Esther Bunning is Photographer of the Year

Wairarapa photographer Esther Bunning is on cloud nine after taking out the highly coveted title of New Zealand Professional Photographer of the Year.

“I feel incredibly honoured! It was totally unexpected and an incredibly exciting awards night - even though it was all featured online this year!” said Ms Bunning.

The competition was fierce indeed - the prestigious Nikon Iris Professional Photography Awards attracted an unprecedented number of entries this year, with close to 3000 images entered. Entries came from around the country, Australia and as far afield as Canada.

The NZ Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) announced the results online on September 14, and Ms Bunning was floored to win both the Creative and Portrait Open categories, plus the overall NZ Photographer of the Year title.

‘As it has been with so many people, it’s been a difficult year for me and my photography. Due to COVID, we had to cancel several photographic workshops, and my artist in residency ANZAC project was put on hold too. Our industry was slow to get started initially after lockdown, and my creative mojo was affected. As a result, I wasn’t engaged to the same extent as other years with the whole awards process, and didn’t even watch the online judging. It’s funny how things work out!’

“Esther is a truly visionary photographer who is always pushing the creative boundaries, even in hard times’, said NZIPP President Catherine Cattanach.

“She was a hugely deserving winner. Her work is technically excellent, and at the same time challenges the viewer to look at photographs from more of an emotive and less of a literal perspective. Her portfolio this year was just brimming with mood - it was very powerful,” Ms Cattanach said.

The NZIPP Iris Awards are highly contested and coveted as they have helped launch and establish many careers.

“For me personally, these awards will help with my confidence to explore directions that i’m passionate about. I love to tell stories with my images, with soul and emotion, and a purpose” said Ms Bunning.

The top six photographs from the three highest-scoring photographers across all categories are re-judged to determine the overall winner the competition. Ms Bunning’s award-winning photographs showed variety: from commissioned portraits of a teen with rainbows, to a kaimanawa horse, a photograph of an ANZAC trooper in her kitchen, and an image of a teen from the Nikon Iconic Futures project based around his vision for the future and photographed on traditional film. She also photographed her teenage son after covid exploring emotions, isolation and tension, and was awarded a gold for this series.

All the entries are judged anonymously and this year, due to Covid-19, the judging was held online with both a preliminary round and then a live online-judging round spanning nine days. The rotating panels of five judges included some of the most qualified and renowned local and international photographers.

The judges felt Esther's images showed a unique interpretation of the subject that is introspective, flawless, and quiet. Her work goes beyond having a literal translation and represents a photographer who is visionary, empathetic to their subject, and has great command of the emotional aspects being portrayed. They also described her work as playful, original, and refreshing, suggesting it was clear that the work was created by an artist who thinks outside of the box.

“Esther showed massive diversity in her portfolio, from form-based work to very contemporary portraiture,” said judge Tony Carter. "She shows real artistry in both her client work and her personal projects”

NZIPP Chair of Honours Kaye Davis said the Iris Awards give photographers an opportunity to push the boundaries, and to see how their work stacks up against the others in the industry.

“Each year the standard gets higher, and this year was no exception, with some incredible images being judged and awarded,” said Ms Davis.

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