RMIT Diploma of Photography + Photo Imaging
20 20 END OF YEAR EXHIBITION
1 Introduction 2 Katherine Andrianopoulos 4 Hunter Callaghan 6 Renee Coster 8 Caitlin Grant 10 Jacob Gullotti 12 Sam Guy 14 Anneliese Henjak 16 Cassandra Hogan 18 Mitch Hughan 20 Lauren Kidd 22 Alyssa Montesano 24 Bella Pace 26 Bo Pang 28 Alexander Salem 30 Jamin Walsh Menegazzo 32 Christina Watson
34 The World on Screen… 40 The Photobook Project 44 Graduate Profiles 44 Tan Yoowang 45 Nonny Bulle 46 Cecilia Sordi Campos 47 Farewell to Guy Little and Pablo Vasconcelos Becerra 48 Study Photography + Photo Imaging at RMIT VE (Vocational Education) 50 Thank You 52 Acknowledgements IBC Sponsors
In the spirit of reconciliation RMIT University acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
Cover image © Hunter Callaghan
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Introduction Well, what a year it has been! There is no question that 2020 will be remembered for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that has challenged people across the world in ways none could have imagined or predicted. We have all been forced to reset our expectations of life in profound ways – the normal day-to-day has been turned on its head and we have been forced to adapt to unfamiliar, unexpected and confronting restrictions and rules. It has been no different for the 2020 class of Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging, where the exceptional work of students has been shaped by the problems imposed by the pandemic and the nature of their engagement with the program. Despite this, it is clear these challenges have provided a particular artistic and technical frame for students, a frame through which they have fully realised their end-of-year folios and developed what I think is an extraordinary body of completed work. In considering this 2020 exhibition, it is clear the act of tackling unexpected challenges has driven a level of exceptional creativity. Students have had to solve technical and conceptual problems while developing the themes and narratives that are a feature of this work. This has forced students to develop a particular resilience and willingness to tackle creative problems, which has led to some of the most innovative and inspired folios we have seen in the history of the program. From the Beauty Myth series of Renee Coster that challenges us all to consider preconceptions and biases in relation to female identity and self-image, to an abstract and modernist take on Melbourne suburbia by Alexander Salem, or the profound and beautiful series by Cassandra Hogan that explores her emotional response to discovering her ancestry - the work presented in the 2020 Photo Imaging exhibition by the entire cohort is outstanding. I am in awe of each and every students’ achievements in what has been a remarkable and challenging year. I’d like to congratulate all students and staff on this extraordinary 2020 exhibition. LLIAM FREEMAN ASSOCIATE DEAN, MEDIA, ART AND COMMUNICATION – SCHOOL OF VOCATIONAL DESIGN AND SOCIAL CONTEXT
Katherine is a Melbourne-based photographer who works in an observant and documentary style. She enjoys the simplicity of street photography and capturing her surroundings, whether they be unique or mundane. In her final series, Interim, Katherine explores a familiar and monotonous world. It is a series made as a means of resolving the feelings she has experienced during the global pandemic of COVID-19 – a world with an overwhelming absence.
Katherine Andrianopoulos +61 425 800 060 KATHERINE.ANDRI@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/KATHERINEANDRIP KATHERINEANDRIP.COM
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Hunter is a Taungurung man of the Kulin Nation, and a Melbourne based digital artist who began his photographic journey initially interested in product and advertising. As time went by, he discovered his true calling for surreal and composited imagery. This interest has led him to create his most recent body of work – KFIVE. Upon graduating, Hunter hopes to embark on constructing a studio space to call his own. A place to continue building narratives and refine his photographic skills through personal works.
Hunter Callaghan +61 435 505 401 CONTACT@HUNTERPHOTOIMAGING.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/HUNTER.CALLAGHAN HUNTERPHOTOIMAGING.COM
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Renee is a photographer and visual creative. Her background in fashion, visual merchandising and styling inform a multidisciplinary practice, incorporating both art and commercial photography. Beauty Myth, a social-commentary series, explores themes of female identity and self-image by employing symbols, signs and pop-cultural references to articulate expectations sold to women through advertising and social media. Intended to evoke a sense of unease, the images invite the audience to question their role in reinforcing these expectations from societal and personal perspectives.
