Macular Disease Foundation Australia Patron, Ita Buttrose, has today announced the grand finalist
and category winners of the mEYE World Photographic Competition 2015. The outstanding winners
were selected from over 2,400 photographs entered to celebrate the theme – See My World.
An initiative of the 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 high profile 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 says 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 of Melbourne is this year’s 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,” Ms Buttrose said.
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
To find out more visit www.mdfoundation.com.au
Category: Open (General Public) & Grand
Finalist
Name: Rebecca Burton
Entry: 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.
Category Winner
Category: Junior (Under 18)
Name: Caitlin Dixon
Entry: When you “See My World” you see a
youthful type of person who always likes to
enjoy any opportunity. With an image that is in
an inside environment and a young child
as the focus, it encourages the message of how
you spend your years of growing up in a house
which in theory doesn’t grow like you do.
Category Winner
Category: Healthcare Professional
Name: Kerry Boytell
Entry: All things bright and beautiful, all things
large and small. The hummingbird is one of the
smallest but most brightly coloured birds, and
seeing it feeding is a sight to behold. It is
attracted to red flowers and its wings beat
incredibly fast.
Category Winner
Category: Macular Disease Community
Name: Di Lymbury
Entry: Nature is so spectacular and very
important. It gives an almighty lift to see
something rare and beautiful. One cannot
underestimate the benefits of the pleasures this
brings. This amazing image is of the brilliantly
coloured Rainbow Bee-eaters frolicking in the
rain. I hope it brings as much joy to others as I
had capturing it!
Free Sydney mEYE World Photographic Competition Exhibition:
Open weekdays from Monday 16 to Friday 27 November 2015
10.00am – 12.00pm and 2.00 – 4.00pm
Bookings essential on 1800 111 709 (business hours)
Located at Novartis, 54 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park
mEYE World Photographic Competition:
The mEYE World Photographic Competition, now in its fifth year, was established by Macular Disease
Foundation Australia to raise awareness of macular disease, the leading cause of blindness and
severe vision loss in Australia. In 2015 Australians were invited to enter a photograph that depicted
the theme See My World, along with 30-60 words explaining how their entry captured this theme.
Judges included Foundation Patron Ita Buttrose and photographers Rex Dupain and Alan Pryke. The
competition is supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Nikon Lenswear for Visionaries.
Competition period was 14 July – 8 September with winners announced on 12 November 2015.
To find out more information visit www.meyephotocomp.com.au
About Macular Disease Foundation Australia
Macular Disease Foundation Australia is committed to reducing the incidence and impact of macular
disease in Australia through education and awareness programs, research, provision of support
services and representing the best interests of the macular disease community. The Foundation is a
national charity providing information, guidance and support on prevention, early detection, treatment
and rehabilitation. The Foundation is the voice of the macular disease community, building healthy
communities through the development of effective public policy, a sound knowledge base and strong
relationships and partnerships. The Foundation’s work encompasses macular degeneration, diabetic
retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and a range of other macular diseases.
To find out more visit: www.mdfoundation.com.au
Lyn Thurnham & Tara Fohmsbee
