Foon wins national photography award

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Foon wins national photography award

WONTHAGGI photographer Trevor Foon is officially among Australian’s best.

He was named 2019 Australian Alternate Processes Photographer of the Year at the prestigious national Australian Institute of Professional Photography Awards recently.

Mr Foon won the coveted award for a photograph he created using a vintage camera and historic photographic processes.

“Because the final image is small and delicate, and ends up on a sheet of black glass or enamelled metal, they are little treasures with amazing impact,” he said.

Mr Foon said most photographers today use digital cameras and editing software to create their photographs, but vintage photos were unique, beginning with glass or metal plates and bottles of chemicals.

“I grew up with this technology and I don’t want to lose those skills,” he said.

“My system doesn’t require a computer, printers, inks or any degree of modern technology.

“It is empowering to make images using the principles of photography, an understanding of lighting and whoever I photograph gets a small history lesson in these skills.”

Mr Foon spent three days preparing for the shoot and sourced old gas cylinders, props and vintage artefacts to create the image, Rocket Man.

His photograph, known as a tintype, is made by creating a direct positive onto a sheet of metal coated with enamel.

 “The tintype is made in-camera; there is no way to manipulate, retouch, burn or dodge a tintype,” he said.

The name Rocketman is a homage to early circus sideshows that created sensational exhibits and performances to a gullible public, mostly fake, some freaky and sleazy, but always with an element of the unbelievable. 

The image depicts fellow photographers John Ansell and Fiona Handbury, and Mr Foon’s wife Julie. 

 

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Posted by on Aug 30 2019. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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