Barbara Bryan's passion for photography was kindled by her father who worked at the Kodak Research Laboratories in Melbourne, Australia, and later ran his own camera repair business.
After many years of wilderness bushwalking, skiing and travel photography, she did a black-and-white photography course at Wangaratta, in regional Victoria, where she lived for seven years prior to moving to Sydney in New South Wales (NSW). This led to many years of making wet darkroom monochrome prints prior to her transition to digital photography.
In Sydney Barbara embraced the many opportunities for courses, exhibitions and involvement in photographic societies and the professional industry. Since joining the Australian Photographic Society (APS) in 1995, her entries in countless National and International Photographic Salons of Photography have gained many awards in slide and print divisions, and resulted in the International Honour of AFIAP and National Honour of Fellowship of APS (FAPS).
Barbara particularly enjoys her involvement with the Contemporary Group within APS, and exhibits with them at annual APS National conventions. Her professional work includes family and corporate portraiture, and real estate (property) and product photography. She also volunteers her photographic skills in support of clubs, community groups and conservation organizations.
Photographing the Outback, and rural and alpine regions of Australia has been a particular passion, influenced by many forays into the natural environment of the unique Australian continent, but she also loves doing creative imagery which is about "thinking outside the square". Barbara gave a presentation on this topic at the APS National Convention in 2007, as well as participating in the Contemporary Group exhibition there.
She is passionate about encouraging others to think more laterally in their approach to image making. Her images have been hung in dozens of photography exhibitions in galleries around Sydney, and many have gained awards and prizes in regional and national photography events. She also sells prints and handmade photo cards for corporate use, and at fairs, markets, art shows and through other outlets. Barbara's images are now in private collections in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and the USA. She is also represented with a commercial Sydney-based stock photography website http://www.gekkoimages.com.au/ .
During the past six years she have been giving presentations and judging for NSW photographic societies and national photographic competitions, including some web-based events. She has also donated many of her images to charities for fund-raising events.
Barbara is currently working on several long term photo projects and plans to have at least one solo exhibition soon. Enhancing awareness of threatened natural environments, as we face major threats from climate change, is again becoming her prime motivation for image making.
Barbara's personal gallery.
Barbara may be contacted at:
PO Box 502, Artarmon 1570 NSW Australia
Phone: + 01 02 9411 3114
Mobile: 0408 658 231Email: barbara@barbarabryanphoto.com.au
March 2008