Stories

When it comes to visual signatures, there are few more distinctive than that of photographic team Montalbetti and Campbell.

Visitors to Peter Strain’s gallery in Broome, Western Australia, typically react to his macro photographs of mangrove tree snails with laughter and amazement. These Creatures of the Giant Tides, as he has called the series, are startlingly colourful, varied and Ëœalien’.

Political satirist Bryan Dawe can trace the origin of his photographic style to a single moment 15 years ago.

‘Do you want to know how to make an egg stand up?’ R Ian Lloyd paused for effect, ‘You lick the bottom of the egg and then you put it into some salt or sugar. Because the little crystals are square, when you put it down and blow them away, it will prop up.’

Photographer Martin Mischkulnig knows that great portraits are rarely accidental. And that’s why he leaves very little to chance.

  lo-res-r14_1y475 This is from the series I’m showing at BIFB 09. Camera: Canon AE-1; Lens, Canon FD, 20mm; Film: Fuji, ISO 800 slide film Q: How long have you been taking pictures?A: I started when I was 13 years old with my grandfather’s folding camera. A little later I bought my first SLR, a …

  lo-res-37840002-M_Kavaliauskas475 This picture was taken in the village of Kraziai, on a late August evening in 2002, when I by chance came to visit the Trakšelis family in their backyard. They had just slaughtered a pig and were about to cut it up. The family knew me quite well. While they were working, I …

  RedWhiteBlue02475 Red White Blue02 Q: How long have you been taking pictures?A:  30 years Q: Do you remember your first photograph?A: My first photograph was taken in 1972. I was photographing still life on a coffee table to find out how the camera worked. At this stage I was also working in a book …

  Bills475 Bills, Bills and More Bills Q: How long have you been taking pictures? A: “How long taking pictures seriously?” you ask. It’s not serious business, it’s fun! I was a journalist who picked up a camera to do photojournalism. I did freelance work for newspapers and magazines, then I moved on to shooting …

Peach-Tree-Utah-1997475 Peach Tree, Utah.Made with a found lens hand mounted on a Polaroid Pack film camera with type 665 Positive/Negative Film – the lens was cheap and it didn’t cover the whole film area. Q: How long have you been taking pictures?A:  Since 1973 or thereabouts. Q: Do you remember your first photograph?A: My dog …