Renee Coster +61 412 266 890 RENEECOSTER@OUTLOOK.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/ WRENCOSTER RENEECOSTER.COM
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Melbourne based photographer Caitlin Grant is passionate about fashion, portrait and dance photography and collage. Drawn to simplicity and natural imagery, she loves working with the aesthetics of film photography and finding beauty in the connection of images. Her series Mitternachtslärm digitally combines images of moving light taken at midnight, and excerpts from images of dance photography taken over time. This latest series explores light and form in a way that connects abstraction to the dancer’s movements.
Caitlin Grant +61 455 914 205 CAITLIN.GRANT@BIGPOND.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/CAITLINPHOTOGRAPHS CAITLINGRANTPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Jacob is an 18-year-old photographer and cinematographer based in Victoria. Jacob is the Director of Axis Productions, a creative & multimedia company specialising in film production. He works primarily within the Australian music industry, directing music videos for some of the country’s biggest hip-hop names. Jacob is constantly shooting press content for artists, musicians and DJs across Australia, recently having his work published in articles on media outlets such as The Local Frequency and FilterZine. Jacob has pursued a unique approach to his folio output, diving into the world of architecture and minimalism to produce his stills which accompany a cinematic short film, made during the lockdown due to COVID-19 and titled When the City Sleeps.
Jacob Gullotti +61 481 088 814 JACOBGULLOTTI.CREATIVE@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/JAACOBCREATIVE INSTAGRAM.COM/AXISPRODUCTIONS JACOBGULLOTTI.COM
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Hailing from the rugged and remote north west of Tasmania, Sam grew up with other creatives in the surf and skate scenes. He first picked up a camera to capture his weekend adventures around the state. After a creative hiatus through his twenties, he rediscovered his love for photography when travelling through Europe (specifically Iceland) in 2018. He moved to Melbourne in 2019 to pursue his Diploma at RMIT. Sam intends to pursue the endless photographic opportunities that Melbourne has to offer and hopes to gain invaluable studio experience before expanding his horizons overseas. David Walsh and the Mona museum have had a heavy influence in Sam’s folio. The series is dark, bold and thought provoking. His aim is to encourage the viewer to open their mind and listen to the voice within.
Sam Guy +61 419 159 901 CONTACT@BOWERPIX.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/BOWERPIX BOWERPIX.COM
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“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” This powerful statement by polar explorer Robert Swan encapsulates the ethos of Anneliese’s photographic work. After discovering the magic of film photography in a university elective, Anneliese completed a photobook with Melbourne apiarists Rooftop Honey, and undertook an internship with Star Weekly Newspapers. Her current sustainability-focused project, Propagate Magazine, aims to empower people to keep our precious environment at the forefront of their everyday choices.
Anneliese Henjak +61 431 309 878 ANNILOGUE@HOTMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/ANNILOGUE ANNILOGUE.COM
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Cassandra is a photographic artist working across digital and analogue technologies. She set up a darkroom in the back shed 7 years ago, and upon moving to Melbourne decided to study the digital craft. Cassandra’s work collaborates with the random, accidental and serendipitous creating imagery that play with abstraction and layering. Her folio explores an emotional response to discovering her Aboriginal heritage. Using collage and scanning glitches, she investigates the integrity of family, memory and history.
Cassandra Hogan CASSANDRAHOGAN1@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/ WHAT_CASSANDRA_SEES CASSANDRAHOGAN.COM
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Mitch is a photographer from South West Victoria who, after taking up photography in high school, moved to Melbourne to further his studies at RMIT. He has taken advantage of opportunities within the Certificate IV and Diploma programs to acquire knowledge of advanced lighting and Photoshop skills, as well as industry standard application. Mitch finds inspiration in documenting places, pastimes and underground subcultures seldom seen, experienced or understood by most, presenting them from a raw and authentic point of view.
Mitch Hughan MITCHSVISION@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/MITCHSVISION
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Lauren is passionate about documentary photography and photojournalism and has honed her observational and photographic skills whilst travelling abroad. She is drawn to photographing the people, places and situations she witnesses and takes great pleasure in telling those stories through her images. Lauren’s folio project Second Wave has involved capturing her own experiences during lockdown, when her daily travels have been limited to her local neighbourhood right here in Melbourne.
