Remembrance
Photography allows us to record significant moments in time – be that public or historical, or private and personal – and remember them forever, and enables us to honour and uphold the memory of those who have dedicated their lives to making our community safer. Have a look at the 2023 VPL Chairperson’s award. The image of Shirley standing outside the Whittlesea police station is a classic.
(Photo: Scott McNaughton)
A touch of blue
This category is open to a wide interpretation. Be it a shade of blue in an image, a blue mood or setting, a police-oriented setting (of course stick to the T&Cs with regard to restrictions). This is a category where we really encourage entrants to cast their minds broadly to the concept of something blue in orientation having regard to the overall theme of the competition, ‘Capturing a moment in time’
(Photo: Bob Raaymakers APM)
Home
Where is home to you? Where is home to one of your pets or your community? This category lends itself to images depicting togetherness, security, family, friends. Anything that tells a story about tranquillity, sanctuary or permanence. Origins of family? A country or place of birth?
(Photo: Bob Raaymakers APM)
Hopes & dreams
How do you capture Hopes & Dreams in an image? It is vastly subjective, as we can imagine our hopes and dreams in so many ways… as the example image reflects, a graduation parade where you can only imagine the members’ hopes for his future policing career. Your image could be a child’s winning premiership photo, or a learner driver embarking on their new chapter in life. One of children or grandchildren on their first day of school. Anything that resonates with you, having regard to your future aspirations or those of the subject of your image.
(Photo: Paul McBride APM)
People & places
Our human connections are an integral part of our lives, and what so many of our own photographs represent! People and Places might be close family members or friends; they can also be partnerships between people working together to make the world a better and safer place or fleeting interactions that make a difference in peoples’ lives, or places that hold special meaning to you.
(Photo: Andrew Hardy)
Note with all the categories it is important to put in your narrative some explanation or back story to the image at time of entry. This will help the judges contextualise the image and your intent.
Thanks to the generous
support of Photography Studies College, Melbourne Headshot Company, Australian Photographic Prize, Entourage Travel, Kayell Australia and Momento.
Robyn Campbell is one of Australia’s most highly respected female photographers and judges with 25 action-packed years of experience in the Professional Photography industry. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has been a finalist in The Moran Prize, Fremantle Portrait Prize and Head On Portrait Prize. Robyn panel chairs and judges photography nationally and internationally, for two years running representing Australia in the World Photographic Cup. In 2022 Robyn Co-founded the Australian Photographic Prize, an international competition for professional photographers to celebrate excellence in their fields across many genres.
As Bachelor of Photography First Year Convenor, Sarina teaches in the Bachelor of Photography program at Photography Studies College (PSC) and also in PSC’s Advanced Diploma program.
Sarina is one of the most experienced lecturers in photography education in Australia. She has been teaching at PSC since 1991, in both VET and Higher Education courses. With a Bachelor of Education in Visual Arts and a Master’s in Fine Art, plus her extensive experience in the design and implementation of undergraduate programs, Sarina successfully applies her administrative and organisational skills to manage the first year of PSC’s Bachelor of Photography course. Sarina has coordinated numerous successful student exhibitions and is a member of PSC’s Academic Board and Academic Leadership Team.
Sarina is also a multi-disciplinary artist who has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions across Australia. She has been a finalist in several prestigious awards including the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture, the Darebin La Trobe Art Prize, the Artecycle Art Prize, the Williamstown Contemporary Art Prize and the Hutchins Art Award for works on paper.
Scott graduated from PSC in 1999 with a diploma in Illustrative Photography. Whilst undertaking his 2nd year of study, he stared working as a freelance photographer with Fairfax’s network of community newspapers. After gradating from PSC and working in America during 2001, Scott returned to Australia and took up fulltime employment with Farifax as a news and features photographer. He returned to PSC in 2011 as a part time lecturer to teach camera craft to part time students. In 2017 Scott left full time employment with Fairfax and started working for The Age Newspaper as a contributor. During this time he also started contracting with Victoria Police as a photographer, working with their Corporate Communications and Publications Units. It was during this time that Scott decided to take the plunge and change careers. After working in media for over 20 years, in 2023 he joined Victoria Police as a sworn police officer. Scott's love of photography and specifically Street Photography, still has him shooting in-between shifts. Being a photographer and being a police officer is not all that dissimilar from each other, both require keen observation skills, a deep understating of the human condition and a love of good coffee!
