PADDINGTON.- Winners of the 2009 Head On Portrait Prize were announced tonight at the Australian Centre for Photography in Paddington to a record crowd of well over 1000 people. The show was officially opened by Dateline Presenter, George Negus who presented the prizes to the 3 (equal) winners, Katerina Mantelos for her image ‘Athina, 98 years of life’, Vincent Long for his image ‘Generation Y’ and Janyon Boschoff for his image ‘Urban Camouflage’. The ‘Critic’s Choice’ went to Gary Heery for his image of Kate Blanchett. David Kelly received a Special Mention for his Image ‘Ursula’.

The winners of the competition receive prizes with a total value of $37000 from Canon, Adobe, SanDisk, ACDSee, Focal Press, Datacolour, LowePro and Dragon Image. Head On, now in its sixth year, is regarded by the arts community and reviewers as the most critically important photographic portrait prize in the country. It represents a vibrant, diverse cross-section of new and traditional photographic practices, showcasing work by emerging and established practitioners alike. Images selected include diverse two-dimensional photomedia from digital to darkroom and the documentary to the staged.

The show includes 40 finalists who were selected out thousands of submissions by Magnum photographer Trent Parke, multi award winning photographer Narelle Autio, Good Weekend picture editor Judith Love and Head On curator Moshe Rosenzveig. The ‘Critic’s Choice’ was selected by the Sydney Morning Herald photography critic Robert McFarlane.

The show includes further 180 images presented electronically as a slide show selected out of the huge number of images submitted to the competition.

“Selection of images for Head On was and will continue to be based on the power of the photograph rather than the celebrity of either the sitter or photographer” says Moshe Rosenzveig Head On founder and curator.

Head On is a non-profit organisation which aims to promote photography through an annual portrait competition and other related activities.

The show is supported by Canon, Adobe, Sandisk, DataBasics, Focal Press, ACDSee, emailbrain, Studio Migo, Gekko Images, Pixel Perfect Prolab, Frankel Lawyers, Lowepro, Orient Capital, Momento, Dragon Image, Kayell, Le Bukhara, Abercorn Wine and the Australian Centre for Photography.

Show dates: 1 May – 6 June at the Australian Centre for Photography, 257 Oxford Street, Paddington (Sydney). 9 – 22 June at Obscura Gallery, 285 Carlisle Street, St Kilda (Melbourne).