Lauren Kidd +61 423 057 491 LAURENKIDD555@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/LAURENJKIDD LAURENKIDDIMAGERETOUCHER.COM
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Alyssa is a photographer and artist who explores the genres of fashion and editorial. Her interest in photography began in high school through studying art, media and textiles. This final body of work reflects her strengths in set design and styling, as well as showcasing her developed technique and skill as a photographer. The work Sole explores stereotypes based on shoe choice, while working with strong colours and themes in order to create suggestive photographs.
Alyssa Montesano +61 477 422 028 ALYSSA.MONTESANO1@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/M.ALYSSAPHOTOGRAPHY ALYSSAMONTESANO.FORMAT.COM
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Born and bred in Brunswick, Bella has always had a wealth of diverse and interesting characters surrounding her. Bella has a happy-go-lucky attitude to most things she does, with a centre of fun and a fresh creative take on projects she undertakes whilst taking pride in her professionalism. Currently, Bella is working on a project exploring the way society interacts with fast food, particularly in the current COVID-19 climate. Ranging from the various environments in which we consume fast food through to disposal, this work raises cyclical questions of consumption, greed and waste.
Bella Pace +61 423 777 562 BELLA.PACE@HOTMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/PACEPHOTOG PACEPHOTOG.COM
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Bo Pang is a photographer from China whose distinct photographic style has steadily developed since purchasing his first camera as a high school student. Bo’s final folio project Erhu combines his love of music and photography to create an evocative series of still and moving images. Through his work, Bo hopes to share his Chinese heritage and cultural objects with his audience.
Bo Pang +61 410 905 658 376537472@QQ.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/PANGBO3765 PANGBO3765.WIXSITE.COM/MYSITE
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Alexander has always had a strong interest in graphic design and art, and enrolled at RMIT shortly after buying his first camera. Alexander’s folio has allowed him to take full advantage of his combined graphic design and photographic skills. Using inspiration from modernist paintings as well as his own keen eye for design, Alexander portrays Melbourne’s western suburbs in vibrant colour. After graduating, Alexander hopes to produce work that can be proudly displayed at local exhibitions throughout Melbourne.
Alexander Salem +61 419 740 324 ALEXSALEM0@GMAIL.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/ALEXSALEM.PHOTOGRAPHY ALEXSALEM0.WIXSITE.COM/ALEXSALEMPHOTOGRAPHY
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Jamin Walsh Menegazzo is an aspiring fine art photographer with a passion for everything beautiful in this world. Her images depict the complexities of the human condition, delicately interwoven with visions of romance. Jamin’s work seeks to create images that evoke feelings of longing and melancholy we all experience but can’t seem to express with words. Her photographs are typically composed using elaborately staged sets, united with atmospheric aesthetics.
Jamin Walsh Menegazzo +61 479 063 029 JAMIN500@LIVE.COM.AU INSTAGRAM.COM/JAMIN_LALUNE JAMINLALUNE.COM/PORTFOLIO-2
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Christina’s passion for photography began in her early teenage years, when she became deeply inspired by her mother’s love for taking photos. She is interested in portraiture and fascinated by the natural environment. In her final folio, Ecotherapy, Christina explores the idea of connectedness a person feels when they spend time in nature. She explores the relationship between the natural element and human connection through a series of diptychs. After completing her Diploma of Photo Imaging, Christina hopes to further her photographic skills and knowledge, as well as initiate her wedding and portrait business.
Christina Watson +61 405 552 700 INFO@CHRISTINAROSEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM.AU INSTAGRAM.COM/CHRISTINAROSEAU CHRISTINAROSEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM.AU
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The World on Screen… An extraordinary year has required an extraordinary effort from staff and students alike. As our face-to-face learning transitioned to virtual classrooms, studios and workplaces, we all remained nimble and honed our problem-solving skills. Both our teaching and learning styles were adapted so that we were able to continue seamless delivery, and really make the most of our new digital world and some of the incredible digital tools we have at our disposal. Some of the innovations that have been introduced include:
The Virtual Print Lab The Virtual Print Lab was established in March 2020. With significant help from our technicians, one of our Epson P800s was relocated to ‘home/work’ and this has enabled live printing with our newest cohort of Certificate IV students and continued print outcomes for our February group. The use of job sheets to instruct the print technician (teacher) ensures that students have continued to make informed choices about their print outcomes. Prints have been meaningfully evaluated using scans of prints together with one on one discussions during class time.
