People's Choice Award for the National Photographic Portrait Prize

17 July 2016

David Darcy has won the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2016 People's Choice for his portrait Levi Miller on the set of Red Dog: True Blue, along with a SUNSTUDIOS Australia studio package valued at $2500. The image was captued in Western Australia's Pilbara Region.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2016 exhibition is now travelling around the country. Its first stop is Dubbo Regional Gallery, from 13 August until 2 October 2016.

The National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.

This year's Winner was Elizabeth Looker for her portrait, Life Dancers.

The Highly Commended portrait was Asha on North Brother by Sean Davey.

Asha on North Brother, NSW, 2015. © Sean Davey.
Portrait of Asha Sarma resting on top of North Brother Mountain in Dunbogan, New South Wales. — Asha on North Brother, NSW, 2015. © Sean Davey. Portrait of Asha Sarma resting on top of North Brother Mountain in Dunbogan, New South Wales.

The inaugural Art Handler's Award went to On Albatross Island by Matthew Newton.

On Albatross Island, 2015. © Matthew Newton.
Albatross Island is located off the north-western tip of Tasmania. It is home to 5,200 pairs of Shy Albatross, who are endemic to Tasmania. The Tasmanian government has maintained a long term monitoring program on the island for over thirty years. The program is currently overseen by marine biologist Dr Rachael Alderman, who has been visiting the island throughout the year for over a decade. After a day of banding and fitting miniature satellite tracking devices, her hands and forearms are bitten and bleeding. These are wounds of love; they mark an engaged scientist’s deep affection for an extraordinary bird. — On Albatross Island, 2015. Albatross Island is located off the north-western tip of Tasmania. It is home to 5,200 pairs of Shy Albatross, who are endemic to Tasmania. The Tasmanian government has maintained a long term monitoring program on the island for over thirty years. The program is currently overseen by marine biologist Dr Rachael Alderman, who has been visiting the island throughout the year for over a decade. After a day of banding and fitting miniature satellite tracking devices, her hands and forearms are bitten and bleeding. These are wounds of love; they mark an engaged scientist’s deep affection for an extraordinary bird. © Matthew Newton.

The exhibition will travel throughout Australia in 2016–17, visiting the Dubbo Regional Gallery, Lovett Gallery, Port Pirie Regional Gallery, Mildura Arts Centre and the Bay Discovery Centre.

Entries for next year's National Photographic Portrait Prize will open in October 2016.