Ita Buttrose, Patron of Macular Disease Foundation Australia, has announced the grand finalist and category winners of the mEYE World Photographic Competition 2015, selected from over 2,400 photographs entered to celebrate the theme, See My World.
An initiative of 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 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 said 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 from Melbourne was the 2015 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,” said Ms. Buttrose.
Category winners are:
• Open (General Public) – Rebecca Burton, Melbourne VIC (Grand Finalist)
• Healthcare Professional – Kerry Boytell, Mosman NSW
• Macular Disease Community – Di Lymbury, Girards Hill NSW
• Junior (Under 18) – Caitlin Dixon, Quandialla NSW
Winner of the healthcare professional category, by Kerry Boytell, Mosman, New South Wales
Winner of the junior category (under 18), by Caitlin Dixon, Quandialla, New South Wales
Winner of the macular disease community category by Di Lymbury, Girards Hill, New South Wales
Grand Finalist and winner of the open category, by Rebecca Burton, Melbourne Victoria
Rex Dupain, Ita Buttrose, grand finalist Rebecca Burton and Alan Pryke
