The concept of distance helps shape great photography; being far away helps capture all of a landscape in a single shot, while up close catches the little details of something we might miss otherwise. Both extremes are on display with this week’s winning work.
Jeff Camden is a photographer based out of Brisbane, Australia. Beginning his career as a photography student at university, Camden found himself more drawn to the adventurous side of photography rather than the editorial, and soon found his passion for capturing observations that speak to the viewer and tell a story. Camden’s Gold-winning entry, “Speedweek Heat” (above), continues his pursuit of telling interesting stories through single moments. Produced as a personal project, the photograph is one of many that documents Camden’s race across the country to participate in Speedweek, an Australian motorsport event. In order to get to the event, Camden traveled almost three hours by air, then eight hours by road before eventually arriving at Lake Gairdner. In this photo, Camden captures a moment of solitude and stillness during his trip. In the middle of an almost white desert, the photographer can be seen standing outside of his car, a blue umbrella shielding his face from both the viewer and the sun blazing above. Beyond the scene, a vast stretch of desert land stretches to the horizon before meeting a small mass of mountains, foretelling the journey that’s still to come.
