From a career in finance to taking out the frame+work photography competition

male photography contest winner holding his award winning work

Encouraging students to develop their skills and have their work acknowledged by their peers, Learning Facilitators and industry partners.

The Frame+Work Photography competition showcases their creativity outside of their course assessment work. The competition encourages students to develop their skills and have their work acknowledged by their peers, Learning Facilitators and industry partners.

The competition is led by our Design Technology Advisors who are strong believers in giving students a platform to showcase their amazing work.

“Our photography design students have created work that is outstanding and original, a real testament to their creative capacity at every level of study, and in all streams of Design,” says Alex Taleski, Design Technology Advisor.

We sat down with Trimester 1 2020 winner, Michael Chesworth to hear how Michael created this award-winning photo.

Can you share a little about the photo you submitted for the competition?

I call the image ‘The Cobbler’. It’s an environmental portrait and part of my study into ‘lost trades’. This image was taken in Sydney. The subject immigrated to Australia over 30 years ago, however still prefers to work, sitting on a milk crate, using the traditional methods he learned overseas. His space is dark and cramped, with the ever present smell of glue, and very different from the customer facing shop front, but that’s how he likes it and will continue to work in his own space the way he learned his trade. That said, his smartphone is always close to hand so he can FaceTime his family and friends still overseas. I tried to capture this story in the image.

How do you feel your studies influenced your submission? Did you apply what you learnt in class?

My final subject was Folio. Whilst I learned a lot in all subjects, Folio pulled all those subjects together. In Folio I was pushed to stretch myself and really focus on being the photographer I wanted to be. My Folio study was ‘Lost Trades’, and it was actually my lecturer and my peer students who encouraged me to enter the competition. Thanks guys!

What was your inspiration for the piece?

As with all the images in ‘Lost Trades’, in this image ‘The Cobbler’ I tried to capture his life in a story. I was lucky enough to see an exhibition by Irving Penn in Los Angeles about 7 years ago. The exhibition was called Small Jobs. I loved it, and the images have stuck with me ever since. Many of those “small jobs” are disappearing, so I wanted to capture them.

What inspires you?

People inspire me, everyday people doing everyday things as they go about their day’s business.

What are you passionate about? What keeps you driven?

I call myself a Social Preservationist more than a Photographer. I’m interested in capturing moments, capturing a time, capturing an image that tells a story. Most of my work is black and white, and to categorise what I do, what I’m passionate about, it’s Street Portraiture.

How do you feel Billy Blue has allowed you to keep that passion alive?

I’m a mature student. I’ve had a career in Financial Services for 40 years. Leaving that career and embarking on something I love has been my plan for a number of years. I really enjoyed my career, but I did want to re-engage my creativity. Billy Blue has been the vehicle to get me on that road and ignite the “what’s possible” spark!

What is the best part about studying at Billy Blue?

I’ve enjoyed every subject, the environment at Ultimo, and the help and focus of the lecturers. And my peer students, while I was a bit of a novelty being the oldest in the room, I really enjoyed learning with them and at times helping with a bit of mentoring!

How did you feel when you found out you won?

Absolutely stoked! Winning this competition has spurred me on to enter other competitions like Head On next year.

Congratulations Michael!

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