Finalists announced for 2021 SUNSTUDIOS Emerging Photographer Award

Competition offers videography category for the first time in its 12-year history

SYDNEY, 21 September 2021 – SUNSTUDIOS, backed by Canon Australia, today announces 40 finalists for the 2021 SUNSTUDIOS Emerging Photographer Award (SEPA). From over 1600 submissions across Australia, a blind judging process has selected the strongest photography and videography entries across two categories: Faces and Places.

Now in its 12th year, SEPA aims to break down the barriers image makers face in establishing a career by offering an opportunity to have work evaluated by industry leaders. Designed to nurture and support winners through the next stage of their career, the free-to-enter award offers a generous and flexible total prize pool of $25,000¹ in value to four main category and two people’s choice winners.

All finalists’ work will feature in a SUNSTUDIOS online exhibition starting on 13 October 2021 when the four main category winners will be announced at 12pm (EST). Community voting will also kick off on this day for the competition’s inaugural People’s Choice awards, with voting closing on 9 November 2021 and winners for this category to be announced 11 November 2021.

This year the competition offered a videography category for the first time with a specialist panel of both video and photo judges, made up of a diverse mix of experts, who were overwhelmed by the calibre of entries this year.

SEPA Photo category judge, Nicky Catley – Photographic Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald and Australian Financial Review, commented, "It's exciting to discover all these new photography voices, and to see such a broad range of creative approaches. Finalists ranged from clever conceptual work to beautifully seen straightforward scenes, chosen for their intensity of form and feeling."

SEPA Video category judge, Andy Taylor, ACS – Cinematographer, said of the judging process, "It was a pleasure to judge the video category for SEPA 2021. I was really impressed with the diverse range of entries, especially some of the very creative storytelling and interesting visual concepts. Overall, the technical execution from these emerging cinematographers was outstanding. Congratulations to the finalists."

Luke Harrison, Senior Business Manager, SUNSTUDIOS says: “We were thrilled to receive a record number of entries for the 2021 competition which was also the first year we have opened up SEPA to videographers. Judged by a panel who can recognise talent, and without names to give entrants a fair chance, SUNSTUDIOS designed these awards to support and help provide career opportunities for emerging photographers and videographers across Australia.”

Categories and prizes:

The following four main category winners each receive $6,000² in prizes to spend across SUNSTUDIOS’ retail, fine art printing, gallery, equipment and studio hire:

• 1 x Faces – Photo winner
• 1 x Faces – Video winner
• 1 x Places – Photo winner
• 1 x Places – Video winner

The following two People’s Choice winners will each receive $500 in SUNSTUDIOS’ services which includes studio and equipment hire:

• 1 x Photo People’s Choice
• 1 x Video People’s Choice

Key dates

• All 40 finalists displayed in a SUNSTUDIOS online exhibition – 13 October 2021 from 12pm (EST).
• Main category overall winners announced – 13 October 2021 from 12pm (EST).
• People’s Choice judging: 13 October 2021 – 9 November 2021
• People's choice winners announced: 11 November, 2021

2021 Judging panel

Photo

• Georges Antoni - Photographer | Represented by The Artist Group
• Nicky Catley – Photographic Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald and Australian Financial Review
• Adam Ferguson - Photographer | Represented by Photoplay

Video

• Carolyn Constantine ACS - Filmmaker and cinematographer | President ACS NSW
• Dave May – Cinematographer/Director | Tall Story Films
• Andy Taylor ACS - Cinematographer

2021 SEPA finalists

Photo - Faces

• Alisha Gore
• Elizabeth Wright
• James Malone
• Jeffrey Xu
• Jorge Serra
• Julia Onufreichuk
• Luis Campbell
• Nick Turner
• Phoebe Kelly
• Paulos Zeleke
• Rusty Crawshaw
• Sarah Malone
• Su Cassiano
• Teva Cosic

Photo - Places

• Adrian Brown
• Alexander Cooke
• Amy Piddington
• Chris Bekos
• Christine Goerner
• Daniel Walton
• Fiona Little
• Jessica Connell
• Julia Onufreichuk
• Mark Forbes
• Mattia Panunzio
• Ryan Cantwell
• Ryley Clarke

Video - Faces

• Dillon Mak
• Kamilla Musland
• Jonathan McIntyre
• Levi Cranston
• Matthew Maule
• Matty Smith

Video - Places

• Daniel Kuberek
• Faezeh Alavi
• James Hiscutt
• Murray Enders
• Peter Marko
• Ryan Andrew Lee

¹ $25,000 can be spent across SUNSTUDIOS retail, fine art printing, gallery, equipment and studio hire.

² $2,000 available to spend in retail (this includes fine art printing) and $4,000 available to spend across other services which includes studio and equipment hire.