The EOY Exhibition VIRTUAL We are excited to present our first Virtual Exhibition in 2020. A huge amount of research has gone into the delivery of our gallery spaces this year, and we hope that the virtual experience is one that makes the most of both our digital medium and the flexibility that a world without architectural or financial limitations affords.
© Carly Blower
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© Anneliese Henjak
Virtual Studios We used break-out spaces to great effect through our folio production units. Students were allocated their own ‘studio’ which teaching staff could then visit and assist live as the students shot for their final folio. We were also able to assist with post-production through this studio environment. Teachers remained active in the space for the duration of the class, and students were free to come and go as they needed, simply requesting a studio visit at key moments in production.
‘Using the virtual studio this semester has been paramount to the development and production of my folio project. The virtual studio provided better accessibility to the teachers while shooting and editing images and allowed for direct contact for feedback and guidance.’ RENEE COSTER OCTOBER 2020
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The World on Screen…
Virtual Collaborative Shoots Throughout the year we have facilitated a number of collaborative virtual shoot experiences for students in both the Certificate IV and the Diploma. Certificate IV students participated in our ‘Potato Head’ shoot making stereoscopic images – one shot on film and the other digital. This activity was conducted using Capture One and a second video stream to allow for live styling.
Image of Cassandra Hogan by Katherine Andrianopoulos
Diploma students took inspiration from the ‘Facetime Vogue’ cover shoot and made Facetime portraits of each other during one of our early Folio classes. This shoot was enormously valuable both in terms of team building and as an exercise in creative thinking.
Image of Katherine Andrianopoulos by Cassandra Hogan
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Virtual Auction Our wonderful Diploma cohort ran the annual fundraising auction through Collaborate Ultra this year. Sam Guy and Cass Hogan acted as our auctioneers on the night and the whole team worked very hard to ensure a successful and enjoyable experience for all. Folio prints were donated by students along with a whole host of offerings from alumni, staff and our industry partners. Potential purchasers were encouraged to use their microphones for vocal bids, but as with most of our online interactions this year, it was the chat function that was most active pinging with new bids, commiserations and congratulations when the virtual hammer fell. It was a wonderfully festive event and fundraising targets were well exceeded. The class of 2020 is grateful for the support they received on the night.
reVIEW – student run (a casual space to share) In response to student requests for more social interaction between cohorts, the Diploma students initiated our reVIEW space. Each fortnight the space is hosted by three Diploma students who present their projects and chat casually about their process and experiences with their folio work. Attendees are also invited to share their own work if they wish.
Inaugural ‘Click Trivia’ Ever mindful that we were all missing the casual café catchups, studio sessions and hallway hellos we delivered our first Click Trivia Night. The golden lens was hotly contested and many print prizes were won! It was wonderful to have everyone together in a social setting and really set the tone for the virtual events that we have successfully hosted since.
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The World on Screen…
Second Wave Print Studio
Intensive Projects – RTC
As Victoria went into our second lockdown, Second Wave Print Studio built momentum. Mindful of many challenges our students were facing due to the COVID-19 restrictions, both in terms of production and ultimately access to our print facility, we developed a single print folio outcome. Second Wave Print has enabled our Diploma students to send files and receive test prints via mail, consult direct with the print house and receive final folio prints which realise a ‘cut and fold’ magazine style publication. In addition to their own folio prints, each student has received a full collection of ‘mini’ folio prints.
In early July we were cleared to Return To Campus (RTC) to complete assessment tasks based on prescribed technical and emotive imagery. Students were briefed remotely and tasked with researching and completing shoot pre-production. Students worked under pressure to mimic the real-world work environment. This engagement with staff with demonstrable industry practice, guided by industry and federally endorsed units of competency seeks to reinforce the practice-based assessment paradigm.
© Bo Pang
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© Katherine Andrianopoulos
Off-site Shoot & Virtual Review As part of the Diploma year, students are tasked with building on their acquired knowledge from the Certificate IV. Part of our remit is to teach the students to interpret the brief, ask the right questions and deliver what the clients’ needs are, be it an image for editorial, commercial, advertising, or social media use.
© Max Ratzlaff
Daylight Food Studios (Cert IV from home) The sudden move to remote delivery was indeed a challenge for students and staff, however we had the opportunity to work with the students in the studio, learning about equipment early on in Semester 1 and in the move to remote learning delivered exceptional results.
