Photographers Take a Bow for New Performing Arts Prize

A new photography prize aims to highlight the importance of photography in the performing arts. ‘Take A Bow’ – organised by the Ballarat International Foto Biennale and Ballarat’s Royal South Street Society, Australia’s longest running Eisteddfod – asks photographers to submit up to three images each, depicting performance of every discipline including dance, drama, performance art, circus, and contemporary and classical music.

The prize includes a Youth and Open section, with prizes of Canon equipment in the Youth category and $1500 prize money in the Open category.

Judges include BIFB’s Heidi Romano, a fine art photographer and editor of the online photography journal 'Unless You Will', Emma Sbardella from the Royal South Street Society and Sally Brownbill, photography portfolio consultant.

The three judges will create a shortlist of 36 for the Open category and 32 for the Youth category. Renowned Australian performance and dance photographer, Jeff Busby, will judge the final winner in each category.

"Performance photography is almost as old as photography itself,” says photographer, Jeff Busby. “It’s a fine tradition that engages the photographer in many artistic and entertainment activities and provides the opportunity to be part of the cultural history of Australia. Take A Bow will give a public forum for photographers to show their skill in capturing those elusive moments and then working on those images to best realize their potential.”

Alongside the exhibited entries will be an exhibition of Jeff Busby’s recent work, Ponch Hawkes’ circus photography and Ben Searcy’s award winning rock and roll images. Further, each Saturday and Sunday there will be demonstrations on how to photograph performance by Lawrence Winder.

Take a Bow is sponsored by Studio Gallery Eleven 40, Canon and Ballarat Regional Tourism.

Entries open 13 August and close 23 September. Exhibition from 20-28 October at Mechanics Hall, 117 Sturt Street, Ballarat.

More information: www.ballaratfoto.org


Philip Adams BalletLab, Brindabella. Choreography by Philip Adams and Miguel Gutierrez. Dancers Luke George,
Tim Harvey, Brooke Stamp, Derrick Amanatidis (obscured). Photo by Jeff Busby.



Australian Nouveau Theatre (ANTHILL), Don Juan by Moliere. Director: Jean Pierre Mignon. Actors: William Zappa and Timothy Sullivan. Photo by Jeff Busby.



Melbourne Theatre Company production of King Lear. Director: Simon
Phillips. Actors: Frank Gallacher and Alison Bell. Photo by Jeff Busby.