PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Matthew Abbott is a documentary photographer based in Sydney who covers Australian and Asia-Pacific social and environmental stories. He is a member of the Oculi Collective, Australia's leading co-operative of visual storytellers, and his work focusses on capturing intimate moments that often go unseen - he believes storytelling is at its most effective and powerful when it is based on a close connection to the subjects and an understanding of the stories behind the lens. Abbott's work has been exhibited extensively internationally, and he is a regular contributor to the New York Times and National Geographic and many other leading media outlets. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Nikon-Walkley Australian Daily Life Award 2018 and 2019, the Nikon-Walkley Press Photographer of the Year 2020 and was awarded first place in the inaugural Rust Belt Biennial 2019. His series documenting the 2019-20 bushfires placed second in the 2020 World Press Photo Contest, and his image of a kangaroo rushing past a burning house won the Deadline Club Award for Spot News 2020. The series is also a finalist for the prestigious Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2021. Shane Fitzsimmons is the inaugural Commissioner for Resilience NSW and Deputy Secretary of Emergency Management with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. This appointment followed a career of over thirty-five years with the NSW Rural Fire Service, serving as both a volunteer and salaried member. Formerly Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fitzsimmons led the state-wide response to the 2019-20 bushfires with a 74,000-strong crew of mostly volunteers. He was subsequently named 2021 NSW Australian of the Year.
