From mirror lakes to roo-hunting at dusk: Fresh photographic takes on Australian life
8 ImagesPhotographers around the country focused on colour and drama for this year’s Galah Regional Photographic Prize. Here’s our pick of the finalists; the winner will be announced on May 2. For more, head to digital.galahpress.com/tag/photography-prize/
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LAKE GAIRDNER – This salt lake, about 550 kilometres north-west of Adelaide, is the site of numerous land-speed-record attempts and home to Dry Lakes Racers Australia. Dean Sewell was there when overnight rain had postponed racing during a five-day event, turning the lake’s surface into a mirror and creating this surreal scene. A documentary photographer with a long and distinguished press career, Sewell is based in Newcastle, NSW.Credit:DEAN SEWELL
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RED AND GREEN ALGAE – Margot Hughes lives on a farm in the NSW Central West and has a passion for aerial photography. Flying her drone over Hutt Lagoon, in Western Australia’s Mid West, Hughes captures a scene of vivid contrasts: pools of red, pink and green algae divided sharply into colourful abstract forms framed by angular access roads.Credit:MARGOT HUGHES
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BEEF WEEK – At the week-long triennial celebration of all things beef in Rockhampton, Queensland, competitors lead their brushed and gleaming livestock to the central arena for judging. Mike Terry, a photographer and filmmaker, lives in Armidale, NSW.Credit:MIKE TERRY
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THE BOYS OF 2200 - “The boys from Bankstown [postcode 2200] in south-west Sydney cruised up the highway to celebrate New Year’s Eve,” says Natalie Grono, an award-winning photojournalist who lives in Lennox Head, NSW. “I spotted them in the car park at Terrigal, where they swam before heading further north in search of fireworks to welcome in 2025.”Credit:NATALIE GRONO
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THE BALL - All frocked up with somewhere to go, a group of partygoers make their way to the Aurukun Ball during NAIDOC Week. The event is “a mixture of glamour and cultural pride” for the remote Cape York community, says Paul Blackmore, a Byron Bay-based photojournalist.Credit:PAUL BLACKMORE
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SWEETHEART, MERRIWA - “Last year we said goodbye to one of our favourite farm companions,” says Thérèse Maher, whose daughter Eugenie is pictured cradling Merriwa, “one of the nicest-natured horses I’ve had the pleasure to know”. Maher, of Maitland, NSW, adds, “Merriwa was a sweetheart and that was an absolute bummer of a day.”Credit:THÉRÈSE MAHER
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THE BUSH IS CALLING - On a peaceful stretch of the Moonie Highway in Queensland’s Western Downs region, Westmar is home to a welcoming country roadhouse and pub. Recent rains provided a burst of colour, with vibrant bougainvillea spilling over a lone phone booth – a reminder, says the Dalby-based Angela Stirling, of the unexpected beauty of the bush and the power of connection.Credit:ANGELA STIRLING
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THE ROO - Roo hunting on Warumungu country, central Northern Territory. Dusk is falling. The girls have their eyes on the scrub as CC leans her head out of the troopy window. She spots it. “Roo!” she shouts, loud enough for Jimmy to hear and low enough not to startle the roo. Jimmy slows down, hits reverse, backs and comes to a creeping stop. Even the dogs are quiet. The small girls huddle into the front passenger seat; CC stays in the back. All eyes are on the prize before Jimmy rolls down the window and lifts the gun. PHOTOGRAPH BY RACHEL MOUNSEY __________________________________ For more, head to https://digital.galahpress.com/tag/photography-prize/ Credit:.
