Jodi Weisz, 19, has been named Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer 2022 Grand Prize winner for her documentary portfolio on contemporary youth culture.
Notable Australasia Photo Contest
Presented by Fujifilm and organized by Capture — Australia’s leading magazine and website for professional photographers — the competition was open to Australians and New Zealanders with less than four years of professional photography experience. Fans and enthusiasts were also invited to participate, all competing for a prize pool of over $30,000, including $9,000 in cash prizes.
The competition has completed its 14th year and is the largest in the region that focuses on new and emerging talent. The judging panel was made up of 47 professional photographers and industry experts from Australia and around the world, who reviewed entries in nine categories – Animal, Architecture, Art, Black and White, Documentary, Landscape, Open, Portrait and Single Shot.
“In the 14 years that I have been involved with Australasia’s top emerging photographers, I never cease to amaze myself at just how talented and motivated early career and passionate photographers are in our region,” says Marc Gafen, editor of Capture.
“The quality and scope of the work was truly inspiring. For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of the competition is seeing and following the progress of the photographers as they improve from year to year, going from Top 20 to Top 10, and finally placing second, and even winning the category. .”
Overall winner
As the overall winner, Weisz took home the coveted title of Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer 2022 and a Fujifilm XT4 and XF18-135mm lens. It also won in the Documentary category, taking home a SanDisk Extreme 2TB portable SSD worth $549 and a cash prize of $1,000.
His winning portfolio depicts young people enjoying a night of partying, revealing a brief glimpse into today’s Australian youth. The judges praised Weisz’s entry, describing it as “blunt, yet intimate…volatile, yet calming.”
“I didn’t know exactly what I was capturing at the time, because I was also experimenting with what I was documenting,” Weisz says of his work. “I ended up with a collection of images that help me understand the culture of teenage party scenes and how they create space to explore and learn to exist with others in this tension.”
The other winning entries in the remaining categories are as follows:
Animal
Architecture
Art
Black and white
Countryside
To open
Portrait
Single shot
You can find more information about the competition, its judges and its sponsors on the Capture website.
Picture credits: All photos are individually credited and provided courtesy of Capture.