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The Photobook Project Every year for the past 10 years, each Vocational Education (VE) Diploma student has produced their own documentary photographic books focused around telling the story of an individual, club, group or community organisation. The books are produced in black and white and can range from 40 to 80 pages long. While the books feature a photographic narrative, images are supported by a written introduction and captions to convey their story. Photography students work closely with VE’s outstanding Professional Writing and Editing students to create and perfect their narrative. Photographers and editors are matched to deliver these intimate and compelling stories.
© Emma Cunard-Naramos
‘Maintaining the collaborative experiences for the photography and professional writing and editing students was a great achievement for all involved. The books created, via remote collaboration, by the 2020 students will form part of a cherished historic record of this time, not only for now but to look back on for many years to come.’ JESSIE DIBLASI PROGRAM MANAGER PHOTOGRAPHY + PHOTO IMAGING
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© Martin Reftel
This year, student projects proceeded as planned until the sixth week of the semester, when the first of Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns occurred and created unprecedented obstacles for students in covering their chosen stories. At that point, Photography teacher Martin Reftel, Professional Writing and Editing teacher Melissa Cranenburgh, and I decided to change the documentary brief, and tasked students with telling their individual stories of lockdown. A few students were able to continue or adapted their original stories in some form, while the majority began documenting their various home lives with the families, partners, or housemates that surrounded them.
© Mandy Wood
To further assist the students as they adapted to working remotely, the teaching staff joined in and began documenting their own lockdown life. The challenges imposed upon us all have required staff and students to be resilient, innovative and have resulted in intimate insights into the lives of people coping with the difficulties of Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdown life. ROBERT GALE DIPLOMA PHOTOGRAPHY + PHOTO IMAGING TEACHER
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The Photobook Project
Knowing that we were tackling this project under such strange circumstances together made the whole process that much more approachable. I found that the way I’d worked as an editor with writers (and Microsoft Word aficionados, for that matter) in the past was different to how I ended up working with a photographer. Not only did I have to put into practice everything I knew in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and narrative, but I also had to navigate giving feedback to someone who didn’t work in the way that I did. As familiar as I was with track changes, Word or Acrobat, I had to be mindful not just of the content of my feedback, but actually how that feedback was delivered.
© Harris Zervakis
As it turned out, navigating these hurdles was part of what made this collaboration so intoxicating. Accepting that I’d need to change my usual approach to editing to fit this collaboration, and then to have that approach run smoothly and successfully, gave me confidence as an editor. This project taught me that one of the keys to a successful collaboration is to let go of some expectations – to be flexible and empathetic in my approach with an author, academic or photographer. WILL MACFARLANE PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND EDITING STUDENT
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© Alex Salem
For university this semester, I embarked upon a collaboration with a photographer that I had never met in person — akin to a blind-date, lined up by a university matchmaker. I was nervous, for in the lead-up to our initial communication, this strange dimension seemed to add to the disconnect of the broader lockdown and social-distancing procedures in place at the time. But once we finished our initial chat (delightfully friendly), I wondered: how do we communicate —let alone collaborate—when we are formless and soundless?
These concerns were on my mind with that recent collaborative project. When we made our initial digital exchanges, presenting a digitally-appropriate version of myself was at the forefront of my mind. I wanted to be as clear, punctual, and polite as possible, quietly stressing my desire for honest, open exchange to alleviate the potential for miscommunication. I think the version of me that this individual worked with is a far more approachable, efficient, and confident person than I imagine myself to be within the physical world.
In one sense, many participants are active within a space, adhering to the agreedupon social etiquette of that situation. But if the group dynamic of that digital space were transplanted to a physical domain, the implications of invisible, all-seeing and all-hearing participants takes on a sinister atmosphere — one reserved for the one-way-mirrored interrogation room, or the transgressive voyeur.
Perhaps one need not write-off digital collaboration for its limitations as a means of communication. A better approach may be to understand and reconcile its uniqueness, and its possibilities. NICO CALLAGHAN PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND EDITING STUDENT
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Graduate Profiles Tan Yoowang (GRADUATED 2019)
While studying at RMIT, I spent a lot of time in the studio practicing my lighting skills, and really made the most of the access to high quality photographic facilities. In order to fulfill my dream of becoming a photographer, I used the opportunity to produce various kinds of creative work with the guidance of open-minded teachers and industry professionals who I met through the course. During my Diploma year, I started to work as a freelance photographer. The majority of my work is product, fashion and portrait based. I am currently working with Melbourne-based furniture and fashion brands as their main photographer and continuing to grow my photographic and social media content business.
