Today the winners of the 2024 InFocus competition are announced, to coincide with the launch of the 2024 Plunge Arts & Culture Festival program.
Five winners each receive a $500 prize and their images are featured in the 2024 program. Large-scale banners featuring the winning photographs will be on display in the courtyard of the Grafton Regional Gallery from Thursday 28 March through to April.
The coveted Plunge Arts & Culture category prize is awarded to Theresa Haley from Gulmarrad for her photo of two galahs chatting in her garden.
The People category prize is awarded to Todd Brewer for his awe-inspiring image of a person gazing at the star-filled Yamba sky.
The Landscape category is awarded to Gary Nichols from Clarenza for his impressive capture titled Ocean Cascade Angourie at Angourie Beach.
Patrick Keeling Booth from Maclean is awarded the prize for the Environment category with his exceptionally detailed image of a young Eastern Osprey preening itself on the pylon of the Rabbit Island jetty.
And the Community category is awarded to Joy Hayman Ward for her uplifting image of pop superstar Jessica Mauboy performing to the crowd at Groove on the Grass at Grafton's Market Square.
The InFocus competition was created in 2013 to encourage local photographers to capture the culture of the Clarence Valley. Since then, entries have been displayed at the Grafton Regional Gallery and other venues across the Clarence Valley, and used for the promotion of the Plunge Arts & Culture Festival including the official program.
In 2024 entrants were asked to submit an image that demonstrates the theme of "My Clarence" in any of four categories: Community, Environment, Landscape and People. The winners were selected by a panel of local professional photographers.
The Plunge program will be available online from 9 February 2024 and printed copies available from Clarence Valley Council offices, libraries, galleries and arts and cultural businesses from 12 February 2024.
