Heritage Bank
Photographic Awards

Encouraging + Celebrating the Art of Australian Photography

Winners Announced

The winners of the 2021 Heritage Bank Photographic Awards have now been announced.

From just over 2,300 entries, our judges had the difficult task of deliberating over some of the highest calibre to be seen in the competition 33 year history.

Major Winners

Open Winner – ‘Afternoon tea in lockdown’ by Netal Lucas
Theme Winner – ‘Family Hands’ by Lucia Staykov
Illustrative Winner - 'Bush Clothes Drying' by Colleen Price
Mobile Phone Award – ‘Around the Bend’ by Gary Beresford
CEO Choice – ‘Who's There?’ by Zol Straub

Exhibition Gallery 2021

The 2021 Heritage Bank Photographic Awards Exhibition is on display at USQ Arts Gallery Toowoomba from now until the 22 Sept 2021.

Download the Photographic Awards History Catalogue (pdf 7MB)

About the Awards

The aim of the Heritage Bank Photographic Awards is to encourage and celebrate the art of Australian photography. Heritage Bank understands that it has a responsibility to assist the communities it serves to grow and prosper, not just economically but culturally and socially as well. Heritage created the awards more the 30 years ago to help foster creativity in the photographic arts. Offering the Awards not only encourages people to remain active in photography, it also challenges them to extend their skills by recognising greater creativity in their approach. The Awards have also enabled Heritage to build a collection of photographic works that is already outstanding in its artistic worth and that will become an even more important contributor to the history of photography in Australia over time.

Judges Tips

First impressions count!

Aim for an image that gives a great first impression and a wow factor – inviting the viewer to look deeper into the photo and become immersed in it.

Composition

This is a tip from across the board with all three judges – start with the basic rule of thirds. Good composition allows the picture to be absorbed readily by the mind.

Good quality image

Ensure you are submitting a good quality image – keeping in mind sharpness, exposure, saturation, and cropping.

Must has meaning

A good image must have meaning which is communicated easily with the viewer.

Let your photograph tell a story

Following on from the above tip – let your photograph tell a story. What story are you trying to tell the author? We all see and interpret things differently, but a great photograph has a story to be shared.

Make the photo original – make it yours!

It’s easy to get caught up with images similar to others so try to look for something a bit different.

Adhere to the theme

It is important the photograph clearly tells a story of the photographer’s interpretation of the theme. This can seem daunting as we all interpret words and themes differently. Start by clearly defining the theme for yourself, and ask, “What does this theme mean to me?”

Returning in 2022

The Heritage Bank Photographic Awards will return in 2022.

To be the first to receive details of new year's competition, email heritagephotographicawards@heritage.com.au to opt in for email reminders and notifications about the awards.