Being a part of the RMIT Alumni means support is always there, especially going through this unprecedented time after the graduation year with the pandemic. The assistance from teaching staff, students and fellow alumni has been significant. TAN@TANYOOWANG.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/ TANYOOWANG
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Nonny Bulle (GRADUATED 2016)
Although I graduated in 2016, I still reflect on my time at RMIT and the sense of camaraderie (and healthy rivalry) we often shared as a cohort. The course attracts individuals from a variety of educational and vocational backgrounds and unites us under our common interest in visual storytelling and an eagerness to learn. It’s no wonder then, when studying there, I often felt the warmth of being surrounded by like-minded and ingeniously creative peers, as well as supportive teachers who were mentors. Since then, I’ve waded my way through the waters of Melbourne’s beauty and creative industries. Beginning with the launch of my own make-up brand, followed by working in social media
and content creation roles for two beauty companies, and then finally ending up launching my own freelance photography business. In this time, I’ve been focused on fashion, portraiture and product photography, and have been fortunate to have my work featured in magazines such as Vogue Australia, Forbes and The Design Files. Through practice and repetition, I’ve gained confidence in my technical skills, but I have also learned that a stark contrast exists between a passion for photography and running a sustainable business. I’m still learning and hope to develop my business into a full-blown creative studio, and to partner up with other creatives. INSTAGRAM.COM/NYNNOBELAIR NYNNO.NET
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Graduate Profiles
Cecilia Sordi Campos (GRADUATED 2016)
When I decided to pursue studies in photography, I did not know exactly what it was I was seeking. I am beyond glad I started at the RMIT Diploma of Photo Imaging, as I had no substantial technical knowledge nor any experience within the photographic industry. Through the Diploma, I was able to gain valuable skills, build lasting relationships within the photography community, and also obtain insight into what really piqued my interest and what I truly wanted to explore within photography. Since graduating from the Diploma in 2016, I have pursued further studies at RMIT, and have been developing projects and concepts within an art practice. Most of these projects are autobiographical, and have explored peculiarities of my migrant experience, liminality and identity.
Sunniatá, 2019 – from the series Tem Bigato Nessa Goiaba
My latest project Tem Bigato Nessa Goiaba, which was part of my research for the Bachelor of Arts (Photography) (Honours), has been commended at the Australia and New Zealand 2019 Photobook Awards, has also been awarded a Main Prize Honourable Mention at the 2019 PHmuseum Women Photographers Grant and has won the Momento Pro Best Book Design at the 2019 CCP Salon. Drawing once more on personal narratives, I’m currently researching and developing ideas around intimacy and the female body. INFO@CECILIASORDICAMPOS.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/CECILIASORDICAMPOS CECILIASORDICAMPOS.COM
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Farewell to Guy Little and Pablo Vasconcelos Becerra
Guy © James Maher
Pablo © James Maher
This year we say farewell to some cherished members of the Photo Imaging teaching and technical support teams. The staff formally and gratefully acknowledge the work and contribution to our programs by Guy Little and Pablo Vasconcelos Becerra. Guy and Pablo have had a direct and long-term impact on learning and teaching in the Building 94 Photography studios, and together have supported innumerable students in classes, with technical questions and through encouragement of ideas and experimentation. For their combined decades of service, enthusiasm and work we thank them and wish them all the very best for their future endeavours.
