PHOTOGRAPHER Lauren Starr has won the national Bluethumb Art Prize.<\/p>\n
Inspired by Greek mythology, her image Midas\u2019 Daughter II<\/em> took the blue-ribbon award worth $150,000.<\/p>\n Starr has a gallery and studio in Bendigo and said the winning photo featuring her daughter Josephine was challenging to capture.<\/p>\n \u201cRather than layer photographs together as I often do, I wanted this to be a single image,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery piece of the background I\u2019ve spray painted and our lovely Midas\u2019 daughter has been covered in body paint. I stood on a ladder to photograph her lying on the golden foliage.\u201d<\/p>\n Also winning the photography category of the Bluethumb Art Prize, she has received an additional $10,000. The recognition is \u201clife changing\u201d for Starr who said she has a goal to become a full-time creative.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I won the $10,000 prize for photography, I knew exactly what I wanted to do; replace my 10-year-old camera and computer. Now our family has so many more options,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n For prize judge Tamara Dean, the fairy tale feel of Starr\u2019s photo was strong.<\/p>\n \u201c[It reminds] the viewer of the true sense of what can be lost in the pursuit of possessions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes us into a different world, a world steeped in symbolism. This photograph is beautifully staged and executed down to the finest details.\u201d<\/p>\n