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Step aside, Bill Henson, controversy in the Australian photography community has just been bumped up a level. The prestigious Head On Portrait Prize was awarded during the Head On Photo Festival earlier this month, to Gil Meydan for his photograph of a father holding his tiny stillborn son.
The shock value of the subject cannot really be overlooked here but it’s a shame it was this courtship with taboo that seemed to get this image over the line. In the competition which aims to portray everyday people and moments, there seemed to be a great deal of other more visually compelling images than this one.
Should it have claimed the prize?
Kudos McCafferty Himself
What an Artage that is, shock horror.
Why on earth would someone allow themselves to be photographed, but in saying that, its a an excellent way to highlight such tragedy and maybe we can do something about it
I think the photograph was beautiful and perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the competition. It was at once ordinary and extraordinary. great photography!
I agree with the author – there were much better photos in the running.
i think it’s off.
Thankyou jumpinjitterbugs for seeing the image for what it is without letting media hype get in the way. I still can’t believe what a train-wreck the ABC made of a half hour interview about the challenges of bereavement photography… (face palm)
To the other commenters, and readers: This sort of photography is part of my work at a maternity hospital and its a tough tough job to see parents losing a child, and trying to record it for them sensitively and with some honest sense of the tragedy and beauty of the moment. These images are what these parents get to take home when everyone else is taking home little gurgling babies.
Entering the competition was done with full consent of the parents, and was an attempt to shine a light on this service to parents…to try to maintain recognition and funding for what is otherwise an “invisible” service.
The family was rapt to have a chance to show off their little boy..which is what i actually said in the interview – not that “I just want to show off a good pic”, but that the families, like any other, are proud parents who just want to show off their beautiful kid too.
I had been most concerned at the impact this image might have on parents who may also be grieving for the loss of a child. But it turns out they just wanted to thank Noah’s parents for sharing the moment, and were grateful for the chance to have a conversation about their experience.
The people who dont seem to “get” it, are those who haven’t seen the pic, or who aren’t parents.
Was it the best pic in the show? I dont know about that, thats a subjective thing.
Was this a courtship with taboo? Not intentionally, and in fact we were hoping to help erode some of that taboo. Why is it so shocking for parents to talk about the loss of a child? This happens every day in hospitals throughout Australia.
(having said all that, yes, the edited version of the ABC interview DOES make me sound like i just want to show off the pic, and don’t care about anything else… beware of the power the media has to manipulate and edit what you have said.
“i like eating cabbage” isn’t the same as “i like eating cabbage less than icecream”)
huge props to you Gil!
I think it is a beautiful photograph. Just beautiful