Photo Day Winners Snap Victory!

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Media Release
23 June 2006

Photo Day Winners Snap Victory!

The Auckland Festival of Photography is delighted to announce “Dressed up Freeway’ by photographer, Philip Freeman as this year’s winner of the AUCKLAND PHOTO DAY competition.

The winning image was announced last night, along with 30 runners up following two days of judging over 1000 public entries, received Auckland-wide for this popular festival event.

Open to all members of the public, AUCKLAND PHOTO DAY saw photographers of every age; race and experience take to the streets on June 10, with 24 hours to capture the scenes, people and places that reflect their city. Encouraging active participation in the artform the festival acknowledges the power of the image to document the diversity and identity of NZ biggest city.

This year’s competition was judged by Chief Photographer of the Aucklander Kellie Blizard, Ron Brownson, Senior Curator, Auckland Art Gallery and exhibiting festival photographer and previous year’s finalist Martin Horspool. The judges said “The top 6 photographers show astonishing talent and we would encourage them all to continue to photograph Auckland. The winning image showed humour, is a metaphor for life in a modern city and was simply at a level beyond the rest of the entries. A documentary and surreal brief, it is a comment on contemporary life that was absolutely current and international in its quality”.

The judges deliberated over the 1061 entries to name 30 semi finalists from which 6 finalists were chosen. Murray Helm ( King's College 1st XV), David Xiong ( Kenny and Wheel), Lauren Wright (Untitled), Gareth Wills ( Drenched) and Rowena Baines (Vic Park Skate Jump) have been awarded the 5 runner up placements in this year’s highly competitive event. The winning photographer, Philip Freeman takes home 1st prize of a KODAK Easyshare C643 Digital Camera worth $400, a Philips Digital Display Photo Frame worth $399 and free prints from Camera House worth $200.00.

During the festival audiences from right across the Auckland region have been offered the chance to both create and view work in a unique series of open access events in a 3 week programme that draws to a close on the 24th of June. This year the festival expanded to include exhibitions of previous PHOTO DAY images in Auckland, Waitakere and North Shore City locations.

The Auckland Festival of Photography looks forward to building AUCKLAND PHOTO DAY with every annual festival season allowing anyone, anywhere in Auckland to documenting our life right here and now in the city we live in.

Top 30 images will be available to view on the website early July www.photographyfestival.org.nz

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Creative Exposure 2006 is supported by ASIA NZ Foundation, North Shore City Council, Creative Communities, Community Organisation Grants Scheme, Waitakere City Council, Nikon Camera, Triangle TV, Lion Foundation, Philips, Adshel, Pub Charity and The ASB Community Trust and The Sky City Community Trust.

ENDS

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