Winners announced to mark World Diabetes Day
Macular Disease Foundation Australia today announced the grand finalist and category winners of the mEYE World Photographic Competition 2017, to mark World Diabetes Day.
The winning photographs were selected from wide ranging entries that celebrated the theme See My World – In Your Own Backyard.
An initiative of the Macular Disease Foundation Australia, the competition is designed to raise awareness of macular disease, the leading cause of blindness and severe vision loss in Australia.
The high profile judging panel included Foundation Patron Ita Buttrose, internationally recognised photographer Rex Dupain, and one of Australia’s longest serving news photographers, Alan Pryke.
“This competition is such a pleasure to judge. This year’s entries have been wonderfully creative and they captured our In Your Own Backyard theme perfectly,” said Ita Buttrose.
Bettina Damme of Rathmines (NSW) is this year’s Grand Finalist. Her winning photograph entitled Pollen Face (above) is of a colourful rainbow lorikeet that visits her backyard.
Betttina says, “In Australia we’re very lucky to have so much wildlife in our backyards, I only have to step on my veranda to see these beautiful rainbow lorikeets”.
Judge Rex Dupain said of the winning photo, “Pollen Face, is a striking portrait of a native bird with a spectrum of outrageous feathers, and while the parrot’s palette becomes an ornithologist’s delight, we are happy to admire it as a work of art”.
The competition categories include:
- macular disease community,
- healthcare professional,
- open, and
- junior (under 18).
Alan Pryke said, “I enjoyed the amazing range of images in all the categories. The entrant’s different ways of interpreting In your own backyard theme, from ocean waves to tiny insects, from family members to vast landscapes, makes judging the awards quite challenging”.
“Macular disease affects Australians of all ages and we now know that early detection can save sight. The competition is an excellent way to remind people how precious their sight is and why they should never take it for granted,” said Ms Buttrose.
Category winners
Open (General Public) – Bettina Damme, Rathmines NSW (Grand Finalist)
Macular Disease Community – Jen Stocks, Jemalong NSW
Healthcare Professional – Dr Edwin Lim, Elderslie NSW
Junior (Under 18) – Zara Jozsa, Ormond, Victoria
Posted: 14 November 2017
Celebrating good vision
Regular eye injections allow Jan to keep painting her large oil-on-canvas masterpieces four years after her diagnosis of AMD.
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