Local photographer Ivan Kemp has won the Queenscliff Art Prize for portrait photography.
Mr Kemp, whose work graces the pages of the Ocean Grove Voice and the Geelong Independent each week, took out the esteemed award with his piece Roaring.
The work features actor Barry Tudor in 1920s dress after a costume fitting for the play Roaring, which showed at the Vue Grande Hotel in Queenscliff in June last year.
With more than 220 entries across 16 categories, the Queenscliff Art Prize is the biggest outdoor art and photography exhibition in Australia, with the submitted works on exhibit at the Queenscliff Pier between December and April each year.
Formerly working in IT, Mr Kemp made a career change after studying photojournalism at South Melbourne’s Photography Studios College.
“I was still working full-time when I was studying, but it was something I thought of doing in retirement; I never thought for a moment I’d be making a living out of it like I am now,” he said.
Mr Kemp said he believed a good photographer needed to be a good communicator.
“If you’re dealing with people, and I love doing portrait photography, that ability to capture who they are and what it feels like to be with them is something I keep on looking at,” he said.
“I try to make it an enjoyable experience for everybody that’s involved in it.”
Mr Kemp said he would “never stop photographing”.
“If I die with a camera in my hand, I’ll be happy,” he said.
“I love the challenge of it every time; whether it’s news photography, whether it’s sport, portraiture, or live performance, I really get involved in what I’m doing.”
Matt Hewson
