ECLIPSE followers are like storm chasers, a rare breed of photographic adventurers who seek out highly predictable astronomical events around the world.<\/p>\n
Phil Hart, local astronomer and photographer is known as one of Australia\u2019s most seasoned eclipse chasers.<\/p>\n
Now Eclipsed!<\/em> Hart\u2019s exhibition in the Ballarat International FOTO Biennale is the winner of the Best Exhibition in the Open Program and recipient of $2000 prize money.<\/p>\n \u201cI am thrilled and surprised to take out this award,\u201d Hart said. \u201cThe events and the landscapes I photographed are unique, I captured images that will never be repeated.\u201d<\/p>\n The exhibition\u2019s focus is on lunar and solar eclipses in Victoria and Queensland with a spectacular series of images Hart took of the Great American Eclipse in 2017.<\/p>\n Hart carried and used complex equipment to capture a moment in time over the Teton Range in Wyoming, despite the unpredictability of weather and terrain.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an engineer I approach my field of photography quite technically but I do enjoy it because it draws out a creative side to the engineer in me,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is an incredible degree of planning and logistics in capturing my photos.<\/p>\n \u201cPlus a degree of artistic composition in planning how the events and the position of the sun and the moon are going to line up in the landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n Hart\u2019s passion for combining astronomy and photography creates distinctive images of an alignment of earth and sky that can never be repeated.<\/p>\n To capture the Great American Eclipse, he used 180 kilos of equipment and thirteen cameras.<\/p>\n Twice he pulled on his hiking boots to trek almost 4000 metres to the top of Table Mountain.<\/p>\n Eclipsed!<\/em> hanging in Bibo Caf\u00e9 and Restaurant on Sturt Street, brings that planetary motion to life in a dramatic way.<\/p>\n Each photographer is responsible for the expense and effort of preparing and hanging their work.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a considerable investment in setting up an exhibition like this,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n This was the first time in the Biennale\u2019s history the Open Program exhibitions were judged.<\/p>\n A panel of six arts experts each had 10 exhibitions to review and score.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a set of five criteria against we had to score out of 10 each photographer\u2019s exhibition,\u201d said Kate Gerritsen, one of the Foto Biennale Open Program judges.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really enjoyable viewing new work and some of the venues I had never been to before.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an immersive experience to have to think about what the artist was trying to do with their work.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking at the announcement Ms Gerritsen described Hart as a \u201cstar gazer\u201d whose work is \u201ctechnically complex.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is an artist who has a clear passion and drive for what he is doing and I think that is not just about photography, I think it is about being a part of nature and exploring the world as an intrepid traveller.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ECLIPSE followers are like storm chasers, a rare breed of photographic adventurers who seek out highly predictable astronomical events around the world. Phil Hart, local astronomer and photographer is known as one of Australia\u2019s most seasoned eclipse chasers. Now Eclipsed! Hart\u2019s exhibition in the Ballarat International FOTO Biennale is the winner of the Best Exhibition […]<\/p>\n