GradFotos capture judging panel

THE winner of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale’s one-thousand-dollar GradFoto 2022 prize has been announced.

Graduate of the Photography Studies College Victoria, Samantha Poling, has been celebrated for their Home Beautiful series produced this year.

Free Radicals magazine founder, BETA developments in photography editor, and BIFB founding director Jeff Moorfoot was on the judging panel.

“The judges considered a whole range of criteria in selecting the winner of GradFoto 22, based not only on aesthetic and technical aspects of the work but also on the selection of images and sequencing of their presentation,” he said.

“Prizes such as GradFoto are a great opportunity for developing photo-media artists to gauge where they sit at this early stage of their careers and can be a great boost to their future development.

“Samantha Poling’s submission ticked all these boxes and presented a folio that included aspects of both photography and design in a considered and engaging manner.

“It can be challenging for a student photographer to emerge professionally from an education environment to put their work out for critical assessment by an informed and respected panel, so I congratulate all the participants for having the courage to enter GradFoto 22 and wish you all well on your respective photographic journeys.”

Moorfoot was on the panel alongside BIFB’s CEO Vanessa Gerrans and creative producer Pete Volich, who also awarded highly commended prizes to Kyle Archie Knight, Rob Johnston, Samara Sutton-Baker, and Victoria Talaina.

Twenty-two finalists from 12 Australian tertiary institutions were part of the GradFoto 2022 exhibition which highlights graduating students and their photographic excellence.

People’s Choice Award voting is open until Monday, 6 February.