‘Guy, there are no words that I could use to express my gratitude and appreciation for your time as my teacher in the Certificate IV. You have helped me achieve amazing technical and creative skills. There is no double in my mind when I say that you made my first experience with photography a very pleasing one. I will miss seeing you in the hallways of building 94 and will always remember our interactions.’ ALEXANDER SALEM PHOTOGRAPHY + PHOTO IMAGING STUDENT ‘I look back fondly on my days at Cardigan Street, Guy and know that I wouldn’t be the photographer, and in fact the person, that I am today without benefitting from your teachings, help, patience, friendship and kindness.’ TRENT PERRETT PHOTOGRAPHY + PHOTO IMAGING ALUMNI ‘Pablo, we started on the same day in the same role, a team from day one. I’ve learnt so much from you in these 12 years and always appreciate the help you are always so willing to give. Looking forward to seeing where your next adventures take you. Work won’t be the same or as much fun again.’ JAMES MAHER TECHNICAL OFFICER
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Study Photography + Photo Imaging at RMIT VE (Vocational Education) The Certificate IV and Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging are one-year, full-time programs. This is a hands-on practical and contemporary program with a strong commercial and industry focus, where you can build a career in professional photography. The program is widely regarded by the industry as producing some of the highest quality photography graduates in Australia. You will work with professional and committed staff, students and industry professionals to produce a series of folios covering a wide range of disciplines. Graduates from the program are industry ready, and our current students and alumni work in many sectors of the photographic industry as freelance photographers, photographic assistants and digital retouchers, both nationally and internationally. Our teaching staff, alumni and students are continually recognised as finalists and winners of Australia’s leading photographic awards, including the Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers Award, the Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture, the Bowness Photography Prize, the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, the Iris Award, Head On Photographic Prize, Aussie Street competition, the National Photographic Portrait Prize, British Journal of Photography Portrait of Britain Award, and the MAMA Photographic Prize.
What will I be studying here in the VE photography program? During the course of your study you will work in varied styles and genres of photography, expanding your ideas, creative vision and technical skills to a very high level. You will develop skills in areas of photography such as advertising, architecture, industrial, portrait, documentary, video, design, business practices, compositing, digital retouching, photojournalism, illustrative, fashion and commercial photography.
Your journey starts in Certificate IV This intensive year of study is designed around hands-on practical skills that build the foundations of a professional photographic practice. These will include image capture (studio and location), digital design and image manipulation, video, high-end print output, and business and photo theory.
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Diploma – the next stage You will continue your studies in the Diploma, where you’ll build on your technical studies in the studio and on location, while producing collaborative long-form projects that include a selfpublished book and a professional folio of work, culminating with a group exhibition. You will graduate with a readiness to join the professional industry in your chosen field.
Learn from professional photographers You will learn directly from teaching staff who are professional photographers and work in a variety of roles within the industry, such as commercial, industrial and advertising photography. You’ll gain insight and first-hand information from people who are immersed in the world of photography.
Industry connections and real-world collaboration Our program works with creative programs within RMIT, both Vocational and Higher Education, and major industry players through established collaborative projects and work experience opportunities. Throughout your studies, you will work on industry-based
collaborative briefs, establish professional networks and develop connections within the local and international creative community.
Study tour Students will have the opportunity to participate in a two-week study tour to southeast Asia, where they will observe and work collaboratively with undergraduate and master design students alongside one of the largest commercial studios in the Asia-Pacific region.
Pathways Graduates can articulate to the Bachelor of Arts (Photography) with advanced standing of one year. Our Certificate IV and Diploma programs are also accredited by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). For further information:
Program Manager Jessie DiBlasi +61 3 9925 3020 jessie.diblasi@rmit.edu.au goo.gl/MKC91x
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Thank You The 2020 Diploma cohort would like to offer their thanks and appreciation for the support and assistance of many different people, both throughout the two years of our studies and during the last months in making this exhibition possible.
