2022 CameraPro Explorer’s Grant Announcement

The 2022 Explorer's Grant Winners Announced

CameraPro is delighted to announce the successful 2022 Explorer’s Grant recipients. The grant proudly supports photographers and filmmakers utilising their visual storytelling skills to illuminate critical conservation issues.  

 

This year, we extend a huge congratulations to Miriam Deprez and Mark Bennet for their exceptionally compelling project proposals!

 

The 2022 Explorer's Grant winners will collectively receive $10,000 in funding to support their environmentally focused projects. Miriam and Mark will each receive $3,000 to facilitate the production of their projects, with an additional $2,000 going directly to support their nominated causes.

 

Here’s a little about our 2022 grant recipients and their inspiring initiatives:

 

 

Miriam Deprez, Photography Recipient - Land and Legacy

 

Miriam Deprez is a photojournalist and PhD candidate whose ongoing doctoral research focuses on the visual politics of violence and resistance. Over the past decade, Miriam has worked as a professional photographer, reporting from Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, rural Australia, and the Middle East with a particular concentration on Palestine, where she also worked as an editor and freelance journalist.  Miriam began working with SafeGround in 2017, documenting WWII-era unexploded ordnance in the Solomon Islands and Palau, with their efforts resulting in a book and exhibition at the United Nations in Geneva.

 

Miriam’s project, Land and Legacy, is a collaboration with Traditional Owners and SafeGround to explore South Australia’s Lake Hart region and visually document the physical evidence of weapons and shrapnel and the harm it inflicts upon landscapes, ecosystems, sacred sites, and the Kokatha people. Working with senior Kokatha man and land custodian, Andrew Starkey will guide Miriam and SafeGround as they photograph the vast, unique landscapes of the Lake Hart region.

 

Miriam’s chosen cause: SafeGround is an Australian, volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation that works to eradicate the impacts of explosive remnants of war and create awareness over emerging weapons technologies.

 

Grant: $5,000 funding ($3,000 for project + $2,000 for cause)

 

Mark Bennet, Videography Recipient - Protect the Walpole Wilderness

 

Mark began shooting on 16mm film in 1976 while volunteering for AustCare Freedom From Hunger, an Australian overseas aid organisation. When he left the charity, he bought a CP-16 16mm motion picture camera and began freelancing as a videographer for the ABC in WA. Mark soon secured a full-time position as a cameraman and radio reporter for the ABC. Over time, he progressed from shooting to writing and producing, eventually becoming the producer of the state edition of the 7.30 Report out of Perth.  

 

Returning to his regional roots, Mark has spent the last ten years as a full-time video journalism reporter, providing rural and regional stories for ABC TV, Radio News, and LandLine. He connected with The Walpole-Nornalup National Park Association when covering a story about their wilderness preservation endeavours. Inspired by their essential work, he volunteered his services to help with promotion and securing funding for surveys and public information projects. 

 

Mark’s project, Protect the Walpole Wilderness, will build on his previous volunteer collaboration with the Association by creating a new video showcasing botanists and scientists' work in the Walpole wilderness area. The new project will focus on protecting the giant Tingles and the ancient peat swamps, illuminating how vital it is to restrict the amount of prescribed burning in these areas conducted by the State Government that threatens the viability of this fragile area. Mark’s project will record valuable information on rare, common, and even new species in the area, significantly contributing to future land management and hopefully persuading State and Federal Government bodies to preserve this area for generations to come.

 

Images taken from Mark's recent video for Protect the Walpole Wilderness

 

“I’m 71 now, but when an opportunity like the wonderful Explorers Grant presents to help spread the word about the fight to save our world for our grandchildren, then I’m right there for it.” - Mark Bennet.

 

Mark’s chosen cause: Walpole-Nornalup National Park Association 

 

Grant: $5,000 funding ($3,000 for project + $2,000 for cause)

 

After carefully considering the 2022 Junior applicants (13-17 years), the judges unanimously concluded that no junior submissions sufficiently met the criteria and, therefore, could not be approved for funding. We thank all the junior applicants for their time and effort in submitting their proposals. We encourage them to continue honing their photography and videography skills and pushing forward with their projects.

 

Once again, we must give a huge thanks to this year’s judges: internationally recognised photographic artist and Queensland College of Art associate professor, Marian Drew (@marianddrew); professional nature photographer and Canon Master, Darren Jew (@darrenjew); photographer, filmmaker, and 2019 Explorer’s Grant recipient, Martin Stringer (@martinstringerphotography); and CameraPro Explorer’s Grant coordinator, Telan Wade. We express our sincere gratitude for generously sharing their time and expertise in carefully selecting the winners from the pool of exceptional applications submitted from across Australia.

 

Since its inception in 2018, the Explorer's Grant has empowered Australian photographers and filmmakers to champion important causes and narrate impelling stories. Over this time, CameraPro has continued to evaluate individual project successes and the grant’s reach and impact.

 

Moving forward, the Explorer’s Grant will become the Create Better Grant. We hope this evolution will effectively communicate the underpinning principles and intention of the initiative and, therefore, reach even more environmentally driven photographers and videographers with unique stories to tell. Like the Explorer’s Grant before it, the Create Better Grant aims to bolster and empower our community members in their efforts to preserve, champion, and safeguard environmental treasures through the power of visual storytelling. 

 

Thank you to all of this year’s Explorer’s Grant applicants. Your passion and projects inspire us, and we encourage you to keep applying for grants and supporting your cause.

 

Congratulations again to Miriam and Mark!

 

Stay tuned for more info on the 2022 Explorer’s Grant recipients, their projects, and what we have planned for the Create Better Grant.