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mEYE World 2015

mEYE World Winners Announced

Macular Disease Foundation Australia Patron, Ita Buttrose, has today announced the grand finalist and category winners of the mEYE World Photographic Competition 2015. The outstanding winners were selected from over 2,400 photographs entered to celebrate the theme – See My World.

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 Ita Buttrose, internationally recognised photographer Rex Dupain, and one of Australia’s longest serving news photographers, Alan Pryke.

As head judge Ita Buttrose says she was looking for entrants to show her a little piece of their world. “This competition reminds us to value our vision,” said Ita. “Photography captures the world around us like no other medium. The photos entered were magical and showed the personal and creative interpretations of the entrant’s world.”

Rebecca Burton of Melbourne is this year’s Grand Finalist with a photograph of her child being captivated by the way dust particles floated in the air.

In her description of the photograph Rebecca said, “Golden morning light streaming into the kitchen and a box of shredded paper. My child was captivated by the dust motes dancing in the air; I got to peek into her magical world. We both saw magic that day. Celebrate the little details you see every day. It’s all so precious.”

“The photo captures an enchanting moment about wanting to learn,” said judge Rex Dupain. “A child in wonder always catches my attention. This is a beautiful moment.”

The competition categories include: macular disease community, healthcare professional, open, and junior (under 18).

“Macular disease affects Australians of all ages and we now know that early detection can save sight. The competition is a wonderfully creative way to remind people how precious their sight is and why we should do all we can to preserve it,” Ms Buttrose said.

The winners are…

Open Category Winner & Grand Finalist: Rebecca Burton

A small girl holds a piece of cardboard to the light, looking at dust motes in the morning light.
“Golden morning light streaming into the kitchen and a box of shredded paper. My child was captivated by the dust motes dancing in the air; I got to peek into her magical world. We both saw magic that day. Celebrate the little details you see every day. It’s all so precious.”

Healthcare Professional Category Winner: Kerry Boytell

Image shows hummingbird drinking from a red flower.
“All things bright and beautiful, all things large and small. The hummingbird is one of the smallest but most brightly coloured birds, and seeing it feeding is a sight to behold. It is attracted to red flowers and its wings beat incredibly fast.”

Macular Disease Community Category Winner: Di Lymbury

Colourful birds on a tree in the rain.
“Nature is so spectacular and very important. It gives an almighty lift to see something rare and beautiful. One cannot underestimate the benefits of the pleasures this brings. This amazing image is of the brilliantly coloured Rainbow Bee-eaters frolicking in the rain. I hope it brings as much joy to others as I had capturing it!”

Junior Category Winner: Caitlin Dixon

“When you ‘See My World’ you see a youthful type of person who always likes to enjoy any opportunity. With an image that is in an inside environment and a young child as the focus, it encourages the message of how you spend your years of growing up in a house which in theory doesn’t grow like you do.”

Posted: 12 November 2015