,848, including an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and an M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 II lens.

First runner-up in the People's Choice was Brett Leigh Dicks with his exhibition Nuclear Landscapes, and second runner-up was photographer Kasper Forest with Inevitable Conflict.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Head On went ahead this year with all work showcased online - a massive achievement.

The award ceremony and the launch event were live-streamed on the Head On website and over on their Facebook page, reaching tens of thousands of people in Australia and around the world. The online free program saw about 50 artists talk about their work, as well as a number of photography workshops designed to teach and inspire budding photographers.

Over $70,000 worth of prizes were awarded to the winners of Portrait, Landscape and the Student categories.

If you'd like to check out some of the exhibitions and online discussions, visit the Head On website here.