This year’s Camera House Australia Awards have bestowed Launceston’s Jong Kim with the 2021 Photographer of the Year title.
The virtually held annual awards celebrate the photographic skills and expertise of the store’s employees nationwide.
Jong Kim, took home the Joshua Shearer Photographer of the Year award after winning both the Landscape and Architecture cate0gories. This year’s event received its highest number of entries from across the nation.
“I’m so honoured and grateful just to be included, let alone win,” said Jong.
Jong, a migrant who has worked with the camera store since 2006, started taking photos as a fun hobby at university in 1989 and has pursued photography ever since.
When asked about his winning photographs, Jong said he took inspiration from the unique natural beauty and heritage buildings of his hometown, Launceston.
“I consciously chose black and white film to highlight the juxtaposition of modern and traditional industrial architectural styles of the historic James Boag Brewery.”
“For my landscape, I chose a long exposure setting to capture the flowing water of the Tamar River at Tailrace Park, and soft colouring and a blurred effect to convey the peace and tranquillity of the setting.”
As the major prize winner, Jong is planning on utilising the proceeds to update his current camera.
“I absolutely love my Canon EOS R for its warmth and high-quality colour saturation, so I’m planning to either upgrade the body or get a new lens.”
Here are Jong’s top three tips for photographers looking to take their skills to the next level:
- Take the time to really learn and understand the various functions of your camera.
- Be sure to carry your camera with you wherever you go and take full advantage of every opportunity to capture beautiful images of the world around you.
- Improve your skills by imitating great photographers and emulating the aesthetic and compositional elements they use, such as symmetry, contrast, tone and exposure.
To see all the entries for the 2021 awards, visit the link here.
