Head On Photo Festival

Venue: Various locations. See website for details.
Location: Sydney
1 May - 31 May, 2015
Web: http://www.headon.com.au

During the month of May, Sydney will become a veritable orgy of photography courtesy of the Head On Photo Festival, turning the city into a living exhibition. Beside the various competition exhibitions, across the city, hundreds of other exhibition will be on show as part of the festival.

From the central festival hub in Lower Town Hall all the way to the Blue Mountains, Head On Photo Festival presents a cross-section of all the best and most cutting-edge photography on offer internationally. This year, just some of the stars include Michael Robinson Chavez of The LA Times and prominent Iranian photo artist, Gohar Dashti. The festival will also present a number of workshops including Creating & packaging your visual story, Movie Making for Photographers - Photoshop, Lightroom and Premier Pro and Plastic Camera Magic.

If you only visit one spot this year, head to the Festival Hub at Sydney Lower Town Hall. With 9 incredible exhibitions hand picked by festival director Moshe Rosenzveig from across the globe, the Festival Hub captures the photographic world at its most diverse. The Hub runs from 1 – 10 May.

Besides a number of exhibitons around the Sydney region, two major highlights of the festival this year include a masterclass and portfolio review. Click here for the full program.

Masterclass: For Inception to Publication - Creating and Packaging your Visual Story
Head On’s biggest workshop to date will be led by Getty photographer Benjamin Lowy, LA Times Chief Photographer Michael Robinson Chávez and Facebook Pages Picture Editor Marvi Lacar. Drawing together creative, commercial, freelance, photojournalistic, editorial and marketing perspectives gained from a combined 40 years in the industry.

Portfolio reviews
Head On’s annual Portfolio Review pulls together a panel of industry experts from across the globe to review your portfolio and provide tips on how to break into the area of the industry you are working towards. Choose your preferred industry leaders from a list including gallery directors, curators, photojournalists and editors from institutions including The LA Times, NewsDay, Fairfax, Stills Gallery, Magnum Photography and The Brownbill Effect.
More info...

© Davide Monteleone/VII
ROMA - GENNAIO 2006, PAPA BENEDETTO XVI — © Davide Monteleone/VII ROMA - GENNAIO 2006, PAPA BENEDETTO XVI

Organised by: Head On

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May

PIX – The magazine that changed everything (1938-1972)

Sydney: Until 16 August 2026. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney State Library of NSW | 1 May - 16 Aug, 2026

Rehearsing the City exhibition

Melbourne: Until March 2027. Rehearsing the City presents archival photographs from Victoria’s government collections, alongside new work by contemporary street photographers.

99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne VIC, Australia Victorian Archives Centre and Gallery | 21 May, 2026 - 31 Mar, 2027

Drew Hopper: West of Somewhere East

Coffs Harbour: 28 May – 29 June 2026. West Of Somewhere East is a photographic series tracing a cinematic journey through the interior of New South Wales, shaped by long drives, fleeting encounters, and the reflective rhythm of return.

27 Gordon Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Yarrila Arts and Museum | 28 May - 28 Jun, 2026

June

On the street where I live: Viva Gibb's portrait of North and West Melbourne

Melbourne: 5 March – 7 August 2026. Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, artist and social documentary photographer Viva Gibb (1945-2017) documented the suburbs of North and West Melbourne, where she lived.

110 Swanston St Melbourne 3000 City Gallery – Melbourne Town Hall | 1 Jun - 7 Aug, 2026

Mervyn Bishop: Close Up

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

1 Shakespeare Place Sydney NSW 2000 State Library of NSW | 1 Jun, 2026 - 7 Feb, 2027

Trent Parke: The Christmas tree bucket

Canberra: Until 6 Sept 2026. Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Parkes Place East, Parkes ACT 2600 | 1 Jun - 6 Sep, 2026

A Breath Before Dawn

Sydney: until 4 July 2026. A Breath Before Dawn is a meditation on memory, inheritance and the unresolved presence of history within the body.

91 Campbell St Surry Hills NSW 2010 Station Gallery | 5 Jun - 4 Jul, 2026

World Press Sydney

Sydney: June 6 – 19 July 2026. The World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 is returning to the State Library of New South Wales from 6 June to 19 July, offering Sydney audiences an uncompromising view of of the unending challenges that humans, and our planet face.

1 Shakespeare Place Sydney NSW 2000 State Library of NSW | 6 Jun - 19 Jul, 2026

BROOK ANDREW | ROLLERCOASTER: winhangadurinya in motion

Melbourne: 6 June – 20 August 2026. Brook Andrew is an artist whose conceptual practice shifts across photography, performance, moving image, installation, public space and research, often through deep collaboration with artists, communities and friends.

860 Ferntree Gully Road Wheelers Hill Victoria 3150 Museum of Australian Photography | 6 Jun - 30 Aug, 2026

We Built A House Out Of Water – Peta Duncan

Melbourne: 6 June – 28 June 2-26. We Built a House Out of Water is a deeply personal body of work that draws on memory, family, and culture – while understanding healing as an ongoing process.

33 Saxon Street Brunswick. VIC Blak Dot Gallery | 6 Jun - 28 Jun, 2026