Models + Agencies
Elizabeth Andreevski Daniel Watson
Assistants + Support
Gianluca Carretta Samuel Finlayson Allan Kappa Roberto Pettinau Ninna Larsen Asako Miura Nicolas Andrianopoulos Tia Andrianopoulos Harley Cooper Gary Coster Sophie Coster Eliza Harrison Angela Henjak Anthony Henjak Chelsea Holm Julie Hon Alice Hutchison Max Kennedy Corrine Kroell Nick La Spina Marisa Ridge Rosemary Rossi
Nadine Salem Saadeh Salem Michelle Tran Christo Sheridan Rothwell David Thai
Industry Thanks SUNSTUDIOS Andrew Miller Michelle Tuddenham Rob Goldie BRONCOLOR Michel Caillet Urs Recher CANON Paul Stewart Mia McKenzie Alessia Calvi Kim Noakes Nada Naim ADEAL Peter Iorlano Matthew Harper KAYELL Robert Gatto Scott Squires Michael Marlborough EPSON Bruce Williams CPL DIGITAL Bryan Gracey Darren Rokkor
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BLUE TREE STUDIOS Joseph Feil Saville Coble HELL STUDIOS RUFUS & COOPER WELLCOM WORLDWIDE MICHAELS Peter Michael Cameron Levett Matt Gee Tom Kinkel Tony Menz TED’S Teresa Marino Andrew Nunns BORGE’S IMAGING Borge Anderson Frances Sergi THE BROWNBILL EFFECT Sally Brownbill NIKON Julie Kimpton Tony Steele Melissa O’Brien FUJI Kevin Cooper IMPACT DIGITAL Heath Nankervis Stuart Smith
BAMBRA PRESS Sean Egan
David Amos
SPECULAR Rory Shinners Michael Griffiths
Dr Michael Coyne
PHASE ONE DENMARK Peter Marshall
Jacqueline DiBlasi
PROFOTO SWEDEN AIPP Randal Armstrong Matt Palmer
Emma Woods Rob Imhoff David Johns Mike Bannenberg Kim Tonelli Tan Yoowang Gemma Wouters Sara Wilkosz
HIROYOSHI NAGAMI CAMERA REPAIRS
Michelle Jarni
MONSTER + BEAR STUDIOS Kayzar Bhathawalla
Felisha Mendoza Mina
OURS CREATIVE STUDIO AND SPACE Sean Hastings C.R KENNEDY & COMPANY Damon Rulach HEARTFELT Gavin Blue Adrienne Gilligan
Dani Watson
Katherine Fung
52 \
Acknowledgements The 2020 RMIT Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging End of Year Exhibition celebrates the passion and creative endeavours of the students. To suggest that it has been a year unlike any other might seem to be an understatement, and we acknowledge the hard work and determination of each student and staff member across this extraordinary year. To reach this end and have the chance to celebrate your combined efforts is a humbling reward. You should all be very proud of all you have achieved! The Photo Imaging team congratulate each and every one of you for your continued hard work and dedication, not only to your chosen discipline but to facing and overcoming every obstacle 2020, COVID-19 and lockdown placed in your path. For the combined efforts of the Photo Imaging team, technical services, administration support, project and senior leadership teams, for their commitment, resilience and problem solving – thank you. Sincere thanks for the valued contributions of our Industry Advisory Committee and to all the guest speakers, industry practitioners and alumni who generously gave their time and shared their stories and experiences with our students. We also extend thanks to our industry partners, organisations and sponsors that foster and support the students throughout their studies and beyond. For the encouragement of the collaborative projects within Photography and Photo Imaging, we would like to thank our colleagues and collaborators across RMIT and the Media, Arts and Communication cluster. Having the opportunity to carry on with our projects, work with your students and programs (even under strict restrictions and new processes) proves again how committed and deep our connections go. For the wonderful ongoing support and assistance across the leadership and Vocational Education project teams, we offer our sincerest thanks to all in the Learning and Teaching, Rectification and Quality teams. We also thank Pam Trannore, Jacqui McCloy, Dean Brooks and our return to campus team. A massive thank you for the ongoing support of Lliam Freeman, our Associate Dean and Glen Blair, Dean of the School of Vocational Design and Social Context. We also make a special mention of the Photography and Photo Imaging technical support team, including Jason Wade and Gabriel Nilsen, James Maher, Faiza Rezai, Pablo Vasconcelos Becerra, Jessica Curry, Rob Harding, Olivia Tran and Rodrick Bond – thank you all. And last, but certainly not least, thanks to the entire RMIT Administration and Support team from the School of Vocational Design and Social Context (Media, Art and Communication) Cluster, with special thanks to Gia Kulkarni, Winnie Lau, Sonya Harris, Irvin Lee and Fiona Clark. PROJECT MANAGERS Kirsty Macafee and Jessie DiBlasi
PRODUCED BY Emma Woods
COPY EDITOR Alex Macafee
Sponsors Principal Sponsors
Sponsors + Support
RMIT Diploma of Photography + Photo Imaging 2020 End of Year Virtual Exhibition From 3 December OPENING NIGHT Thursday 3 December 2020, 6pm – 8pm AEST VIRTUAL GALLERY TOUR WITH STUDENTS Monday 7 December – Friday 11 December 2020, 10am – 5pm AEST
ISSUU.COM/RMITPHOTOIMAGING INSTAGRAM.COM/RMITPHOTOGRAPHY
