Judges’ Special Prize

The judges can award a special prize for any outstanding entry outside of established categories.

Visions of Victoria. The Magic of Kodachrome Film, 1950‒1975

Nick Anchen

Sierra Publishing, Melbourne, 2019

 

Visions of Victoria provides a window on Victoria’s past in the third quarter of the 20th century. Most of the photographs it presents were taken in Melbourne, but Bendigo, Ballarat and a range of smaller rural towns also feature.   The images were taken using Kodachrome film, a medium beloved by professional and avid photographers in the latter half of last century. Most of the images are from the collections of Peter Ralph, who acquired a Kodak Box Brownie 127 camera as a boy, and Bernie Kelly, who was introduced to Kodachrome film by his camera-enthusiast father.

 This volume is testament to the enduring quality of the film, as well as the sharpness of image and fastness of colour that were its hallmarks. Reproduction of the selected images, about 150 in total, is of excellent quality; aided by the glossy heavy-weight paper used throughout.  

 At first glance it is the colour and sharpness of the images that hold attention. But the subject matter soon speaks for itself, and one’s attention is held fast by the realisation of how much has changed in our cities and towns since these photographs were taken.  It is, indeed, a vision of a former Victoria.